U.S. patent application number 14/697037 was filed with the patent office on 2015-08-13 for tissue fixator.
The applicant listed for this patent is Smith & Nephew, Inc.. Invention is credited to Alfred Rodique Berune, Michael Charles Ferragamo, Gary R. McCarthy, Michael James Perriello, Jeffrey Wyman.
Application Number | 20150223927 14/697037 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44801200 |
Filed Date | 2015-08-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150223927 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ferragamo; Michael Charles ;
et al. |
August 13, 2015 |
TISSUE FIXATOR
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a needle for attaching a
fixator to a soft tissue graft. The needle includes a pointed
distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end including a suture
coupler, the suture coupler including a hook and a pocket formed by
the hook, wherein the needle is curved along an entire length of
the needle. A fixator for use with the needle and method of
fixating a soft tissue graft to a bone is also disclosed.
Inventors: |
Ferragamo; Michael Charles;
(Foster, RI) ; Wyman; Jeffrey; (Naples, FL)
; Berune; Alfred Rodique; (North Attleboro, MA) ;
Perriello; Michael James; (Hopedale, MA) ; McCarthy;
Gary R.; (East Bridgewater, MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Smith & Nephew, Inc. |
Memphis |
TN |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
44801200 |
Appl. No.: |
14/697037 |
Filed: |
April 27, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13249449 |
Sep 30, 2011 |
9060768 |
|
|
14697037 |
|
|
|
|
61388056 |
Sep 30, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
606/225 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F 2002/0852 20130101;
A61B 17/0401 20130101; A61B 2017/061 20130101; A61B 2017/0404
20130101; A61B 17/06004 20130101; A61B 2017/0417 20130101; A61B
2017/06019 20130101; A61F 2/0811 20130101; A61B 2017/0608
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A61F 2/08 20060101
A61F002/08; A61B 17/06 20060101 A61B017/06; A61B 17/04 20060101
A61B017/04 |
Claims
1. A method of fixating a soft tissue graft to bone, the method
comprising: coupling a fixator to the soft tissue graft via use of
a needle, the needle comprising a pointed distal end and a proximal
end, the proximal end including a suture coupler, the suture
coupler including a hook and a pocket formed by the hook, the
needle curved; and coupling the soft tissue graft to the bone via
use of the fixator.
2. The method of claim 1 further including: passing the soft tissue
graft through a tunnel within the bone, the bone including a
femur.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixator includes a flexible
member coupled to the fixator, the flexible member coupling the
fixator to the needle.
4. The needle of claim 3, wherein a portion of the flexible member
is housed within the pocket.
5. The needle of claim 4, wherein the flexible member a continuous
loop, the loop including a first end housed within the pocket and a
second end coupled to the fixator.
6. The needle of claim 5, wherein the fixator includes at least one
hole, the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use
of the hole.
7. The needle of claim 6, wherein the fixator includes two holes,
the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of the
two holes.
8. The needle of claim 7, wherein the fixator includes four holes,
the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of two
of the holes, a trailing suture coupled to a third hole, and a
leading suture coupled to a fourth hole.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/249,449, filed Sep. 30, 2011, now allowed.
The contents of this prior application are incorporated herein by
reference in their entirety. U.S. patent application Ser. No.
13/249,449 claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.
61/388,056, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of Technology
[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to tissue graft
fixation and, specifically, to components for use in tissue graft
fixation.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] In ligament reconstruction surgery, if the graft used is
harvested from the quad tendon, the choice to use a particular type
of fixation device, namely an Endobutton.RTM., requires the use of
a suture and a whip type of stitch, which requires the need to tie
a knot. The use of knots involves a certain amount of variation in
stiffness from knot to knot. The Endobutton.RTM. CL uses a
continuous loop of suture, which has no knot and has demonstrated
superior strength and stiffness. Methods of fixating an
Endobutton.RTM. CL to a graft, especially a quad tendon, and
devices for use therewith are needed.
SUMMARY
[0006] In an aspect, the present disclosure relates to a needle for
attaching a fixator to a soft tissue graft. The needle includes a
pointed distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end including a
suture coupler, the suture coupler including a hook and a pocket
formed by the hook, wherein the needle is curved along an entire
length of the needle.
[0007] In an embodiment, the proximal end further includes a
passage and an opening to the passage. In an embodiment, the
proximal end further includes a groove on each side of the proximal
end. In another embodiment, the needle includes a channel along the
length of the needle. In yet another embodiment, the grooves
intersect with the pocket. In a further embodiment, the needle
further includes a fixator coupled to the needle, the fixator
including a flexible member coupled to the fixator, the flexible
member coupling the fixator to the needle.
[0008] In yet a further embodiment, a portion of the flexible
member is housed within the pocket. In an embodiment, portions of
the flexible member extending from the pocket are housed within the
grooves. In another embodiment, the flexible member is in the form
of a continuous loop, the loop including a first end housed within
the pocket and a second end coupled to the fixator. In yet another
embodiment, the fixator includes at least one hole, the second end
of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of the hole. In a
further embodiment, the fixator includes two holes, the second end
of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of the two holes. In
yet a further embodiment, the fixator includes four holes, the
second end of the suture couped to the fixator via use of two of
the holes, a trailing suture coupled to the third hole, and a
leading suture coupled to the fourth hole.
[0009] In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a
method of fixating a soft tissue graft to bone. The method
including coupling a fixator to the soft tissue graft via use of a
needle, the needle including a pointed distal end, and a proximal
end, the proximal end including a suture coupler, the suture
coupler including a hook and a pocket formed by the hook, wherein
the needle is curved along an entire length of the needle; and
coupling the soft tissue graft to the bone via use of the
fixator.
[0010] In an embodiment, the method further includes passing the
soft tissue graft through a tunnel within the bone, the bone
including a femur. In another embodiment, the fixator includes a
flexible member coupled to the fixator, the flexible member
coupling the fixator to the needle. In yet another embodiment, a
portion of the flexible member is housed within the pocket. In a
further embodiment, the flexible member is in the form of a
continuous loop, the loop including a first end housed within the
pocket and a second end coupled to the fixator.
[0011] In yet a further embodiment, the fixator includes at least
one hole, the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via
use of the hole. In an embodiment, the fixator includes two holes,
the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of the
two holes. In another embodiment, the fixator includes four holes,
the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of two
of the holes, a trailing suture coupled to a third hole, and a
leading suture coupled to a fourth hole.
[0012] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure
will become apparent from the detailed description provided
hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description
and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of
the disclosure, are intended for purposes of illustration only and
are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the
present disclosure and together with the written description serve
to explain the principles, characteristics, and features of the
disclosure. In the drawings:
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a side view of the needle of the present
disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of the needle of FIG. 1.
[0016] FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of the needle of FIG. 1
coupled to a fixator of the present disclosure.
[0017] FIGS. 4-12 show the method of fixating a soft tissue graft
to bone of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0018] The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is
merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the
disclosure, its application, or uses.
[0019] FIGS. 1 and 2 show the needle 10 of the present disclosure.
The needle 10 includes a distal end 11 and a proximal end 12. For
the purposes of this disclosure, the distal end 11 is pointed.
However, it is within the scope of this disclosure for the distal
end 11 to not be pointed. The proximal end 12 includes a suture
coupler 12a having a passage 12b and an opening 12b' to the passage
12b, a hook 12c, and a pocket 12d formed by the hook 12c.
Additionally, the suture coupler 12a includes grooves 12e on each
side of the coupler 12a, which intersect with the pocket 12d. For
the purposes of this disclosure, the needle 10 is curved along its
entire length. However, it is within the scope of this disclosure
for the needle 10 to not be curved. Furthermore, the needle 10
includes channels 13 along a length of the needle 10. It is within
the scope of this disclosure for the needle to have less than two
channels 13 or no channels 13. The purposes of the pocket 12d and
the grooves 12e are for housing of a portion or portions of suture,
as will be further described below. The needle 10 is made from a
biocompatible metal material and via a process known to one of
skill in the art. However, other material that would allow the
needle 10 to be strong enough to be used for its intended purpose
may be used.
[0020] FIG. 3 shows the needle 10 with a fixator 20 coupled to the
needle 10. The fixator 20 is an Endobutton.RTM.CL, manufactured and
sold by Smith & Nephew, Inc. The fixator 20 includes a fixation
device 21 and a closed loop suture 22 coupled to the fixation
device 21. A first end 22a of the suture 22 is coupled to the
suture coupler 12a by placing the end 22a through the opening 12b'
of the passage 12b, through, the passage 12b, and into the pocket
12d. The hook 12c substantially reduces the possibility of the end
22a from escaping the pocket 12d and thereby de-coupling from the
needle 10. The fixation device 21 includes four holes 21a, 21b with
a second end 22b of the suture 22 coupled to two of the holes 21a.
It is within the scope of this disclosure for the fixation device
21 to include one hole 21a and for the end 22a of suture 22 to be
coupled to the fixation device 21 via the one hole 21a.
Additionally, the fixation device 21 includes two additional holes
21b. These holes 21b are for housing of trailing and leading
sutures, as is further described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,306,301,
5,645,588, 6,533,802, and 7,530,990, the disclosures of which are
incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
[0021] FIGS. 4-12 show a method of coupling a soft tissue graft 30
to bone. FIG. 4 shows a soft tissue graft 30. For the purposes of
this disclosure, the graft 30 is a quad tendon. However, the graft
30 could be another human or animal soft tissue or a synthetic
tissue. The graft 30 includes a first end 31 and a second end 32.
While not shown in FIGS. 4-12, the first end 31 includes bone. The
second end 32, which doesn't include bone, is the end that the
fixator 20 is coupled to. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the needle 10
is placed through a first location 32a of end 32 and pulled through
the graft 30. As shown in FIGS. 6-8, the needle 10 is subsequently
brought back around the graft 30, placed through a second location
32b of end 32, and pulled through the graft 30. As shown in FIGS.
9-11, the needle 10 is brought back around the end 32 such that
suture end 22a is looped around end 32. The needle 10 may then be
removed from the suture 22 by removing needle 10 from end 22a. As
shown in FIG. 12, the final step is to pull on the fixation device
21 to tension suture 22 around end 32. For the purposes of this
disclosure, the needle 10 is placed through the graft 30 twice.
However, it is within the scope of this disclosure to place the
needle 10 through the graft 30 more or less than two times.
[0022] Once the fixator 20 has been coupled to the graft 30, the
graft 30 can be pulled through bone tunnels located in the tibia
and femur and the graft 30 may be affixed to the femur by resting
the fixation device 21 on the outer surface of the femur, as more
fully explained in the '301, '588, '802, and '990 patents. For the
purposes of this disclosure, the method involves the use of the
needle 10 and fixator 20 with a soft tissue graft in ligament
reconstruction surgery on the knee. However, the needle 10 and
fixator 20 may be used with a soft tissue graft in connection with
another type of surgery.
[0023] As various modifications could be made to the exemplary
embodiments, as described above with reference to the corresponding
illustrations, without departing from the scope of the disclosure,
it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing
description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be
interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth
and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of
the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined
only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and
their equivalents.
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