Soft Tissue Bone Anchor With Forming Legs for Sutureless Fixation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for fixing soft tissue to bone, such as ligament or tendon, are time-consuming and require complex suture patterns, leading to degradation in repair strength and quality over time due to patient activity.
Innovation Solution
A repair device comprising an anchor member with moveable legs and flexible members, which can be deployed using a delivery device to securely attach soft tissue to bone, eliminating the need for complex suturing and enhancing long-term effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional suture methods are used to fixate soft tissue to bone, then the repair provides good initial strength, but the repair strength and quality quickly degrade with subsequent loading and mobilization
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor member incorporates moveable legs that can transition between a straight configuration during insertion and a formed configuration for secure anchoring. This dynamic structural change allows the device to adapt to different phases of the surgical procedure and healing process, providing both initial fixation strength and long-term durability by evolving from an insertion-friendly state to a load-bearing state
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor member is divided into multiple legs that can independently move and form around structural portions of the capture member. This segmentation allows each leg to independently engage with the soft tissue and capture member, distributing loads across multiple contact points and preventing stress concentration that would lead to repair degradation
2Reliability
If complex suture patterns are used to achieve effective soft tissue fixation, then the repair quality improves, but the surgical time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the complex suture tying step from the surgical procedure by incorporating pre-formed flexible members that are already configured to engage with the anchor member and soft tissue. This eliminates the need for surgeons to perform complex suture patterns while maintaining effective fixation quality, as the flexible members are pre-configured to provide the necessary engagement and distribution of forces
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible members are pre-configured and pre-attached to the anchor member before insertion, with their geometry and attachment points optimized for effective soft tissue engagement. This preliminary preparation of the fixation elements eliminates the need for complex intraoperative suture work, reducing surgical time and complexity while ensuring consistent fixation quality
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional suture methods are used for soft tissue fixation, then the procedure can be performed with standard equipment, but the surgical time and specialization requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the anchor member, flexible members, and capture member into a single integrated device system that functions as one unified implant. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate suture materials and multiple insertion steps, reducing surgical time while maintaining accessibility through a single delivery device that can be used by standard orthopedic surgeons without requiring specialized suture skills
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems and/or methods for repairing soft tissue adjacent a soft tissue repair site. In one embodiment, a repair device includes an anchor member, a capture member and one or more flexible members. The anchor member includes a base with at least four legs extending integrally from the base, the at least four legs configured to be moveable from a straight first position to a formed second position. The capture member is configured to be coupled to the anchor member such that the at least four legs of the anchor member move around structural portions of the capture member with the at least four legs of the anchor member in the formed second position. The one or more flexible members are coupled to the base of the anchor member, the one or more flexible members extending at least partially along the base of the anchor member.