Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Implantable prosthesis – Ligament or tendon
Patent
1995-12-13
1998-09-01
Milano, Michael J.
Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or ai
Implantable prosthesis
Ligament or tendon
623 11, 87 7, 87 8, 87 11, A61F 208
Patent
active
058005439
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to artificial ligament devices, e.g., ligament augmentation devices such as are used for reinforcing or supplementing damaged ligaments while healing takes place or for use in conjunction with autologous grafts for reconstructing torn ligaments, or artificial ligaments per se, or delivery devices for autologus grafts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide artificial ligament devices each having a strong integral eye at one or both ends for attachment of a pulling cord or wire and/or for fitting round an anchor member for securing to a bone.
Another object is to provide ligament augmentation devices suitable for reinforcing or supplementing damaged ligaments while healing takes place but also adapted for use in conjunction with autologous grafts for reconstructing torn ligaments.
According to the present invention, a method of manufacturing an artificial ligament device comprises securing a plurality of tows of biocompatible material side-by-side in a flat elongate array, looping the tows back at one end of the device to form an eye with the tows grouped together round the eye, and applying whipping round the grouped tows around the eye.
The combination of grouping the tows together round the eye and applying whipping round the grouped tows round the eye results in a strong integral eye for attachment of a pulling cord or wire and/or for secure fixing of that end of the device by fitting the eye round an anchor member secured to a bone.
When looping back to form the eye the array of tows may be twisted through 180.degree., or any multiple thereof, to effect the grouping together of the tows round the eye, or the array of tows may simply be rolled together round the eye as whipping progresses.
The eye may be formed by grouping the tows together between a main flat length of the array of tows and a short flat length, the short length being stitched to the main length after forming the eye with twisting through 180.degree., or a multiple thereof. Alternatively, the eye may be formed by grouping the tows together between two similar lengths of the flat array of tows, with or without twisting of the grouped tows through 180.degree., or a multiple thereof, and the similar flat lengths are sewn together edge-to-edge at least part way along their mutual length, thus forming a device having an overall width twice that of the initial flat array of tows.
The width of the initial flat array of tows, or the overall width of lengths sewn together edge-to-edge (as just described above), may be such as can be wrapped round an autologous graft and the mating edge of the array, or combined arrays, stitched together to form a sleeve enclosing the autologous graft or one end thereof, whereby the artificial ligament device can also serve as a delivery device for the autologous graft.
Alternatively, the initial flat array of tows, or combined arrays sewn together edge to edge (as described above) may be such as to give a bimodal form, being either opened or compacted. When in the opened form, the overall width may be such as can be wrapped around an autologous graft and the mating edges of the array, or combined arrays, stitched together to form a sleeve enclosing the autologous graft. When in the rolled, compacted form, the overall bulk may be such as can be enclosed within the overall cross-section of an autologous graft. A trimodal form may be manufactured, to afford an even greater combined width, by sewing an additional array of tows between the lengths extending from the eye.
However, any device within the scope of this invention can be used simply as a ligament augmentation device by fitting its eye round an anchor member for securing to a bone, the other end, or divided ends, being secured by suturing to tissue or by another anchor member or staples to another bone.
Each tow may be formed of a multiplicity of polyester (or similar biocompatible or bioabsorbable) filaments and the tows secured together by light bra
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patent: 4917700 (1990-04-01), Aikins
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patent: 5147400 (1992-09-01), Kaplan et al.
patent: 5192322 (1993-03-01), Koch et al.
patent: 5197983 (1993-03-01), Berman et al.
patent: 5263984 (1993-11-01), Li et al.
McLeod Alan Rory Mor
Shafighian Ali
Milano Michael J.
Nguyen Tram Anh T.
Surgicraft Limited
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