Knotless Suture Anchor Assembly for Tissue-to-Bone Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Repetitive trauma to joints can lead to tissue defects such as soft tissue tears and cartilage defects, which if untreated, cause joint instability and discomfort, and existing methods lack effective means to securely fixate and compress tissue to bone.
Innovation Solution
A tensionable knotless tissue repair system using soft suture staple assemblies and knotless suture anchors for multi-row fixation, allowing secure attachment and compression of tissue to bone without knots, utilizing soft suture sheaths and knotless anchors that can be tensioned to enhance footprint compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional suture methods with knots are used to fixate tissue to bone, then the tissue can be secured, but the presence of knots creates bulk that prevents effective compression and increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the knot component from the traditional suture fixation system. The suture is passed through a suture anchor that secures it without requiring a knot, thereby eliminating the bulky knot structure while maintaining secure tissue-to-bone fixation. This allows for effective compression without the complexity of knot tying and securing.
2Stress or pressure
If sufficient tension is applied to compress tissue to bone, then footprint compression is improved, but the risk of suture cutting through tissue or anchor pullout increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fixation system into distinct functional components: a suture staple assembly for initial tissue capture, a suture anchor for secure bone fixation, and a multi-row configuration for distributed load bearing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to achieve compression without exceeding strength limits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from single-point fixation to a multi-row, multi-point fixation system. By distributing the compression force across multiple suture staples and anchors arranged in rows, the system achieves effective footprint compression while reducing the stress concentration on any single suture-tissue interface, thereby preventing cutthrough and pullout.
3Reliability
If a secure knot is tied to prevent suture pullout, then fixation reliability is improved, but surgical time and procedure complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The suture anchor is designed with self-securing features that eliminate the need for manual knot tying. The anchor mechanism automatically secures the suture through its internal structure, providing reliable fixation without requiring the surgeon to perform time-consuming knot tying and securing operations.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If soft suture materials are used to reduce tissue damage, then tissue compatibility is improved, but the suture strength and resistance to pullout forces decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite construction where soft, tissue-compatible suture materials are combined with a robust suture anchor system. The soft suture minimizes tissue damage and irritation, while the anchor provides the necessary strength and mechanical interlocking to resist pullout forces. This composite approach allows each material to contribute its optimal properties to the overall fixation system.
Data Source
AI summary
Tensionable knotless tissue repair systems and methods are provided for reducing and fixating tissue to bone. The proposed systems and methods may utilize one or more soft suture staple assemblies and one or more knotless suture anchors for reducing and fixating tissue to bone. The soft suture staple assemblies and knotless suture anchors may be used as part of a multi-row fixation technique for providing a desired area of footprint compression over top of the tissue.