Abstract:
A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, forming a passage in a bone and positioning a surgical fixation device that includes an antibacterial substance at least partially in the passage. The antibacterial substance inhibits the spread of infection through the passage.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/920,004, which was filed on Dec. 23, 2013. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates to a surgical device and method of using the same to inhibit the spread of infection. More particularly, this disclosure is directed to a surgical fixation device that includes an antibacterial substance. 
         [0003]    Orthopedic procedures are often performed to repair musculoskeletal injuries. For example, soft tissue may tear away from bone during vigorous exercise or sporting activities. When tears occur, reattachment is often necessary to repair the damaged tissue. 
         [0004]    Various surgical fixation devices including but not limited to sutures, screws, staples, wedges, buttons, plugs and anchors are currently used to repair damaged tissue Implantation of these types of devices typically requires breaching the skin and other body tissue via one or more incisions to reach the joint under need of repair. Additional procedures (i.e., drilling of bone, etc.) may also be required to complete the surgical procedure. Disturbing the skin, body tissue and/or bone in this manner may create an opportunity for bacteria and other microbes to enter into the body. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, forming a passage in a bone and positioning a surgical fixation device that includes an antibacterial substance at least partially in the passage. The antibacterial substance inhibits the spread of infection through the passage. 
         [0006]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing method, the surgical fixation device is a suture. 
         [0007]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of either of the foregoing methods, the antibacterial substance includes a silver ion. 
         [0008]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the surgical fixation device is coated with the antibacterial substance. 
         [0009]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the surgical fixation device is impregnated with the antibacterial substance. 
         [0010]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the surgical fixation device is a suture that includes a jacket and a core surrounded by the jacket, the jacket including a plurality of braided strands, and the antibacterial substance is applied to the plurality of braided strands. 
         [0011]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the surgical fixation device is a suture anchor. 
         [0012]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the surgical fixation device is an interference screw. 
         [0013]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the forming step includes forming a first opening through a first outer surface of the bone and a second opening through a second outer surface of the bone. 
         [0014]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the method includes fixating the surgical fixation device to the bone with a second surgical fixation device. 
         [0015]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the second surgical fixation device includes an antibacterial substance. 
         [0016]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the positioning step includes positioning a portion of the surgical fixation device near an opening of the passage to create a barrier to the spread of infection through the passage. 
         [0017]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the barrier blocks the spread of infection from an opening of the passage toward an interior portion of the passage. 
         [0018]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the barrier blocks the spread of infection from the opening toward a second opening of the passage. 
         [0019]    In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the bone is a femur and the passage extends entirely through the femur. 
         [0020]    A method according to another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, positioning a surgical fixation device that includes an antibacterial substance within a passage of a bone, the passage defining a conduit through the bone. The antibacterial substance inhibits the spread of infection through the conduit to an internal joint space. 
         [0021]    The embodiments, examples and alternatives of the preceding paragraphs, the claims, or the following description and drawings, including any of their various aspects or respective individual features, may be taken independently or in any combination. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible. 
         [0022]    The various features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  illustrates a surgical fixation device. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the surgical fixation device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  illustrates another surgical fixation device. 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  illustrates yet another surgical fixation device. 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  schematically illustrates a method of creating a barrier to the spread of infection within a joint. 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  schematically illustrates a method for blocking the spread of infection through a bone passage. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0029]    This disclosure relates to a surgical fixation device that includes an antibacterial substance. The antibacterial substance can control or limit the development and/or spread of infection within a body. The surgical fixation device may be coated, impregnated or otherwise provided with the antibacterial substance and subsequently utilized in a surgical procedure to block the spread of infection through a passage formed in a bone. These and other features are discussed in greater detail in the following paragraphs. 
         [0030]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a surgical fixation device  10 . In this embodiment, the surgical fixation device  10  is a section of suture  12  that may be formed of one or more strands  14  of a flexible material(s). It should be appreciated that  FIGS. 1 and 2  have been enlarged to better illustrate the features of the surgical fixation device  10 . 
         [0031]    In one embodiment, the suture  12  includes a jacket  16  and a core  18  surrounded by the jacket  16 . The strands  14  may be braided together to form the jacket  16 . The core  18  may be similarly formed by twisting strands of a material that can be similar or dissimilar from the material of the jacket  16 . Alternatively, the suture  12  could be a monofilament suture that does not include a core. 
         [0032]    In one embodiment, the suture  12 , including the jacket  16  and the core  18 , is formed from a high strength suture material. One non-limiting example of such a high strength suture material is illustrated by Arthrex&#39;s Fiberwire® suture, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,234, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Fiberwire suture may be formed of braided strands  14  of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polyester, in one embodiment. 
         [0033]    In another non-limiting embodiment, the suture  12  is formed of a plurality of braided strands  14  of a polyether-ketone (PEEK) variant. One such suture is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/775,079, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other materials may also be suitable for constructing the suture  12 . 
         [0034]    The surgical fixation device  10  may be provided with an antibacterial substance  20 . The antibacterial substance  20  can inhibit the development and spread of infection within a body. The antibacterial substance  20  may be applied locally to portions of the surgical fixation device  10  or could be applied to the entire surface area of the surgical fixation device  10 . 
         [0035]    In one embodiment, the strands  14  of the suture  12  are coated with the antibacterial substance  20 . In another embodiment, the strands  14  are impregnated with the antibacterial substance  20 . The antibacterial substance  20  could alternatively be applied to the surgical fixation device  10  by soaking, injection or any other known manner. 
         [0036]    In one embodiment, the antibacterial substance  20  includes a silver ion. However, other antibacterial substances are additionally contemplated as within the scope of this disclosure. Non-limiting examples of suitable antibacterial substances include antiseptic agents, tetracycline hydrochloride, neomycin sulfate, chloramphenicol, streptomycin sulfate, potassium penicillin, polymixin B sulfate, oxytetracycline hydrochloride, gentamycin sulfate, sodium cephalothin, nitrofurazone, rifamycin, benzethonium chloride, sodium oxacillin, dihydrostreptomycin sulfate, disodium carbenicillin, and sodium furadantin. 
         [0037]    Other surgical fixation devices could benefit from the use of the antibacterial substance  20  described above. For example,  FIG. 3  illustrates a suture anchor  110  that includes the antibacterial substance  20 .  FIG. 4  illustrates an interference screw  210  that includes the antibacterial substance  20 . These Figures represent but two additional examples of surgical fixation devices that may be coated, impregnated or otherwise supplied with the antibacterial substance  20  for use in inhibiting the spread of infection within a body. 
         [0038]      FIG. 5  schematically illustrates a method for blocking or inhibiting the spread of infection within a body, such as a human or animal body. The method may employ the surgical fixation device  10  of  FIG. 1 , including the suture  12  having the antibacterial substance  20 . The suture  12  is used for exemplary purposes only to describe the method of  FIG. 5 . It should be understood that the surgical fixation devices of  FIGS. 3 and 4 , or any other surgical fixation devices, could be used in a similar method within the scope of this disclosure. 
         [0039]    A passage  22  is formed in a bone  24  of a joint  26 . In one non-limiting embodiment, the joint  26  is a knee joint and the bone  24  is a femur of the human body. However, the technique described with respect to  FIG. 5  could be utilized in other joints within the scope of this disclosure. The passage  22  may be formed using known techniques and known instrumentation. 
         [0040]    The passage  22  is created such that it extends entirely through the bone  24 . The passage  22  may include a first opening  28  that exits through a first outer surface  29  of the bone  24  and a second opening  30  that exits through a second, different outer surface  31  of the bone  24 . 
         [0041]    In some circumstances, the passage  22  may define a conduit for the spread of infection during or subsequent to a surgical procedure. The method of  FIG. 5  is designed to reduce the likelihood of an infection spreading through the passage  22 . 
         [0042]    The surgical fixation device  10  may be at least partially positioned within the passage  22 . For example, in one non-limiting embodiment, a suture  12  impregnated with the antibacterial substance  20  is positioned such that at least a portion of the suture  12  that includes the antibacterial substance  20  is within the passage  22 . The suture  12  may extend partially or entirely across the passage  22 . 
         [0043]    In one embodiment, the surgical fixation device  10  could be fixated relative to the bone  24  with a second surgical fixation device  32 . For example, the suture  12  may be affixed at a desired positioning relative to the passage  22  using a button (shown), a screw, an anchor or any other surgical fixation device. The second surgical fixation device  32  may or may not be impregnated or coated with the antibacterial substance  20 . This may be determined on a case-by-case basis and may depend on the amount of infection control deemed necessary, among other factors. 
         [0044]    Positioning the surgical fixation device  10  within the passage  22 , such as near at least one of the first and second openings  28 ,  30 , may prevent the spread of infection through the passage  22  from the first opening  28  toward the opposite second opening  30  (or vice-versa). In other words, the surgical fixation device  10  with the antibacterial substance  20  creates a barrier to the spread of infection to an internal join space US of the joint  26  through the passage  22 , thereby improving surgical outcomes. 
         [0045]    The method schematically illustrated in  FIG. 5  is but one exemplary technique for using the surgical fixation devices described by this disclosure. Additional surgical applications may be possible that utilize a surgical fixation device that is provided with an antibacterial substance. 
         [0046]    For example,  FIG. 6  schematically illustrates another method for blocking or inhibiting the spread of infection within a body. The method of  FIG. 6  may employ the surgical fixation device  110  of  FIG. 3  (i.e., a suture anchor) or the surgical fixation device  210  of  FIG. 4  (i.e., an interference screw). The surgical fixation device  110 ,  210  is provided with the antibacterial substance  20  and may be inserted into a passage  122  formed in a bone  124 . The passage  122  includes an opening  128 . The surgical fixation device  110 ,  210  is fixated near the opening  128  to block the spread of infection further into the passage  122 . In one embodiment, the antibacterial substance  20  blocks the spread of infection from the opening  128  toward an interior portion  99  of the passage  124 . 
         [0047]    Although the different non-limiting embodiments are illustrated as having specific components, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from any of the non-limiting embodiments in combination with features or components from any of the other non-limiting embodiments. 
         [0048]    It should be understood that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings. It should also be understood that although a particular component arrangement is disclosed and illustrated in these exemplary embodiments, other arrangements could also benefit from the teachings of this disclosure. 
         [0049]    The foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. A worker of ordinary skill in the art would understand that certain modifications could come within the scope of this disclosure. For these reasons, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure.