Soft Anchor With Self-Cinching Eyelet for Knotless Bone Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical techniques for reattaching detached soft tissues like ligaments or tendons to bone lack a soft, knotless suture-based anchor with a self-cinching mechanism and independent eyelet that allows for easy insertion and secure fixation without knots.
Innovation Solution
Development of soft anchors made from flexible materials like sutures, featuring a closed loop or eyelet for sliding strands and a self-cinching mechanism, enabling knotless fixation by bunching up within bone tunnels and allowing sliding sutures for tissue attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional suture anchors with knots are used for tissue fixation, then secure attachment is achieved, but surgical complexity and time increase due to knot-tying procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The suture anchor system performs its own cinching function through the self-cinching mechanism integrated into the anchor body, eliminating the need for external knot-tying operations. The sliding suture automatically cinches the tissue against the bone socket when pulled, achieving secure fixation without requiring surgical knots.
Solution Approach 2:
The knot-tying operation is completely removed from the surgical procedure. Instead of requiring surgeons to tie knots to secure the suture, the system extracts this function and replaces it with a self-cinching mechanism that achieves the same securing effect through mechanical action rather than manual knotting.
2Adaptability or versatility
If sliding sutures are used for tissue attachment, then adjustability is improved, but the ability to secure the suture reliably becomes problematic without knots
Solution Approach 1:
The suture system transitions from a static knotted configuration to a dynamic self-cinching mechanism. The sliding suture can be adjusted during insertion to achieve the desired tissue tension, and then the self-cinching mechanism locks this adjusted position reliably without requiring knots, providing both adjustability and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The self-cinching mechanism acts as an intermediary between the sliding suture and the tissue/bone interface. It receives the adjustable sliding suture and transforms it into a reliable secured state by mechanically cinching the tissue against the bone socket, mediating between the need for adjustability and the need for secure fixation.
3Ease of operation
If soft suture-based materials are used for the anchor body, then ease of insertion into bone sockets is improved, but the strength and durability of the anchor may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor body material properties are optimized to achieve the right balance between softness for easy insertion and strength for durable fixation. The soft suture-based material is engineered with specific tensile strength and structural characteristics that allow it to be easily inserted into bone sockets while maintaining sufficient strength to secure the tissue attachment under physiological loads.
Data Source
AI summary
Soft anchor constructs and methods for soft tissue to bone repairs. The soft anchors may be knotted or knotless constructs. The soft anchors include a body formed of various soft materials (including, but not limited to, suture) and provided in various shapes and configurations that confer the anchors the ability to be easily inserted within bone tunnels or sockets and be bunched up within the bone tunnels or sockets. At least one closed loop or soft eyelet is attached to the soft anchor to allow additional sliding strands and/or shuttle/pull devices (suture passing devices) to pass through the eyelet and aid in the knotted or knotless fixation of tissue to bone.