Patent ID: 9730784
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: A61F

Claim:
1. An implantable prosthetic device for the repair of connective tissue in an animal or human, the device comprising: a biocompatible pad having an open structure to provide a scaffold for the in-growth of tissue into the pad; and a reinforcement region attached to the pad and reinforcing a portion of the pad relative to a main portion of the pad, the reinforcement region being positioned inboard of an edge or edges of the pad and extending around a perimeter of the pad, the reinforcement region comprising an elongate reinforcement element, and a first anchoring element and a second anchoring element for anchoring the reinforcement element to the pad; in which one of the first and second anchoring elements is attached to the pad before the reinforcement element and so positioned between a surface of the pad and the reinforcement element, and in which the other one of the first and second anchoring elements passes through the pad in a first direction, around the reinforcement element and back through the pad in a second direction which is opposite to said first direction, to anchor the reinforcement element to the pad; and in which the device is attachable to tissue by forming a puncture: a) within the reinforcement region; or b) in an area of the pad which is inboard of the reinforcement region; the puncture adapted to receive a suture, the reinforcement region serving to support tensile loading in the device during use by resisting pull-through of the suture.