Self-Locking Adjustable Suture Construct for Soft Tissue Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for coupling soft tissue to bone in arthroscopic procedures, such as using sutures and anchors, are time-consuming and limited by the strength of the knot, which can be weaker than the suture material, leading to potential instability in tissue repair.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a self-locking adjustable suture construct with first and second adjustable loops is used, where the loops are positioned around soft tissue portions and a coupling element is placed through one loop to form a loop structure over the tissue, allowing tension to be applied to secure the tissue to the bone without relying on knots for strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sutures and anchors with knots are used to secure soft tissue to bone, then the procedure is well-established and relatively simple to perform, but the procedure becomes time-consuming and the strength of the repair is limited by the knot strength
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the knot from the suture system entirely, extracting the time-consuming knot-tying step while maintaining the tissue-securing function through a preformed loop configuration that locks without knots
Solution Approach 2:
The suture is preformed with a loop configuration before insertion, preparing the locking mechanism in advance so that no additional time is needed during surgery to create the loop or tie knots
2Loss of time
If traditional sutures with preformed loops are used, then knot-tying time is reduced, but the loop may translate back through the passage upon relaxation, relieving the desired tension
Solution Approach 1:
The suture loop is nested through the passage in a specific configuration where the loop passes through itself, creating a mechanical interlocking system that prevents backward translation when tension is released
Solution Approach 2:
The suture is divided into distinct segments (the loop portion and the tail portion) that interact mechanically to maintain tension, with the loop acting as a separate functional element from the passage
3Strength
If the suture loop is made tight to secure tissue, then the tissue attachment strength increases, but the suture may slip or the loop may loosen under load
Solution Approach 1:
The suture system allows dynamic adjustment of loop tension during installation, enabling the surgeon to optimize both the tightness for tissue security and the configuration for slip resistance under physiological loads
Data Source
AI summary
A method can include forming a bore in a bone of a patient and positioning a first anchor in the bore. The first anchor can have a self-locking adjustable suture construct extending therefrom that can include first and second adjustable loops. The first adjustable loop can be positioned about a first portion of the soft tissue and the second adjustable loop can be positioned about a second portion of the soft tissue different than the first portion. A coupling element carried by the second adjustable loop can be coupled to the first adjustable loop. An end of the adjustable suture construct can be tensioned to reduce a size of the first and second adjustable loops to couple the soft tissue to the bone.