Meniscal Repair Cleat with Dual-Section Slot for Suture Binding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for meniscal repair, such as all-suture and tack-like implant techniques, face challenges in achieving stable fixation and promoting vascular healing due to user interface complexities and potential biomechanical interference, with existing suture-based systems being unsatisfactory.
Innovation Solution
A meniscal repair system utilizing cleats with a distal and proximal slot structure, allowing for secure suture binding and independent tensioning, which includes a suture and cleats with a wide and narrow section configuration for sliding and binding, respectively, and an inserter for precise deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all-suture repair techniques are used, then the meniscus can be repaired, but stable fixation is difficult to achieve and user interface complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A cleat component is introduced as an intermediary between the suture and the meniscus tissue. The cleat includes a body with a slot that receives the suture, and a protrusion that engages with the meniscus, providing stable fixation while simplifying the user interface by consolidating multiple functions into a single deployable component
Solution Approach 2:
The repair system is segmented into discrete functional components: cleats for fixation, sutures for tensioning, and an inserter for deployment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall user interface by enabling sequential deployment and independent adjustment of each cleat
2Reliability
If tack-like implants are used, then repair can be achieved, but biomechanical interference occurs and healing is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful biomechanical interference is eliminated by extracting the tack-like implant mechanism and replacing it with a cleat-based system that uses sutures for tensioning. This extraction removes the source of biomechanical interference while preserving the essential repair function through a different mechanism that is more compatible with meniscal biology
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the key parameters of the repair mechanism by transitioning from rigid tack-like implants to flexible cleat structures with adjustable suture tensioning. This parameter change allows for optimized biomechanics that promote healing rather than interfere with it
3Reliability
If existing suture-based systems are used, then repair can be performed, but the results are unsatisfactory and tensioning control is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces dynamic tensioning control through independently adjustable sutures on each cleat. The sutures can be tensioned independently to optimize the repair at each location, providing dynamic adaptability that improves both the repair outcome and ease of operation compared to fixed or non-adjustable systems
Solution Approach 2:
The cleat design allows the suture to be self-securing through the slot and protrusion mechanism, reducing the need for complex knotting or additional fastening operations. This self-service feature simplifies the tensioning process and improves ease of operation while maintaining reliable repair outcomes
Data Source
AI summary
A cleat for securing suture to tissue, the cleat comprising an elongated body having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end having a distal slot extending proximally into the elongated body, and the proximal end having a proximal slot extending distally into the body; the distal slot comprising a wide section and a narrow section, wherein the wide section has a width such that the suture is slidably accommodated therein and the narrow section has a width such that the suture is bound therein, and further wherein the wide section is disposed distally of the narrow section. A method for securing a first object to a second object, the method comprising providing a suture and a plurality of cleats slidably mounted on the suture; passing one end of the suture and a first cleat through the first object and the second object; tensioning the suture so as to secure the suture to the first cleat; passing a subsequent portion of the suture and a second cleat through the first object and the second object; and tensioning the suture so as to secure the suture to the second cleat.