Soft Tissue Bone Anchor Clip Geometry for Guided Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current suture anchors for attaching soft tissue to bone face challenges such as the soft tissue end catching on the hole during deployment and sliding away from the anchor, leading to improper positioning and difficulty in adjusting the tissue relative to the bone.
Innovation Solution
The development of non-threaded anchors with a deflectable clip and asymmetrical design, featuring a guide region to shield the soft tissue end, paired with an inserter instrument that provides orientation cues, ensuring controlled insertion and secure attachment to bone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a push-in style suture anchor is used to re-attach soft tissue to bone, then the anchor can be easily inserted into the bone hole, but the soft tissue end tends to catch on the hole edge and slide away from the anchor during deployment
Solution Approach 1:
A guide member is introduced as an intermediary component between the soft tissue and the bone hole edge. The guide member extends from the anchor and provides a protected pathway for the soft tissue to follow during insertion, preventing the tissue from catching on the hole edge or sliding away from the anchor.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member is pre-positioned on the anchor before insertion, creating a predetermined pathway for the soft tissue. This preliminary configuration ensures that the soft tissue follows the correct trajectory into the bone hole and remains properly positioned relative to the anchor throughout the insertion process.
2Ease of manufacture
If the soft tissue is tied to the suture anchor before insertion, then the tissue can be secured to the anchor, but the tissue cannot be adjusted after the anchor is driven into bone
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static, fixed attachment to a dynamic, adjustable configuration. The guide member allows the soft tissue to be initially attached and then repositioned or adjusted after anchor insertion by manipulating the guide member, providing adaptability while maintaining secure attachment.
3Strength
If the soft tissue is pulled against the suture anchor during tying, then the tissue can be secured, but the tissue flowers out and creates a bulbous end that causes it to slide away from the anchor
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member acts as a mediator that distributes the pulling forces during tissue attachment. Instead of concentrating force at a single point that causes the tissue to flower out, the guide member provides a structured pathway that guides the tissue evenly onto the anchor, maintaining a clean, non-bulbous shape while still achieving secure attachment.
Data Source
AI summary
Anchors for anchoring soft tissue to bone are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, an anchor can include a non-threaded, asymmetric anchor body having a distal nose and a spine extending proximally from one side of the distal nose, and a deflectable clip extending proximally from a side of the nose opposite the spine. The spine defines a back surface of the anchor body. The spine has an outer bone engaging surface, an inner tissue seating surface opposite the outer bone engaging surface, and opposed lateral sides. The deflectable clip and a portion of the spine defines a guide region configured to accommodate and shield a leading end of a soft tissue to be attached to bone. Soft tissue anchoring systems and methods for inserting an anchor into bone are also provided.