Knotless Suture Anchor with Barbs and Helical Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tying suture knots during surgery to attach soft tissue to bone is tedious and time-consuming, highlighting a need for improved devices to fixate sutures and soft tissue to bone effectively.
Innovation Solution
A suture anchor with an elongate member featuring barbs for engagement within a bone hole, an eyelet for suture reception, and helically extending channels for dynamic tensioning, allowing secure fixation without knots, utilizing thermoplastic polymer materials like PEEK for biocompatibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If suture knots are tied to couple the suture to the suture anchors or secure the soft tissue to the bone, then the soft tissue can be attached to the bone, but the surgical process becomes tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the suture knot-tying step from the surgical process by incorporating barbs directly on the suture anchor that mechanically interlock with the suture, providing secure attachment without requiring time-consuming knot tying
Solution Approach 2:
The suture anchor performs its own function of securing the suture through its integrated barbs that automatically engage with the suture upon insertion, eliminating the need for separate knot-tying actions by the surgeon
2Reliability
If barbs are disposed along the elongate member to engage with the bone hole wall upon turning, then secure fixation is achieved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The suture anchor is segmented into functional zones: the elongate member for insertion, multiple barbs distributed along its length for progressive engagement, and an eyelet for suture attachment. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The barbs are configured with curved or angled surfaces that facilitate engagement with the bone hole wall upon rotation of the anchor, allowing smooth turning motion while achieving secure mechanical interlocking without complex mechanisms
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and knot-free fixation of sutures to bone, reducing surgical time and improving the attachment process by using barbs and channels to compress the suture between the bone and anchor, ensuring secure tissue attachment.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of barbs are disposed along the length of the elongate member. The barbs are configured to engage with an inner wall of the bone hole upon turning of the suture anchor through a predetermined angle.
Implementation Method 2
The first opening is oriented with respect to the first channel to enable dynamic tensioning of the suture after the suture anchor has been inserted into the bone hole.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and methods are provided for a suture anchor to fixate sutures and tissue to bone. The suture anchor comprises an elongate member to be inserted into a bone hole. Barbs along the length of the elongate member engage with an inner wall of the bone hole. An eyelet in a distal aspect of the elongate member is configured to receive a suture. First and second channels extend helically along opposite sides of the elongate member. The eyelet includes first and second openings on opposite sides of the distal aspect. The first opening and the first channel enable applying tension to the suture after implantation into the bone hole. The second opening enables placing the suture into a final position along the barbs after implantation into the bone hole. A proximal aspect of the elongate member receives an instrument for implanting the suture anchor into the bone hole.