One-way suture retaining device for braided sutures

Abstract: A one-way adjustable suture retaining device suitable for use in arthroscopic surgery to secure one end of a braided suture (28) comprising a frustum having an end (4) and a base (6) wherein a passage (8) extends from the end (4) to the base (6) and the end (4) has a plurality of slits (12,14,16,18) extending from the end (4) towards the base (6) defining at least two flexible fingers (20,22,24,26) and a process for using the retaining device to secure at least one end of a suture (28).

Description: Field of the Invention This invention relates to a surgical device for retaining braided sutures. More particularly, this invention relates to a one-way adjustable suture retaining device suitable for use in arthroscopic surgery. Background of the Invention Surgeons often must attach ligaments to bone, soft tissue to bone, or repair tears in ligaments in arthroscopic surgery. They prefer to use a suture such as a braided suture or filament to do this because of its small size and adequate strength. Surgeons secure the suture in place by tying knots with multiple throws. However, it is often difficult to tie knots arthroscopically because of the lack of access and limited visibility. Many of these procedures depend on extracoporial knotting to circumvent these difficulties. Unfortunately, extracoporial knotting is time consuming and difficult. Even with the advent of knot pushers and suture grabbers, it is still difficult for the surgeons to quickly tie arthroscopic knots. Thus, it would be a significant contribution to the art to provide a device that would replace suture knots in arthroscopic surgical procedures. Devices for locking filaments are known. See, for example, US 5,391,173 or US 5,258,015. The former is for locking pairs of filaments. The latter is for locking individual strands. The disclosures of the former US patent forms the basis of the preamble of claim 1. Summary of the Invention We have discovered a one-way, one piece, adjustable, suture retaining device as defined in claim 1 suitable for use in arthroscopic surgery to secure one end of a braided suture. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.1 is a perspective view of the suture retaining device engaged about a braided suture. FIG.2 is a frontal view of the suture retaining device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1 the one-way adjustable suture retaining device is a frustum having an end 4 and a base 6. Connecting the end 4 to the base is passage 8 which is substantially concentric about center line 10 which extends from the center of the base 6 to the center of the end 4. The end 4 has at least two slits 12 and 14 which extend generally from the end toward the base. Preferably end 4 will have four slits, 12, 14, 16 and 18, which define fingers 20, 22, 24 and 26 respectively, as shown in FIG.2. The fingers 20, 22, 24 and 26 have points 20a, 22a, 24a and 26a, which are adapted to engage braided suture 28 such that the suture cannot be advanced from the end 4 towards the base 6, but can be advanced from the base 6 toward the end 4 because of the flexibility of fingers 20, 22, 24, and 26. The suture retaining device should have a passage 8 of a sufficient diameter to allow a braided suture to easily pass through passage 8, but small enough to allow flexible fingers 20, 22, 24 and 26 to engage the braid when a suture in the passage 8 is moved towards the base 6. The retaining device of the invention can be made of any biocompatible material using conventional fabrication methods. The retaining device can be composed of various biocompatible metals, e.g. titanium, stainless steel, and tantalum, and polymeric materials. Preferred are bioabsorbable polymeric materials which include but are not limited to aliphatic polyesters selected from the group consisting of homopolymers of epsilon-caprolactone, glycolide, lactide (including d, l, dl and meso) and para-dioxanone and copolymers of at least two thereof. Preferred non-absorbable polymers include but are not limited to materials selected from the group consisting of nylons, polyesters and polypropylene. All these materials have been demonstrated to be biologically acceptable when used as sutures or other implantable medical devices. The preferred means for fabricating the retaining device from polymeric materials is to inject a polymer melt into an appropriately designed mold at process conditions conventionally employed for injection molding such polymer systems. After the polymer melt cools, the molded retaining device can be readily released from the mold, inspected, packaged and sterilized. The retaining device may be sterilized by any of the well known sterilization techniques. The technique selected will depend to a great extent on the material used to make the retaining device. Suitable sterilization techniques include heat or steam sterilization, radiation sterilization (such as cobalt irradiation or electron beam), ethylene oxide, and other sterilization techniques well known in the art. Having now described the present invention and certain specific embodiments thereof, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many variations and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims: A sterile one-way, one-piece, adjustable, suture retaining device suitable for use in arthroscopic surgery to secure a braided suture, the device comprising a frustum having an end (4) and a base (6) wherein a passage (8) extends from the end (4) to the base (6), the end (4) having a plurality of slits (12, 14, 16, 18) extending from the end (4) towards the base (6) defining at least one finger (20, 22, 24, 26) for engaging a suture (28), and the finger (20, 22, 24, 26) having a point (20a, 22a, 24a, 26a) for engaging the suture (28); characterised in that the at least one finger is flexible, and the base comprises a closed ring around the passage. The sterile retaining device of claim 1, wherein the retaining device has four flexible fingers (20, 22, 24, 26). The sterile retaining device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the suture retaining device is made of a biocompatible material selected from the group consisting of titanium, tantalum, and polymer materials. The sterile retaining device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the suture retaining device is made of a bioabsorbable polymeric material selected from the group of alyphalic polyesters, homopolymers of ε-caprolactone, homopolymers of glycolide, homopolymers of lactide, homopolymers of p-dioxanone, copolymers of ε-caprolactone, copolymers of glycolide, copolymers of lactide and copolymers of p-dioxanone. A combination of a braided suture (28) and a sterile retaining device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sterile braided suture is extending through the passage (8) of the retaining device. The combination of claim 5, wherein the suture (28) has a knot therein to prevent the braid from unravelling.

Inventors: HILL DONALD G, ROSENMAN DANIEL C, HILL, DONALD G., ROSENMAN, DANIEL C.
Applicants: ETHICON INC, ETHICON, INC.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A61B17
IPC codes: A61B17, A61F2