Soft Suture Anchor with Circular Wall for Robust Bone Setting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Soft suture anchors used in surgical repair operations often fail to set robustly, leading to potential loosening and dislodgment from bone, which can compromise the bone-muscle connection and cause patient dissatisfaction.
Innovation Solution
A suture assembly featuring a soft anchor with a circular soft wall and two lengths of suture material that extend through its lumen, allowing for even compaction within a pilot hole to form a stable anchor by sliding and pulling the suture lengths alternately, creating a compacted knot that secures the anchor in the bone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a soft suture anchor is used to anchor suture to bone, then the anchor can be inserted into a pilot hole and compacted to form a setting action, but the setting action is not robust enough and the anchor may work loose over time
Solution Approach 1:
The suture material is threaded through the lumen of the circular soft wall structure, creating a nested configuration where the suture passes through the central cavity. This nesting allows the suture to be securely held while enabling the compaction mechanism to work effectively on the wall structure itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture material is pre-threaded through the lumen of the circular soft wall during manufacturing, so that when the anchor is inserted and compacted, the suture is already in position to be captured by the setting action. This preliminary configuration ensures proper suture anchoring without requiring additional manipulation during surgery.
2Reliability
If the soft structure is compacted by drawing on suture material to form a hard ball, then the anchor sets by digging into the bone, but the compaction may be uneven leading to poor setting
Solution Approach 1:
The circular soft wall structure provides a uniform, consistent geometry that ensures even distribution of compaction forces around the entire circumference of the anchor. This local uniformity in the wall structure prevents uneven compaction and ensures consistent setting action throughout the anchor.
Solution Approach 2:
The circular soft wall is constructed with homogeneous material properties and uniform thickness, ensuring that when compaction forces are applied by drawing on the suture, the entire structure compacts uniformly. This homogeneity prevents weak spots or uneven setting that could lead to anchor failure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the suture material is threaded through the lumen of the circular soft wall, then the anchor can be formed with lengths extending outward for attachment, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The circular soft wall with lumen serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the structural body of the anchor, contains the suture material through its hollow center, and enables the formation of outward-extending suture lengths for attachment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The circular soft wall is constructed as a flexible, thin-walled structure that can be easily manipulated during insertion and compaction. This flexibility allows the wall to deform uniformly during compaction while maintaining its structural integrity, and the thin-walled design reduces material usage while preserving functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of anchoring a suture into a pilot hole in bone utilizing a suture anchor. A lumen-defining circular soft wall, having a first and second end, is slidably engaged to a piece of suture, a first length of which extends from the first end of the wall and is threaded through the lumen from the second end, and a second length of which extends from the second end and is threaded through the lumen from the first end. The suture anchor is introduced into the pilot hole so that the first length and second length of suture material extend out of the pilot hole. The first length and second length are pulled on alternately, thereby permitting the suture anchor structure to slide on the piece of suture material, and to be compacted evenly by the pulling, until the suture anchor is set in the pilot hole.