Knotless Anchor Insertion With Cannula-Guided Bone-Hole Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing knotless anchor insertion methods face challenges in accurately locating and inserting anchors into bone holes due to small size and difficult visualization in minimally invasive surgeries, particularly in tight joint spaces.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system with a handle, outer and inner shafts, and a distal end notch for seating a suture, allowing the anchor to be translated longitudinally and distally into the bone hole, featuring a pliable member to secure the suture and a locking mechanism for controlled insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If knotless anchors are used for minimally invasive surgery, then the need for manual knotting is eliminated and surgical efficiency is improved, but the small size of the anchor makes it difficult to locate and insert into the bone hole
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an inserter device as an intermediary tool that facilitates the insertion of small knotless anchors into bone holes. The inserter includes a delivery needle with a cannula that guides the anchor, and a pusher member that advances the anchor along the needle into the bone hole. This intermediary mechanism overcomes the difficulty of directly inserting small anchors by providing a structured delivery system with visual and mechanical guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The inserter device is segmented into multiple functional components: a delivery needle with cannula, a pusher member, and a handle assembly. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the cannula provides guidance and visualization, the pusher member provides controlled advancement, and the handle provides operator control. The segmented design makes the overall insertion process more manageable despite the small anchor size.
2Reliability
If knotless anchors with small diameter are used, then soft tissue repair effectiveness is improved, but visualization of the bone hole becomes difficult due to challenging angles and tight joint space
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula of the delivery needle serves as an intermediary optical guide that extends into the bone hole, allowing the surgeon to visualize the target site through the length of the cannula. This intermediary structure provides a visual pathway that overcomes the limitations of direct line-of-sight in tight joint spaces with challenging angles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent addresses visualization difficulties by extending the visual field along the longitudinal axis of the cannula rather than relying on broad lateral visibility. This dimensional approach to visualization allows the surgeon to see through the depth of the bone hole creation process, compensating for limited angular access in tight joint spaces.
3Reliability
If the anchor is inserted using traditional methods, then the anchor can be securely fixed in the bone hole, but the insertion process is time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery needle and cannula are pre-positioned through the soft tissue and into the bone hole before the anchor is inserted. This preliminary action creates a prepared pathway and visual guide in advance, allowing the anchor to be quickly advanced along the pre-established trajectory without requiring complex real-time positioning or knot-tying procedures during the insertion phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical knot-tying system with a pusher-member-based advancement system. Instead of requiring the surgeon to manually tie knots to secure the anchor, the pusher member mechanically advances the anchor along the cannula into the bone hole where it self-retains, eliminating the time-consuming knot-tying step while maintaining secure fixation.
Data Source
AI summary
Various systems and devices for knotless anchor insertion and methods of knotless anchor insertion are provided. 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.