Ligament Graft Suture Assembly for Non-Penetrating Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ligament graft preparation techniques, such as whip-stitching, are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and can cause trauma to the graft, leading to increased surgical risks and costs.
Innovation Solution
A graft preparation system comprising a spine with windings and an anchor suture, which can be removably positioned around a graft using a holder, allowing for quick and trauma-free suture attachment without penetrating the graft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional whip-stitching technique is used to attach suture to graft, then suture attachment can be achieved, but it causes trauma to the graft and leads to excessive elongation when load is applied
Solution Approach 1:
A delivery suture assembly with a spine and windings is introduced as an intermediary device. The windings wrap around the graft and are secured by an anchor suture, allowing force transmission without direct penetration or trauma to the graft tissue. The spine acts as a structural intermediary that distributes loads across multiple windings rather than concentrating stress at a single penetration point.
Solution Approach 2:
The conventional mechanical penetration method (needle passing through graft) is replaced with a wrapping and anchoring system. The delivery suture assembly uses a mechanical wrapping configuration where the windings encircle the graft and are held in place by the anchor suture, substituting the direct penetration-mechanism with an indirect wrapping-mechanism that avoids tissue damage.
2Strength
If conventional whip-stitching technique is used, then suture can be attached to graft, but the procedure is labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery suture assembly is pre-configured with the spine, multiple windings, and anchor suture already in place before surgery. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for the surgeon to manually create each winding and attachment point during the procedure, significantly reducing the time and labor required while maintaining secure fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery suture assembly is designed to be self-applying and self-securing. The pre-formed windings and anchor suture work together as an integrated system that automatically provides secure attachment when deployed, reducing the need for manual adjustment and additional surgical steps.
3Strength
If multiple sutures are attached to graft using conventional techniques, then fixation strength is improved, but the complexity of the procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple windings and the anchor suture are merged into a single integrated delivery suture assembly. Instead of separately attaching multiple independent sutures to the graft, all fixation elements are combined into one pre-configured device that functions as a unified system, simplifying the procedural steps while providing distributed fixation strength through multiple windings.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for preparing a ligament graft for a ligament reconstruction procedure are provided. In general, the described techniques utilize a graft preparation system having a holder and a delivery suture assembly removably coupled thereto. The delivery suture assembly can include a spine coupled with an anchor suture configured to form a self-tightening knot used to position the assembly around a graft and a plurality of suture windings configured to be affixed to the graft when the assembly is deployed. The assembly is delivered to the graft using the holder and the sutures can be affixed to the graft without penetrating therethrough. The spine helps to evenly distribute the load among the windings compressing the graft which are thus are capable of withstanding increased loads. Thus, an improved, simplified, and time- and labor-saving approach to preparing ligament grafts is provided.