TISSUE AUGMENTATION CONSTRUCTS FOR USE WITH SOFT TISSUE FIXATION REPAIR SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Devices, systems, and methods to improve both the reliability of soft tissue repair procedures and the speed at which the procedures are completed are provided. The devices and systems include one or more tissue augmentation constructs, which include constructs that are configured to increase a footprint across which suture applied force to tissue when the suture is tied down onto the tissue. The tissue augmentation constructs can be quickly and easily associated with the repair suture, and can be useful in many different tissue repair procedures that are disclosed in the application. In one exemplary embodiment, one or more constructs are disposed on a suture threader, which can be used to associate the construct(s) with a repair suture(s) being used to repair the soft tissue. Tissue augmentation constructs can include various blocks and patches, among other formations. Exemplary methods for manufacturing the tissue augmentation constructs are also provided.
1 . A soft tissue suture repair system, comprising:
a first suture limb;
a first tissue augmentation block disposed on the first suture limb such that the first tissue augmentation block extends along a first length of the first suture limb to increase a first tissue engaging surface area of the system along the first length.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second suture limb; and
a second tissue augmentation block disposed on the second suture limb such that the second tissue augmentation block extends along a second length of the second suture limb to increase a second tissue engaging surface area of the system along the second length.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the first suture limb and the second suture limb are formed from a single suture.
4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the first suture limb and the second suture limb are formed from different sutures.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first tissue augmentation block further comprises an opening extending therethrough with the first suture limb being disposed through the opening of the first tissue augmentation block such that the first tissue augmentation block freely passes along a length of the first suture limb in an unrestricted manner.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first tissue augmentation block further comprises a tape having a substantially flat tissue-engaging surface with a width that is at least two times greater than a diameter of the first suture limb and a length that is substantially greater than the width of the tape, with the first suture limb extending through the substantially flat tissue-engaging surface of the tape at a plurality of locations along the length of the substantially flat tissue-engaging surface.
7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a threader having the first tissue augmentation block disposed thereon, the threader having a distal end configured to receive the first suture limb and dispose the first tissue augmentation block onto the first suture limb as the threader is moved with respect to the first tissue augmentation block.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the threader further comprises:
a collapsible opening at the distal end that is configured to receive the first suture limb;
a proximal handle portion; and
an elongate intermediate portion extending between the collapsible opening and the proximal handle portion, the elongate intermediate portion having the first tissue augmentation block disposed thereon,
wherein the threader is configured such that applying a force to the proximal handle portion advances the elongate intermediate portion and the collapsible opening in the direction of the applied force such that when the first suture limb is disposed within the collapsible opening, the applied force disposes the first tissue augmentation block onto the first suture limb.
9 . The system of claim 7 , further comprising an installation tool having:
a handle portion; and
a cartridge having a length and a width that is sized to receive and retain the first tissue augmentation block disposed on the threader, with the threader extending through the entire length of the cartridge.
10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional tissue augmentation block disposed on the first suture limb.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein each of an additional tissue augmentation block of the at least one additional tissue augmentation block and the first tissue augmentation block disposed on the first suture limb further comprises a washer having an opening extending through a thickness thereof with the first suture limb being disposed through the opening of the washer, the washer being sized such that the thickness of the washer is substantially less than a length of the first suture limb on which the washer is disposed.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the tissue augmentation block comprises at least one of: fabric, plastic, synthetic polymer, natural polymer, collagen, collagen scaffold, reconstituted collagen, biological autograft connective tissue, biological allograft connective tissue, biological xenograft connective tissue, human dermal matrix, porcine dermal matrix, bovine dermal matrix, periosteal tissue, pericardial tissue, and fascia.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the tissue augmentation block comprises collagen.
14 . A soft tissue suture repair system, comprising,
a tissue augmentation block; and
a threader having a proximal handle, a distal receiving end, and an intermediate portion extending between the proximal handle and the distal receiving end, the intermediate portion having the tissue augmentation block disposed thereon and the threader being configured to dispose the tissue augmentation block onto a suture by associating a suture with the distal receiving end and applying a force to the proximal handle to advance the distal receiving end towards the tissue augmentation block.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the threader is configured such that the distal receiving end, and thus a suture associated therewith, passes through the tissue augmentation block in response to the application of the force to the proximal handle.
16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the intermediate portion comprises at least one of a filament portion, a fiber, a thread, a wire, and a cord.
17 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising a suture configured to be associated with the distal receiving end of the threader and configured to have the tissue augmentation block disposed thereon.
18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the tissue augmentation block includes an opening extending therethrough and the intermediate portion of the threader extends through the opening.
19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the tissue augmentation block further comprises a tape having a substantially flat tissue-engaging surface with a width that is at least two times greater than a diameter of the suture on which the tissue augmentation block is disposed and a length that is substantially greater than the width of the tape, with the intermediate portion of the threader on which the tape is disposed extending through the substantially flat tissue-engaging surface of the tape at a plurality of locations along the length of the substantially flat tissue-engaging surface.
20 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising an installation tool for disposing the tissue augmentation block on a suture, the installation tool including:
a handle portion; and
a cartridge having a length and a width that is sized to receive and retain the tissue augmentation block.
21 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the tissue augmentation block comprises at least one of: fabric, plastic, synthetic polymer, natural polymer, collagen, collagen scaffold, reconstituted collagen, biological autograft connective tissue, biological allograft connective tissue, biological xenograft connective tissue, human dermal matrix, porcine dermal matrix, bovine dermal matrix, periosteal tissue, pericardial tissue, and fascia.
22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the tissue augmentation block comprises collagen.
23 . A surgical kit for soft tissue repair, comprising:
one or more bone anchors;
one or more sutures;
one or more tissue augmentation blocks, each tissue augmentation block being configured to be disposed on a suture limb of a suture of the one or more sutures; and
one or more threaders configured to dispose a tissue augmentation block of the one or more tissue augmentation blocks onto a suture of the one or more sutures.
24 . The surgical kit of claim 23 , wherein the one or more tissue augmentation blocks comprises a plurality of tissue augmentation blocks.
25 . The surgical kit of claim 24 ,
wherein the one or more sutures comprises a plurality of sutures, and
wherein the one or more bone anchors comprises a plurality of bone anchors.
26 . The surgical kit of claim 23 ,
wherein a tissue augmentation block of the one or more tissue augmentation blocks includes an opening extending therethrough, the opening being configured to have the suture limb extending therethrough when the tissue augmentation block is disposed on the suture limb such that the tissue augmentation block freely passes along a length of the suture limb in an unrestricted manner.
27 . The surgical kit of claim 23 ,
wherein a tissue augmentation block of the one or more tissue augmentation blocks further comprises a tape having a substantially flat tissue-engaging surface with a width that is at least two times greater than a diameter of the suture limb on which the tissue augmentation block is disposed and a length that is substantially greater than the width of the tape, the substantially flat tissue-engaging surface being configured to have the suture limb extend therethrough at a plurality of locations along the length of the substantially flat tissue-engaging surface when the tissue augmentation block is disposed on the suture limb.
28 . The surgical kit of claim 23 , wherein a tissue augmentation block of the one or more tissue augmentation blocks further comprises at least one of: fabric, plastic, synthetic polymer, natural polymer, collagen, collagen scaffold, reconstituted collagen, biological autograft connective tissue, biological allograft connective tissue, biological xenograft connective tissue, human dermal matrix, porcine dermal matrix, bovine dermal matrix, periosteal tissue, pericardial tissue, and fascia.
29 . The surgical kit of claim 28 , wherein the tissue augmentation block of the one or more tissue augmentation blocks comprises collagen.
30 . The surgical kit of claim 23 ,
wherein one or more threaders comprises at least one threader having a proximal handle, a distal receiving end, and an intermediate portion extending between the proximal handle and the distal receiving end, the at least one threader being configured to dispose one or more tissue augmentation blocks of the one or more tissue augmentation blocks onto one or more sutures by associating one or more sutures with the distal receiving end and applying a force to the proximal handle to advance the distal receiving end towards the one or more tissue augmentation blocks, the distal receiving end being configured such that the distal receiving end, and thus one or more sutures associated therewith, passes through one or more tissue augmentation blocks in response to the application of the force to the proximal handle.