Transosseous Attachment Guide for Intersecting Bone Tunnel Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical techniques face challenges in efficiently attaching soft tissue or implants to bones transosseously, particularly in minimally invasive procedures, where precise and stable transverse bone tunnels are difficult to form and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A method and instrument system that involves forming a first bone tunnel, indexing a guide to this tunnel, and using a tunnel forming instrument to create a second intersecting tunnel, allowing a suture to be passed through both tunnels for secure attachment, with features like adjustable guides and retrievers to facilitate precise suture placement and retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional separate drilling steps are used to form bone tunnels, then bone tunnels can be formed, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate surgical steps (forming first bone tunnel, forming second intersecting bone tunnel, and passing suture) into a single integrated instrument operation. The tunnel forming instrument simultaneously creates both bone tunnels and retrieves the suture in one continuous motion, eliminating the need for separate drilling steps and reducing surgical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide is pre-indexed to the first bone tunnel before the tunnel forming instrument is activated. This preliminary positioning ensures that the second bone tunnel will intersect the first tunnel at the correct location, allowing the suture retrieval feature to successfully capture and retrieve the suture portion without requiring additional positioning steps during the actual tunnel formation.
2Reliability
If precise transverse bone tunnels are formed, then stable soft tissue attachment is achieved, but the positioning and formation process becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The guide serves as an intermediary device between the first bone tunnel and the tunnel forming instrument. It is indexed to the first tunnel and provides a predetermined guide path that ensures the second bone tunnel will be formed at the correct transverse orientation and location. This intermediary guide eliminates the difficulty of directly positioning the tunnel forming instrument to create a precise intersecting tunnel.
Solution Approach 2:
The tunnel forming instrument is designed with multi-functionality, combining both tunnel formation capability and suture retrieval capability in a single device. The instrument can form the second bone tunnel and simultaneously retrieve the suture portion through its specialized distal end features, making the overall process easier by eliminating the need for separate retrieval instruments.
3Ease of operation
If multiple separate instruments are used for tunnel formation and suture retrieval, then each function can be performed, but the overall procedure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of tunnel formation and suture retrieval into a single integrated tunnel forming instrument. The instrument includes a distal end with a suture retrieving portion that can capture and retrieve the suture portion through the second bone tunnel while the instrument is still in position, eliminating the need for separate retrieval instruments and simplifying the overall procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The tunnel forming instrument is designed as a universal device that performs multiple functions: forming the second bone tunnel, retrieving the suture portion, and facilitating the transosseous attachment. This multi-functional design reduces the total number of instruments needed while maintaining all necessary surgical capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques and instruments for surgical transosseous attachment to a bone include a guide able to guide the formation of intersecting bone tunnels and a retriever able to retrieve a suture through the bone tunnels.