Knotless Spreadable Web for Soft Tissue Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical methods for tissue repair, particularly soft tissue to bone fixation, often require knot formation and multiple passing steps, which can complicate procedures and reduce efficiency, especially when working through small portals into joint spaces.
Innovation Solution
A surgical construct featuring a spreadable web attached to peripheral members with flexible filaments that can be tensioned and adjusted to various widths, allowing for knotless fixation and improved handling, including the use of knotless fixation devices such as the FiberWeb construct, which eliminates knot formation and enhances fixation and compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional surgical methods are used for soft tissue to bone fixation, then fixation can be achieved, but knot formation is required and multiple passing steps are needed, which complicates procedures and reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the knot formation step from traditional surgical fixation methods. The spreadable web construct is designed to be deployed without requiring knots, removing this complicating element while maintaining fixation capability. This directly addresses the contradiction by eliminating an unnecessary procedural step that reduced efficiency and increased complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The spreadable web construct transitions from a compressed delivery state to an expanded deployed state within the surgical site. This dynamic transformation allows the construct to be passed through small portals in a compact form and then expand to provide full fixation coverage, resolving the contradiction between procedural efficiency and fixation effectiveness.
2Reliability
If traditional fixation methods are used, then soft tissue can be fixed to bone, but multiple passing steps are required which increases surgical time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The spreadable web construct is pre-formed and pre-configured before surgery, with all necessary structural elements in place. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for multiple intraoperative passing steps and knot tying, reducing surgical time while maintaining reliable fixation through the pre-engineered construct geometry.
3Ease of operation
If traditional methods are used for tissue repair, then fixation can be achieved, but handling through small portals is difficult and compression uniformity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spreadable web construct is designed to nest within itself or within the delivery device during the passing phase, allowing it to be inserted through small portals in a compact configuration. Once deployed, it expands to provide uniform compression across the entire fixation area, resolving the contradiction between ease of insertion and compression uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The construct utilizes a flexible web structure that can be compressed into a thin profile for easy passage through small portals, then expanded to provide broad, uniform surface contact and compression. This flexible shell approach allows the same structure to excel at both insertion ease and compression uniformity.
Data Source
AI summary
Surgical constructs, assemblies and methods of tissue fixation are disclosed. A surgical construct includes a spreadable web attached to a plurality of peripheral strands. The spreadable web may be tensionable and may include one or more flexible filaments or strands. At least one of the filaments is coupled to the peripheral strands. The filaments may extend from the peripheral strands in different directions and/or orientations. The spreadable web is expandable and can be adjusted to various widths. The spreadable web may be knotless. The spreadable web may be tensionable. The surgical construct may be attached to one or more knotted or knotless fixation devices