Knotless Anchor Assembly for Soft Tissue Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for securing soft tissue to bone during arthroscopic procedures are inefficient and require significant recovery time, as they often rely on knot-based fixation techniques that are cumbersome and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A novel anchor assembly with a headless insertion member featuring a fully threaded body and cannulation, along with a surgical device having a shaft with engaged threads, allows for quick and secure fixation of sutures within an anchor cavity, enabling efficient tissue-to-bone attachment without the need for knots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If knot-based fixation techniques are used to secure soft tissue to bone, then tissue attachment can be achieved, but the procedure becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the knot from the fixation system by using a threaded anchor assembly where the suture is directly engaged with the threaded body of the anchor, removing the need for knot tying while maintaining secure tissue attachment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical knot-tying system with a threaded engagement system where the suture threads are engaged with the anchor's threaded body, allowing for quicker and more reliable fixation without manual knot tying
2Reliability
If traditional anchor systems are used, then tissue fixation is possible, but recovery time is significant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the need for complex knot-based fixation that requires extended healing time, using instead a direct threaded engagement system that achieves reliable fixation more rapidly, thereby reducing recovery time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fixation mechanism from a knot-based system requiring prolonged healing to a threaded engagement system that achieves secure fixation faster, modifying the temporal parameter of recovery while maintaining fixation reliability
3Ease of operation
If a headless insertion member with full threading is used, then knotless fixation is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the threading function directly into the anchor body itself, eliminating the need for separate threaded components or heads, thereby achieving knotless fixation while managing device complexity through integration
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor body serves multiple functions: it provides the anchoring structure in bone, contains the threaded engagement for suture fixation, and eliminates the need for separate heads or knots, thereby simplifying the overall device while achieving knotless operation
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an anchor assembly. The anchor assembly includes an anchor defining a cavity and an opening to the cavity; and a headless insertion member configured for arrangement within the anchor cavity, the insertion member including a body having a threaded proximal portion, a non-threaded distal portion, and a cannulation extending a partial length of the insertion member. Other anchor assemblies, anchors, and delivery devices are also disclosed.