Knotless Suture Anchor Insertion for Precise Bone Fixation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing knotless anchor insertion methods face challenges in accurately locating and inserting suture anchors into bone due to small size, limited visualization, and difficult angles in joint spaces, particularly in minimally invasive surgeries.

Innovation Solution

A surgical system with an inserter tool that includes an inner and outer shaft, where the inner shaft has a notch for seating a suture and a pliable member to facilitate suture release, allowing the anchor to be translated distally into the bone hole, securing the suture without knots, and enabling easy removal by longitudinal translation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a traditional anchor with a knot is used, then the anchor can be securely attached to the suture, but the knot creates stress concentration points that may lead to suture breakage and reduces the strength of the construct

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrength of the constructVSAvoidstress concentration and suture breakage

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes the knot from the anchor system entirely. The anchor is designed with a internal cavity that receives and secures the suture without requiring any knotting. This eliminates the stress concentration points created by knots while maintaining secure suture attachment, directly resolving the contradiction between secure attachment and stress-induced suture breakage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of securing the suture by tying a knot around the anchor (external securing), the invention inverts the approach by having the anchor internally capture and secure the suture within its cavity. The suture is inserted through the anchor and held in place by the anchor's internal structure rather than by an external knot, eliminating harmful stress concentrations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If a knot is tied to secure the suture to the anchor, then the suture is held in place, but the process is time-consuming and increases procedural complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuture retentionVSAvoidtime to tie knot

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The anchor is pre-configured with an internal cavity and securing mechanism designed to receive and hold the suture. The suture is inserted through the anchor in advance of any securing action, and the anchor's internal structure is already prepared to capture and retain the suture, eliminating the need for time-consuming knot-tying procedures while ensuring reliable suture retention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the mechanical knot-tying system with a streamlined insertion and internal capture system. Instead of using friction and tension from a tied knot to retain the suture, the anchor uses its pre-designed internal cavity and geometric features to mechanically capture and hold the suture, significantly reducing the time and complexity of the securing process while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If a knot is used to attach the suture, then the suture is secured, but the knot creates irregularities that can irritate surrounding tissue

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuture attachmentVSAvoidtissue irritation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the knot entirely from the suture attachment system. The suture is secured within the anchor's internal cavity without any external knotting, eliminating the irregularities and sharp edges that knots create. This directly eliminates the source of tissue irritation while maintaining secure suture attachment through the anchor's internal capturing mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of securing the suture with an external knot that creates tissue-irritating irregularities, the invention inverts the approach by having the suture secured internally within the smooth-walled anchor cavity. The suture is held by the anchor's internal geometry rather than by an external knot, eliminating tissue irritation while maintaining reliable attachment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP4142612B1Knotless anchor insertion

Publication Date: 2026.05.06 MEDOS INT SARL

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AI summary

Various exemplary systems and devices for knotless anchor insertion and methods of knotless anchor insertion are provided. In general, an inserter tool is configured for knotless anchor insertion in a soft tissue repair surgical procedure. The inserter tool is configured to insert an anchor into a bone of a patient to secure a soft tissue relative to the bone. A suture coupled to the soft tissue is secured relative to the bone by being trapped between an exterior surface of the anchor and a bone surface defining a hole in the bone in which the anchor is positioned.