Surgical Tool with Suture Cleating Channels for Graft Augmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unstable joints, either due to disruption of articulating bones or surrounding soft tissues, can lead to pain, dysfunction, accelerated bone loss, and premature arthritis, particularly in replaced joints post-arthroplasty, where existing solutions fail to effectively address joint instability.
Innovation Solution
A surgical tool assembly comprising a handle with extendable rods and suture cleating channels, allowing for graft augmentation by passing sutures through a graft, routing them through lumens, cleating within the handle, folding the graft for insertion, and securing it to soft tissue with fasteners, enabling stable graft placement and fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a graft is inserted through a cannula or open incision to augment soft tissue, then joint stability is improved, but the surgical procedure becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical tool is divided into multiple functional segments: a handle for manipulation, extendable rods for positioning, lumens for suture passage, and cleating channels for securing the graft. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, reducing overall procedural complexity while maintaining joint stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Sutures are pre-routed through the graft material before insertion, and the graft is pre-folded to fit within the cannula or incision. The surgical tool is configured with pre-formed lumens and cleating channels that guide the suture and graft into the correct position, eliminating the need for complex intraoperative manipulation and reducing surgical time.
2Reliability
If sutures are routed through lumens and cleated in the handle to secure the graft, then graft fixation reliability is improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The handle integrates multiple functions: it houses the cleating channels for suture security, contains the lumens for suture passage, and provides the structural framework for rod attachment. By merging these functions into a single integrated handle assembly, the device achieves reliable graft fixation without proportionally increasing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle serves multiple purposes: it is the manipulation interface for the surgeon, the structural support for the extendable rods, the containment vessel for the lumens, and the location of the cleating channels. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining fixation reliability.
3Ease of operation
If the graft is folded for insertion through a cannula, then the ease of insertion is improved, but the time required for unfolding and positioning increases
Solution Approach 1:
The graft is pre-folded during preparation to fit within the cannula diameter, and the surgical tool is pre-configured with lumens that guide the suture through the folded graft. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex intraoperative folding maneuvers, allowing rapid insertion followed by quick unfolding at the target site, thereby minimizing the time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical tool acts as an intermediary device that maintains the graft in its folded state during insertion through the cannula. The tool's structure, including the rods and handle, provides a framework that holds the folded graft securely. Once positioned, the tool facilitates controlled unfolding, reducing the time and complexity of the positioning process.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to surgical tools and methods. The surgical tools can include a handle, which includes an outer surface. A first rod extends from the handle and includes a first lumen. A second rod extends from the handle and includes a second lumen. A first set of suture cleating channels are formed in the outer surface. A second set of suture cleating channels are formed in the outer surface and spaced apart from the first set of suture cleating channels.