Knotless Filamentary Fixation Device for Soft Tissue Repair
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional metal or hard polymer tissue anchor and suture anchor devices are large and invasive, limiting implantation locations and causing excessive bone loss, and cannot be used for knotless surgical procedures, which are beneficial for reducing knot loosening and susceptibility to breakage.
Innovation Solution
A filamentary fixation device comprising a sleeve, shuttle, and length of filament that secures tissue without knots, allowing for knotless surgical procedures by forming a one-way cleat through the sleeve, which can be implanted in bone to attach or reattach soft tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional metal or hard polymer devices are used, then sufficient strength to withstand pulling forces is achieved, but device size becomes large and invasive, limiting implantation locations and causing excessive bone loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a filamentary fixation device constructed from flexible filament materials rather than rigid metal or hard polymer structures. This flexible filament configuration allows the device to achieve sufficient strength through its molecular structure and braiding pattern while maintaining a significantly reduced diameter that enables minimally invasive implantation through smaller drill holes in bone, thereby resolving the contradiction between strength requirements and device size constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental material parameter from rigid to flexible filament construction. By utilizing high-strength flexible filaments with specific braiding patterns and material compositions, the device achieves comparable load-bearing capacity to traditional rigid devices while dramatically reducing its cross-sectional area, allowing implantation in locations with limited bone mass and through smaller drill holes
2Reliability
If knots are used to secure the filament, then the filament can be anchored to tissue, but knots tend to loosen over time and are susceptible to breakage, reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the knot-tying step from the traditional fixation procedure. Instead of securing the filament through knots, the invention uses a knotless filamentary device where the filament is anchored through friction and mechanical interlocking within the filamentary structure itself, removing the weak point and complexity associated with knot formation while improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary mechanism within the filamentary structure that facilitates secure anchoring without knots. The multi-filament construction with specific braiding patterns creates internal friction and mechanical interlocking that acts as an intermediary force, replacing the need for knots while distributing loads more evenly and eliminating the susceptibility to breakage at knot locations
3Reliability
If traditional devices are used, then secure fixation is achieved, but large drill holes must be created, causing excessive loss of healthy bone
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible filament construction allows the device to be implanted through significantly smaller drill holes compared to rigid traditional devices. The reduced diameter of the filamentary structure minimizes the size of the bone hole required, thereby preserving healthy bone tissue while maintaining secure fixation capability through the flexible filament's ability to engage with the bone and tissue
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes a method of securing tissue using a filamentary construct, the method including the steps of passing a length of filament (40) through or around tissue; implanting a filamentary sleeve (20), formed of filament, into tissue; and passing at least a portion of the length of filament at least partially through the filamentary sleeve to form a one-way cleat. The present invention provides for various devices, systems, assemblies, kits and methods of assembly and manufacture thereof.