Spreadable Web Tissue Fixation for Knotless Soft Tissue Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical methods for tissue repair, particularly soft tissue to bone fixation, face challenges such as the need for knot formation, multiple passing steps, and difficulty in handling through small portals, leading to suboptimal fixation and compression.
Innovation Solution
A surgical construct featuring a spreadable web with flexible filaments or strands attached to peripheral members, allowing for knotless fixation by expanding between these members to provide uniform compression and fixation, facilitating easier handling through small portals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional knot-based surgical methods are used for tissue fixation, then secure fixation can be achieved, but the process requires multiple passing steps and knot formation which increases procedure complexity and time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the knot formation step from the traditional surgical fixation process. The spreadable web construct achieves secure fixation through its expansion mechanism between peripheral members without requiring any knot tying, thereby removing the complex knot formation step while maintaining fixation security
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical construct employs a dynamic spreadable web that can be compressed for insertion through small portals and then expanded in situ to achieve secure fixation. This dynamic transformation from compressed to expanded state allows the construct to adapt to the surgical site and provide reliable fixation without complex knotting procedures
2Reliability
If traditional surgical constructs are used, then fixation can be achieved, but handling through small portals becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The spreadable web construct is designed to be compressed into a compact, nested configuration that can be easily inserted through small arthroscopic portals. Once positioned, the construct expands to its full functional size, providing secure fixation while having been delivered through a minimally invasive access path
Solution Approach 2:
The construct transitions from a compressed, easily-handled state during insertion to an expanded, fixation-providing state at the surgical site. This dynamic size transformation enables easy handling through small portals while maintaining reliable fixation capability
3Reliability
If multiple passing steps are used in traditional methods, then tissue fixation can be achieved, but the number of steps increases procedure time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple separate passing and knot-tying steps into a single integrated construct delivery and expansion action. The spreadable web with its peripheral members is inserted as one unit and activated by simple expansion, combining what would traditionally require multiple sequential steps into one efficient procedure
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical construct is pre-configured with the spreadable web and peripheral members in a compressed state ready for insertion. This preliminary preparation allows the construct to be delivered through small portals and then quickly activated by expansion, eliminating the need for multiple passing steps and reducing overall procedure time
Data Source
AI summary
Surgical constructs, assemblies and methods of tissue fixation are disclosed. A surgical construct includes a spreadable web attached to a plurality of peripheral strands. The spreadable web is tensionable and includes one or more elastic filaments or elastic strands. At least one of the elastic filaments is coupled to the peripheral strands. The elastic filaments can extend from the peripheral strands in different directions and/or orientations. The spreadable web is expandable and can be adjusted to various widths. The spreadable web can be knotless. The spreadable web can be tensionable. The surgical construct can be attached to one or more knotted or knotless fixation devices.