Suture Anchor with Resilient Element for Continuous Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for stabilizing bones and soft tissue after injuries, such as syndesmotic injuries, often fail to provide adequate continuous compression, leading to potential stiffness and increased risk of soft tissue tears during the healing process.
Innovation Solution
A suture anchor system with a deformable resilient element, such as a coil spring, is inserted within a bone anchor to provide continuous compression, allowing for dynamic tension adjustment to prevent excessive strain on soft tissues and promote healing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional suture anchor repair is used to stabilize bones and soft tissue, then the bones and soft tissue are held in place, but continuous compression is not provided leading to potential stiffness and increased risk of soft tissue tears
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by incorporating a resilient element (spring) that allows dynamic movement and adjustment of compression force. The spring enables the system to adapt to changing tissue conditions during healing, providing continuous compression while accommodating tissue expansion and contraction, thereby preventing stiffness and soft tissue tears while maintaining stable bone fixation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid fixation is used to stabilize bones, then alignment is maintained, but excessive stiffness increases the risk of soft tissue tears during healing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by using a spring element that can dynamically adjust the compression force parameter. The spring allows the fixation system to transition from rigid to flexible states, maintaining bone alignment stability while reducing excessive stiffness that could cause soft tissue damage. The resilient element's mechanical properties enable continuous compression with controlled force variation during the healing process.
3Reliability
If continuous compression is applied to promote healing, then soft tissue repair is enhanced, but the device complexity increases with resilient elements and suture couplers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the nested doll principle by placing the resilient element inside the bone anchor body and integrating the suture coupler within the same structure. The spring is housed within the anchor's internal cavity, and the suture coupler is positioned to interact with the spring's ends. This nested configuration provides continuous compression functionality while minimizing external device complexity and maintaining a compact implant profile.
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 system ensures stable bone alignment and reduced risk of soft tissue tears by maintaining continuous compression, allowing for proper healing while preventing excessive stiffness.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient element disposed within the inner channel of the outer body and being deformable between a first state and a second state
Implementation Method 2
The resilient element may include a coil spring
Data Source
AI summary
An implant for placing a first bone anchor within a first bone. The first bone anchor may include an outer body including an outer surface configured to engage the first bone, an opening configured to pass a suture therethrough, and an inner channel. The first bone anchor may include a resilient element being deformable between a first and second state. The first bone anchor may include a suture coupler disposed within the inner channel, configured to couple to the suture and engage to the resilient element such that a force on the suture coupler in a proximal direction results in deformation of the resilient element to the second state and proximal translation of the suture coupler in relation to the outer body and a release of the force results in a return of the resilient element to the first state and distal translation of the suture coupler.