Toggle Bolt Suture Anchor Push-Through Delivery

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for repairing soft tissue and joint injuries, such as the AC joint, require dissection under the coracoid process, use of sharp needles and sutures, and can be dangerous due to anatomical challenges, particularly the musculocutaneous nerve, when pulling toggle bolts into position.

Innovation Solution

A toggle bolt suture anchor kit that includes a toggle bolt suture anchor and a toggle bolt delivery device, allowing the anchor to be pushed into position through a drill hole, eliminating the need for dissection and retrieval of sharp instruments, and minimizing damage to surrounding tissues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If sharp needles and sutures are used to pull toggle bolts into position, then the toggle bolt can be secured in place, but damage to surrounding tissues and nerves occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurement of toggle boltVSAvoiddamage to tissues and nerves
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of pulling the toggle bolt through sharp needles and sutures as in conventional methods, the invention pushes the toggle bolt through a delivery device. This reverses the direction of force application, eliminating the need for sharp instruments that cause tissue damage while still achieving secure placement of the toggle bolt in the bone tunnel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The delivery device serves as an intermediary tool that facilitates the insertion of the toggle bolt without requiring sharp needles or sutures. The delivery device interfaces with the toggle bolt and pushes it through the bone tunnel, acting as a mediator that eliminates direct contact between sharp instruments and surrounding tissues, thereby reducing harm while maintaining securement reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If dissection under the coracoid process is performed, then the toggle bolt can be retrieved and positioned, but complications and surgical complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveretrieval and positioning of toggle boltVSAvoidsurgical procedure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The delivery device is pre-loaded with the toggle bolt before insertion, and the entire assembly is pushed through the bone tunnel in a single action. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for subsequent dissection and retrieval steps under the coracoid process, simplifying the surgical procedure while maintaining ease of positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the problematic step of dissection under the coracoid process from the surgical procedure. By using a push-through delivery device, the toggle bolt is positioned without requiring exposure or dissection in that anatomical region, thereby reducing surgical complexity and associated complications while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If conventional suture anchor techniques are used, then soft tissue can be repaired, but the procedure is time-consuming and complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoft tissue repairVSAvoidsurgical procedure time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the functions of toggle bolt delivery, positioning, and soft tissue anchoring into a single integrated device and procedure. The delivery device and toggle bolt work as a unified system that accomplishes both insertion and securement in one action, eliminating the need for separate suture threading and tying steps, thereby reducing surgical time while maintaining repair reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The suture is pre-threaded through the toggle bolt and the delivery device is pre-loaded with the assembled unit before surgery. This preliminary preparation allows the entire anchoring process to be completed in a single push-through motion during surgery, significantly reducing procedural time while ensuring reliable soft tissue repair through the pre-configured suture-toggle bolt system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2211724B1Toggle bolt suture anchor kit
Publication Date: 2017.09.27 HOWMEDICA OSTEONICS CORP
  • EP2211724B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2211724B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2211724B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A toggle bolt suture anchor kit and method of using the kit is presented. The kit comprises a toggle bolt suture anchor and a toggle bolt delivery device. The toggle bolt suture anchor has at least one toggle bolt delivery device interconnection means. The toggle bolt delivery device has at least one toggle bolt suture anchor interconnection means. The toggle bolt delivery device enables the toggle bolt suture anchor to be pushed into its final position.