Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Implantable prosthesis – Ligament or tendon
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-21
2001-02-27
Isabella, David J (Department: 3738)
Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or ai
Implantable prosthesis
Ligament or tendon
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193754
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned generally with the implantation of a prosthetic ligament, and in particular with providing an improved attachment device for use in guiding a prosthetic ligament to a required position within a bone joint, and to anchor one end of the ligament.
2. Present State of the Art
In the implantation of a prosthetic ligament in a bone joint e.g. the knee joint between tibial and femoral components, it is usual to drill tunnels through the bones, and to pull the prosthetic ligament through the tunnels until a required position is reached within the joint, followed by suitable anchoring of the ligament against linear movement in either direction. The anchoring may involve use of bone staples or other intrusive fixations, which attach tensile elements (connected to each end of the ligament) to suitable bone sites adjacent to the mouths of the bone tunnels.
Prosthetic ligaments can be made of synthetic material, provided that it is of suitable implantable nature, and which may be woven, or autogenous tissue harvested from the patient can be used.
One more recent endoscopic technique which has been developed in ACL reconstruction (anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction), involves use of an attachment device which serves both to guide the implantation of the ligament, and to secure one end of the ligament against axial movement in one direction, but the attachment device is of such a construction that it does not need to anchor itself in position by physical intrusion into the bone.
The attachment device used in the technique provides easy guidance of the ligament, by forming the lead element of a trailing implantation system, and which passes through the usual drilled-out bone tunnels, and then upon exiting of the lead element from an upper mouth of one of the tunnels i.e. when it projects upwardly out of the femoral component, a simple manipulation of the device causes it to overlie the mouth of the tunnel, and thereby provide tensile restraint for the ligament end of the now implanted ligament to which it is attached.
The attachment device therefore is capable of being manipulated between a pulling position, in which it has reduced lateral extent relative to the pulling direction, and to an anchoring position in which it has maximum lateral extent relative to the pulling direction.
This known attachment device comprises a small metal bar which is about 12 mm in length, 4 mm wide and 1.5 mm in thickness, and has a row of four circular holes extending through it, of which the two outermost holes serve for attachment of two separate pulling sutures, and the inner pair of holes serve to attach the metal bar to the trailing ligament via a further set of sutures. The set of pulling sutures is taken first through the lower end of the lowermost bone tunnel in the tibial component and then passes upwardly through the bone tunnel in the femoral component, and pulls the trailing ligament system behind it. In practice only one of the sutures has tension applied to it sufficient to pull the metal bar behind it with the bar manipulating itself to take-up the pulling position of reduced lateral projection, and to be pulled lengthwise through the tunnels. Since the bar orientates itself so that its longitudinal axis aligns itself with the pulling direction, the diameter of the final passage drilled through the femoral component can be reduced, compared with the larger diameter of the tunnel which is formed so as to receive the implanted ligament. This final passage therefore can have a diameter of slightly more only than the maximum transverse dimension of the bar (4 mm). Upon exiting from the femoral component, the other pulling suture is then operated so as to manipulate the bar to take-up a transverse position in which its longitudinal axis is generally perpendicular to the passage whereby it can overlie the exit mouth of the small diameter passage. Downward tension applied to the trailing assembly attached to the bar then anchors the attachment bar in position in a non-intrusive manner with respect to the surrounding bone.
The trailing assembly which follows the pulling-through of the attachment bar usually comprises (a) further sutures which are taken through the central pair of holes in the bar, and then connected together to complete the formation of a loop by knotting together of the ends of the sutures, and (b) the prosthetic ligament which is attached to the looped sutures in any convenient manner.
In the case of harvested tissue which comprises tendon material and boney material (plugs) attached at each end of the tendon material, the sutures are taken through holes formed in one of the bone plugs and then knotted to complete the formation of the attachment loop.
This known technique and attachment device is recognised as being a useful advance in the art of ligament implantation, and the present invention seeks to further improve this known device and technique, to gain further technical advantages which will facilitate the use by a surgeon (in carrying out assembly of an implantation system for a particular patient), and which also will provide improved manufacture and stocking of an attachment device for use in implantation systems.
OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided an attachment device for use in an implantation system which includes a prosthetic ligament, in order to guide the ligament to a required position in a bone tunnel formed in a bone joint between two adjacent bones, and to anchor one end of the ligament, said device comprising:
an elongate guide element which is manipulatable between a pulling position in which its longitudinal axis extends generally parallel to the pulling direction and an anchoring position in which its longitudinal axis extends transversely of the pulling direction;
a connecting loop of flexible and implantable material which is connected, or connectable, at one end to the guide element and at its other end is connectable to one end of the prosthetic ligament to be implanted, said loop comprising a cohesive assembly of twisted filaments;
connecting apertures formed in the guide element which permit the loop to be connected thereto; and,
connecting means provided on the guide element to permit pulling means to be connected to the element in order to pull the guide element, and trailing implantation system connected thereto, through the bone tunnels with the guide element orientated so that its longitudinal axis extends generally parallel to the pulling direction until the element emerges from the mouth at one end of one of the tunnels, whereby the guide element is manipulatable by the pulling means so as to overlie the mouth and thereby anchor one end of the implantation system.
The loop may be pre-formed, and then connected to the guide element.
Alternatively, the loop may be formed simultaneously, by twisting together of filaments of a bundle, and also with its connection to the connecting apertures in the guide element.
The connecting apertures in the guide element may take any suitable form, to permit easy connection of the connecting loop. In one preferred form, the connecting apertures comprise an adjacent pair of holes, with each hole having an entry slot which allows the loop to be easily assembled with the guide element by sliding of part of the loop into it. Each entry slot may be generally “funnel-shaped” to facilitate entry of the loop material into the aperture, but which will be more resistant to possible unintended withdrawal from the aperture.
The filament fibre bundle making up the loop may comprise a very loosely structured rope or hank type form, so that it forms a recognisable loop having two opposite return ends joining together two separate runs of the loop. This fibre bundle therefore can be easily assembled with the connection holes in the guide element, by sliding of a run of the bundle through the guide slots.
Alternatively, a fibre bundle may be “threaded” through an adjacent pair of holes (formin
Isabella David J
Neoligaments Limited
Workman & Nydegger & Seeley
LandOfFree
Attachment device for use in the implantation of prosthetic... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Attachment device for use in the implantation of prosthetic..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Attachment device for use in the implantation of prosthetic... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2588034