Porous Soft Tissue Attachment Device for Bone Ingrowth

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing soft tissue attachment devices for orthopedic surgical implants often fail to provide stable and reliable fixation of grafts to bone, risking damage to the graft or suboptimal repair due to direct contact with interference screws or reliance on button anchors and sutures.

Innovation Solution

A soft tissue attachment device featuring a body with a smooth contoured surface and a porous surface with outwardly extending fixation members, along with a channel for graft placement, facilitating bone and tissue ingrowth for enhanced fixation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If interference screws are used to secure the graft within a tunnel, then the graft can be fixed to the bone, but direct contact between the graft and the interference screw threads could damage the graft or result in suboptimal repair

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefixation strengthVSAvoidgraft damage

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A porous insert is introduced as an intermediary component between the interference screw and the graft. The insert has a smooth bore surface that contacts the graft, preventing direct contact with the threaded interference screw. This mediator allows the graft to be securely fixed while avoiding thread-induced damage to the graft tissue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The insert is made of porous material that allows bone ingrowth through its outer surface, providing biological fixation while maintaining a smooth internal channel for the graft. The porous structure enables bone tissue to grow into the insert, creating a strong biological anchor without compromising the graft interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

2Strength

If button anchors with sutures are used to secure the graft, then the graft can be attached to bone, but the method relies on the strength of the button anchor and suture and requires precise adjustment of suture loop size

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment strengthVSAvoidsuture loop adjustment

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The suture and button anchor system is replaced by a direct interference fit mechanism. The graft is secured through the porous insert and interference screw without requiring external sutures or complex button anchor assemblies, simplifying the device while maintaining attachment strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The porous insert provides self-contained fixation functionality through its porous structure that allows bone ingrowth. The insert itself serves as the fixation element, eliminating the need for separate sutures and button anchors, and requires no precise adjustment of loop sizes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a porous insert is used to prevent direct contact between the graft and interference screw threads, then graft damage is avoided, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegraft protectionVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The insert combines a smooth non-porous internal surface for graft contact with a porous external surface for bone ingrowth. This composite structure provides both mechanical protection of the graft and biological fixation to bone, resolving the contradiction between graft protection and device simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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

The device achieves stable and reliable fixation of grafts to bone by promoting bone ingrowth into the porous material, thereby enhancing the integrity and durability of the graft attachment.

Implementation Method 1

a body having a smooth contoured first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface having a plurality of outwardly extending fixation members and at least partially formed of a porous material adapted for bone ingrowth

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBone ingrowth: Porosity

Implementation Method 2

The channel is at least partially formed of a porous material adapted for tissue ingrowth, bone ingrowth or a combination thereof

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTissue ingrowth: Porosity

Data Source

PatentEP3552579B1Soft tissue attachment device

Publication Date: 2025.05.14 HOWMEDICA OSTEONICS CORP

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AI summary

A device (100) for attaching a soft tissue graft to bone includes a body with a smooth contoured first surface (106) and a second surface (110) opposite the first surface having a plurality of outwardly extending fixation members (140). The second surface is at least partially formed of a porous material adapted for bone ingrowth. A channel (130) extends at least partially through the body in between the first and second surfaces for receiving a portion of the graft. The channel is at least partially formed of a porous material adapted for tissue ingrowth, bone ingrowth or a combination thereof.