Knotless Anchor Suture Capture Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current knotless anchor systems face challenges in accurately inserting and securing sutures in small bone holes, particularly in minimally invasive surgeries, due to limited visualization and difficult angles within tight joint spaces, which can lead to complications and irritation from knots.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system comprising an anchor with slots and an inserter tool featuring an outer and inner shaft, allowing the anchor to be releasably coupled and translated distally into the bone hole, with the inner shaft's position changing to unlock and position the suture before securing the anchor, facilitating knotless suture capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a knotless anchor system is used for minimally invasive surgery, then the irritation to surrounding tissues is reduced and the surgical procedure is simplified, but the difficulty of locating and inserting the anchor into the bone hole increases due to small size and challenging visualization
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor is nested within the inserter tool, with the anchor body positioned inside the inserter's hollow bore. The suture is nested within a retention channel in the inner shaft. This nesting allows the small anchor to be delivered through a minimally invasive pathway while maintaining control during insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The inserter tool serves as an intermediary device that facilitates anchor insertion. The inner shaft with retention channel acts as a mediator to temporarily hold and guide the suture, enabling precise delivery of the anchor to the bone hole without requiring the surgeon to manually manipulate the small components.
2Volume of moving object
If the anchor is made small for minimally invasive application, then the invasiveness of the procedure is reduced, but the difficulty of locating and inserting the anchor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The small anchor is nested within the larger inserter tool structure, allowing it to be transported and positioned through minimally invasive access points. The inserter provides a framework that makes the small anchor visible and manageable during the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture is pre-positioned within the retention channel of the inner shaft before anchor insertion. This preliminary action ensures that when the anchor is delivered to the bone hole, the suture is already in place and ready for immediate fixation, simplifying the overall procedure despite the small anchor size.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the joint space is tight with challenging angles, then the minimally invasive benefit is achieved, but the visualization of the bone hole becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The inserter tool acts as an intermediary that extends the surgeon's reach into tight joint spaces with challenging angles. The structured design of the inserter with its shafts and retention channels provides a reference framework that aids in locating and visualizing the bone hole even when direct visualization is difficult.
Data Source
AI summary
Various exemplary devices, systems, and methods for knotless anchor temporary suture capture 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. The inserter tool and the anchor are configured to cooperate with one another to temporarily capture and lock the suture with respect to the anchor and the inserter tool before the anchor is secured in the bone hole.