Self-Cinching Suture Anchor With Adjustable Inner Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current suture anchors for reattaching soft tissue to bone lack the ability to adjust the tissue position post-implantation and often result in knot slippage due to inadequate security, which can hinder optimal healing and may cause tissue abrasion in tight joints.
Innovation Solution
A self-cinching suture anchor system comprising an outer and inner member with a suture receiving mechanism that allows for uni-directional adjustment and secure knot formation, preventing slippage through a knot that self-cinches with tension from the attached tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional suture anchor is driven into bone to secure soft tissue, then the soft tissue can be anchored to bone, but the suture and soft tissue cannot be adjusted after implantation and may slip or move during the procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The suture anchor system transitions from a static fixed position to a dynamic adjustable position. The suture can slide within the anchor body during installation and after implantation, allowing the soft tissue to be repositioned dynamically. The cinching mechanism converts this dynamic sliding capability into a stable fixed position once the desired tension is achieved, resolving the contradiction between adjustability and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the state parameter of the suture from a fixed taut state during traditional knot-tying to a sliding adjustable state. By allowing the suture to slide within the anchor, the system enables continuous adjustment of the soft tissue position and tension. The cinching action then changes the parameter from adjustable to locked, maintaining both operability and reliability.
2Reliability
If additional knots are tied to prevent slippage of the suture, then knot security is improved, but the knot size increases and may cause tissue abrasion or obstruction in tight joints
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the security function from the knot structure itself and relocates it to the cinching mechanism within the anchor body. Instead of relying on multiple external knots to prevent slippage, the cinching action internally secures the suture within the anchor, eliminating the need for bulky securing knots and reducing tissue abrasion risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The cinching mechanism acts as an intermediary between the suture and the anchor body. Rather than allowing the suture to directly create security through multiple knots in the tissue, the cinching mechanism mediates by gripping the suture internally and converting tensile force into a locking action, thereby preventing slippage without requiring large external knots.
3Ease of operation
If a sliding knot is used to allow suture adjustment, then ease of positioning is improved, but loop security deteriorates as the knot may slip when tension is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary positioning using a sliding mechanism that allows easy adjustment. The suture can slide freely during the positioning phase to achieve optimal soft tissue placement. Once positioned, the cinching action is applied preliminarily to lock the suture in place, preventing subsequent slippage when tension is applied during patient recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture anchor system exhibits dynamic behavior by allowing the suture to slide during positioning and then transition to a static locked state after cinching. This dynamic-to-static transition resolves the contradiction by providing ease of positioning during operation while ensuring loop security during the functional phase when tension is applied.
Data Source
AI summary
Various self-cinching suture anchors, self-cinching suture anchor systems, and methods of use are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a suture anchor is provided that includes an outer member and an inner member configured to be received within the outer member. The inner and outer members can define a gap that allows a suture to be movably disposed within the outer member, e.g., within the gap, when the inner member is disposed within the outer member. The inner member can be configured to be secured within the outer member by a knot of the suture having a diameter greater than a width of the gap so as to fix the inner member within the outer member, while still allowing uni-directional tensioning of the suture.