Soft Tissue Fixing Anchor Prevents Bone Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing soft tissue fixing technologies result in bone loss and failure to sustain tensile force due to drilling holes for sutures, especially in patients with weakened bones from aging.
Innovation Solution
A soft tissue fixing anchor system comprising an anchor member inserted into the bone cavity and a suture fixed to both the anchor member and the soft tissue, with the anchor member preventing movement and the suture being secured by bone cement, eliminating the need for drilling and ensuring stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hole is drilled in the bone to connect the suture to the bone, then the suture can be secured to the bone, but bone loss occurs and the bone cannot sustain the tensile force of the suture
Solution Approach 1:
An anchor member is introduced as an intermediary component between the suture and the bone. The anchor member is inserted into the bone cavity without requiring drilling of the bone itself, and the suture is attached to the anchor member. This intermediary approach secures the suture while avoiding direct drilling into the weakened bone, thus preventing bone loss and maintaining bone integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation system is segmented into separate functional components: the anchor member that interfaces with the bone cavity, and the suture that connects to the soft tissue. This segmentation allows the anchor member to bear the load of suture fixation while the bone structure remains intact and undamaged, resolving the contradiction between secure fixation and bone preservation.
2Ease of manufacture
If a hole is drilled in the bone for suture connection, then the suture can be fixed, but the hole portion of the bone cannot sustain the tensile force of the suture in patients with weakened bones
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor member serves as a mediator that transfers the tensile load from the suture away from the weakened bone. By attaching the suture to the anchor member rather than directly to the bone, the bone is protected from excessive tensile forces that it cannot sustain, while the anchor member is designed to withstand these forces within the bone cavity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of drilling into the bone to create a fixation point, the approach is inverted by inserting an anchor member into the existing bone cavity. This inversion eliminates the need for drilling while providing a secure attachment point for the suture, thereby maintaining bone strength while achieving fixation simplicity.
3Loss of substance
If the anchor member is inserted to the bone cavity interior, then the soft tissue can be fixed without bone loss, but the anchor member must be prevented from moving to the bone cavity interior
Solution Approach 1:
The artificial joint acts as a mediator that prevents the anchor member from moving into the bone cavity interior. The artificial joint is positioned to contact and restrain the anchor member, providing positional stability while allowing the anchor member to remain in the bone cavity for secure suture fixation, thus preventing bone loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The artificial joint is positioned and secured in the bone cavity before the anchor member is inserted. This preliminary action creates a physical barrier that prevents the anchor member from moving into the bone cavity interior, ensuring position stability while maintaining the benefits of anchor member fixation.
Data Source
AI summary
A soft tissue fixing anchor includes: an anchor member which is inserted to the bone cavity interior and prevented from moving in the bone cavity interior by the artificial joint when the artificial joint is implanted; and a suture of which one end portion is fixed to the anchor member and the other end portion is exposed to a bone cavity exterior of the bone so as to be sutured to the soft tissue.