Knotless Button Loop Construct for Canine Cruciate Ligament Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for cruciate ligament repair in canines, such as the suture-button construct, require knot-tying and often necessitate a second incision, which can be invasive and unstable over time, leading to joint wear and arthritis due to abnormal motion.
Innovation Solution
A self-locking, adjustable, knotless button/loop/needle construct using flexible loops with adjustable splices and needles for extracapsular ligament reconstruction, allowing secure fixation without knots or additional incisions by guiding buttons through bone tunnels and cinching them against the cortex.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a suture-button construct is used for CrCL repair, then ligament stabilization is achieved, but knot-tying is required which increases procedure complexity and requires additional incisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the knot-tying step from the traditional suture-button construct procedure. By using a pre-formed button with integrated suture material that can be directly inserted through bone tunnels and secured without requiring the surgeon to tie knots, the procedure is simplified while maintaining stabilization reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The button and suture construct is pre-assembled and prepared before surgery. The suture material is pre-attached to the button in a specific configuration that allows direct insertion through bone tunnels, eliminating the need for intraoperative knot-tying and reducing procedural complexity
2Strength
If knot-tying is used to secure the button, then fixation is achieved, but additional incisions are required which increase invasiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the need for additional incisions by designing a button construct that can be secured through the existing surgical access point. The button is inserted through bone tunnels and secured using the pre-attached suture material without requiring extra incisions for knot-tying
Solution Approach 2:
The button construct serves multiple functions: it provides fixation, eliminates the need for additional incisions, and maintains stability all through a single surgical access point. The integrated suture-material-to-button design allows the same incision to serve both entry and securing functions
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable, knotless button/loop/needle construct for fixation of cranial cruciate ligament deficient stifle. The adjustable, knotless construct includes two fixation devices (for example, two buttons) and at least one flexible, adjustable loop attached to at least one of the fixation devices (e.g., the buttons). Preferably, a needle is attached to each of the fixation devices (e.g., the buttons). The adjustable, knotless construct has an adjustable loop length and allows adjustment in one direction while preventing or locking the construct from loosening in the opposite direction, due to applied tensile forces. The construct and technique of the present invention provides an improved knotless system for cruciate ligament repair.