Knotless Suture Button Implantation for Syndesmosis Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fixation methodologies for ankle syndesmosis rupture require multiple incisions, drilling through both fibula and tibia, manual tensioning of sutures, and often result in loose sutures and soft tissue damage due to multiple knots.
Innovation Solution
A suture button system with a flexible fixation implant and inserter device that allows for minimally invasive deployment across bones, using a flexible connector and suture buttons with knotless tensioning mechanisms to stabilize the syndesmosis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual knot-tying is used to secure the suture, then the suture can be tied off to complete fixation, but the suture becomes loose and soft tissue damage occurs due to multiple knots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful knot-tying step from the fixation process by introducing a button device that secures the suture without requiring knots. The button is placed on the bone surface and the suture is passed through it, eliminating the need for manual knot-tying and associated soft tissue damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The button acts as an intermediary device between the suture and the bone. Instead of directly tying knots in the soft tissue, the suture is secured through the button which interfaces with the bone surface, thereby mediating the fixation process and avoiding direct tissue manipulation.
2Reliability
If multiple incisions and through-drilling are performed to achieve fixation, then the syndesmosis can be stabilized, but surgical trauma increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation system is segmented into separate components: a button device that interfaces with the bone surface and a suture element. This segmentation allows the button to be placed on the bone surface without requiring through-drilling, thereby reducing surgical trauma while maintaining stabilization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of drilling through the bone and securing the suture from the other side, the invention inverts the approach by placing the button on the bone surface and passing the suture through it. This reverses the traditional fixation methodology and eliminates the need for through-drilling and multiple incisions.
3Reliability
If multiple components are used to attach the suture button to the bone, then the fixation can be achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the button device and the suture into a single integrated fixation construct. The button is designed to work in conjunction with the suture as a unified system, reducing the number of separate components needed compared to traditional fixation methods that require multiple distinct elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A suture button system for fixing a syndesmotic injury comprises a flexible fixation implant and an inserter device used to deploy the implant across bones. The flexible fixation implant typically comprises a flexible connector and two suture buttons which interface with the bone surface or a bone plate or washer. The flexible connector comprises a plurality of suture strands. The buttons typically have a feature which allows them to interface with an instrument used to deploy the implant across the two bones. The inserter device is configured to interface with the flexible fixation implant and to position it across bones through a pre-drilled bone tunnel. The inserter device may comprise an cannulated insertion rod and a handle.