Soft-Tissue Fixation Device With Adjustable Cable Tensioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sutures used to repair damaged or torn soft-tissues, such as tendons and ligaments, often fail due to repeated strain and tension, requiring extensive reinforcement and increasing the complexity of surgical procedures, which can negatively impact recovery time.
Innovation Solution
A soft-tissue fixation device comprising a first and second plate with tines that extend through the tissue, allowing for adjustable tensioning of a cable to secure the tissue to bone or other tissues, enabling measurable and adjustable compression while allowing blood flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sutures are used to repair soft-tissue, then the repair can be performed with simple materials, but the sutures fail due to repeated strain and tension requiring extensive reinforcement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the load-bearing function from the suture material and transfers it to a separate cable system. The fixation device includes a cable that can be tensioned independently, allowing the suture to focus on tissue approximation while the cable handles the mechanical loads that previously caused suture failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The repair system is segmented into distinct functional components: the fixation device with plates and tines for anchoring, the cable for tensioning and load-bearing, and the suture for tissue approximation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, improving overall reliability without increasing overall procedural complexity.
2Reliability
If extensive reinforcement is used to strengthen suture repair, then suture reliability improves, but the complexity of surgical procedure increases with extra incisions, drilling, and anchoring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the anchoring function and the tensioning function into a single integrated fixation device. The plates with tines provide anchoring while the cable provides tensioning, eliminating the need for separate incisions and anchoring procedures that would otherwise be required for extensive reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation device serves multiple functions: the plates anchor to bone, the tines secure the soft-tissue, the cable provides adjustable tensioning, and the spacing member maintains proper positioning. This multi-functionality replaces what would otherwise require multiple separate surgical steps and components.
3Strength
If conventional reinforcement configurations are used, then suture strength is improved, but recovery time is adversely affected due to increased tissue trauma from extra incisions and drilling
Solution Approach 1:
The cable system allows for dynamic adjustment of tension after the initial surgical procedure. The tensioning member can be adjusted post-operatively to optimize the repair strength as healing progresses, eliminating the need for additional surgical interventions that would extend recovery time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device securely attaches soft-tissue to bone or other tissues with adjustable compression, reducing the need for extensive reinforcement and simplifying surgical procedures, thereby improving repair efficiency and patient recovery.
Implementation Method 1
the cable is configured to be tensioned to a measurable and adjustable tension, to cause, in some implementations, compression of bone, compression of soft tissue to bone, and/or compression of soft tissue to other soft tissue with a measurable and adjustable compression
Data Source
AI summary
A system for fixating soft-tissue is described herein. The system includes a soft-tissue fixation device comprising a cable-retention feature. Additionally, the system includes a cable coupleable to the cable-retention feature of the soft-tissue fixation device. The cable is configured to be tensioned to a measurable and adjustable tension.