Textile Braid Soft Tissue Anchor for Bone Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flexible suture anchors for soft tissue repair lack optimal mechanical resistance and ease of implantation, often requiring excessive bone removal and limited fixation due to rigid configurations, which complicates surgical procedures and recovery.
Innovation Solution
A textile braid-based anchor with suture threads that expands laterally and forms agglomerated loops upon tension, allowing for secure anchoring with minimal bone material removal, facilitating easy implantation and enhanced mechanical resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid suture anchors are used, then fixation strength is improved, but bone material must be removed which weakens the bone structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible textile braid instead of rigid anchor materials. The braid can be inserted in a compressed state through a small incision without requiring bone drilling or material removal, then expands within the bone tunnel to provide fixation while preserving bone integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor transitions from a compressed insertable state to an expanded fixed state. The textile braid is inserted compressed and then allowed to expand within the bone tunnel, dynamically adapting its volume to provide secure fixation without requiring pre-prepared large holes.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If flexible anchors are used to avoid bone removal, then bone structure is preserved, but the anchor requires significant volume to ensure secure locking
Solution Approach 1:
The textile braid anchor is designed to be inserted in a compressed, low-volume state through a small incision, then expands in-situ within the bone tunnel to achieve sufficient volume for secure locking against the cortical bone wall.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor expands primarily in the lateral dimension (radially outward against the bone tunnel wall) rather than requiring increased length, allowing it to achieve sufficient volume for secure fixation while maintaining a compact insertable profile.
3Reliability
If the anchor is made with large volume for secure locking, then fixation reliability is improved, but the insertion diameter increases making implantation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The textile braid is manufactured with a relaxed configuration that allows it to be compressed to a small diameter for insertion, then expands to a larger volume within the bone tunnel to provide reliable fixation. This dynamic size change enables both easy implantation and secure locking.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible textile braid can be compressed to a thin, insertable form and then expands within the bone tunnel to achieve sufficient volume for reliable fixation, solving the contradiction between insertability and fixation reliability.
4Strength
If the suture threads are tightly secured to the anchor, then fixation strength is improved, but the anchor cannot deform readily under tension
Solution Approach 1:
The textile braid's flexible structure allows it to deform laterally under suture tension while maintaining secure fixation. The braid's construction permits necessary deformation to achieve lateral expansion for locking while the suture threads remain firmly attached.
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 provides secure fixation with improved mechanical resistance and ease of implantation, minimizing bone damage and accelerating recovery by utilizing a flexible textile braid that expands to block against the bone cortex, ensuring reliable attachment of soft tissues.
Implementation Method 1
the anchor deforms readily once placed in the bone hole under the tension of the wires, acquiring sufficient volume to remain securely locked in place
Implementation Method 2
The principle is to insert the anchor using an inserter into a hole prepared in the bone (or created using the inserter), then pull on the suture threads so that the anchor folds or curls, forming a large mass that is secured against the cortical bone
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a surgical device for soft tissue repair, comprising: - a flexible anchor consisting of a textile braid forming a first arm and a second arm (11, 12) extending distally away from a vertex area (3), and - at least one suture thread (20) having a median portion placed near said vertex area and two strands passing through the braid transversely at several sites, - the first strand (21) passing through said braid alternately at two sites adjacent to the first arm and at two sites adjacent to the second arm, the sites passed through in sequence on the same arm moving away from the vertex zone, - the second strand (22) passing through said braid at least at two sites of the second arm, the sites passed through in sequence moving away from the vertex zone. The device is inserted into a hole made in a bone and assumes a compressed configuration after insertion.