Knotless Suture Anchor with Locking Plug
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current arthroscopic techniques for attaching soft tissue to bone are cumbersome, require high skill, and often result in knots that are difficult to adjust and locate optimally, with suture anchors prone to failure under tension due to small eyelet designs and the need for knot tying.
Innovation Solution
A knotless suture anchoring system that secures sutures beneath the cortical bone surface using an anchor body with a locking plug and snare mechanism, allowing for adjustable tension without the need for knot tying, and featuring a design that prevents suture failure by distributing force effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional suture anchors with small eyelets are used, then the anchor can be securely fixed in bone, but the suture fails under high tensile loads
Solution Approach 1:
The suture attachment function is segmented from the anchor body through the eyelet design. The eyelet acts as a separate component that distributes tensile loads across multiple suture strands rather than concentrating stress at a single point, preventing suture failure while maintaining secure bone fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The eyelet introduces a dimensional transition from the cylindrical anchor body to a loop structure that accommodates the suture. This dimensional change allows the suture to wrap around the eyelet, distributing forces in multiple directions and preventing direct tensile loading on the anchor-suture interface.
2Reliability
If intracorporeal suturing is performed, then soft tissue can be attached to bone, but the procedure becomes clumsy and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The suture is pre-threaded through the eyelet during anchor manufacturing, eliminating the need for surgeons to perform complex intracorporeal knot-tying procedures. The preliminary preparation of the suture-anchor assembly significantly reduces surgical time while maintaining secure tissue attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex knot-tying operation is extracted from the surgical procedure and replaced by the pre-configured eyelet-suture assembly. This extraction eliminates the clumsy manual suturing steps while preserving the secure attachment function.
3Reliability
If knots are tied to secure soft tissues to the anchor, then the attachment is secure, but the knot bundle remains on top of the soft tissues causing postoperative discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful knot bundle is extracted from the surgical site by using a pre-threaded eyelet design. The suture passes through the eyelet without requiring external knotting, eliminating the bulky knot structure that causes postoperative discomfort while maintaining secure tissue fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The eyelet serves as an intermediary structure between the anchor and the suture, allowing the suture to be secured without external knots. The eyelet mediates the connection by providing an internal path for the suture, eliminating the need for problematic external knot bundles.
4Reliability
If traditional anchor designs are used, then bone fixation is achieved, but suture tension cannot be measured or adjusted
Solution Approach 1:
The eyelet design provides visual feedback on suture tension and positioning. The surgeon can observe the eyelet's orientation and the suture's path through it, allowing for real-time assessment and adjustment of tension before final anchor deployment, while maintaining secure bone fixation.
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
Facilitates minimally invasive, rapid, and secure fixation of soft tissues to bone, reducing the risk of suture failure and postoperative discomfort by eliminating the need for knot tying and allowing for precise tension adjustment.
Implementation Method 1
the shaft portion is sized relative to the anchor body lumen to allow movement therein when no suture is located within the anchor body lumen and a friction fit when the suture is located in the anchor body lumen
Data Source
AI summary
An innovative bone anchor and methods for securing soft tissue, such as tendons, to bone are described herein Such devices and methods permit a suture attachment that lies beneath the cortical bone surface and does not require tying of knots in the suture.