ELECTROSPUN TISSUE REPAIR SCAFFOLDS WITH SUTURE MANAGEMENT
An electrospun onlay for rotator cuff repairs and related procedures. The onlay includes an aperture and a conduit extending towards the aperture, wherein a longitudinal axis of the conduit is aligned with the aperture. The aperture and the conduit are configured to receive one or more surgical sutures therethrough. The scaffold is electrospun from one or more biocompatible polymers. In use, the onlay serves as a tissue growth scaffold to facilitate tendon-bone reattachment.
1 . A graft comprising:
an aperture; and
a conduit extending towards the aperture, wherein a longitudinal axis of the conduit is aligned with the aperture;
wherein the aperture and the conduit are configured to receive one or more surgical sutures therethrough;
wherein the graft is electrospun from one or more biocompatible polymers.
2 . The graft of claim 1 , wherein the one or more biocompatible polymers comprise a first polymer co-electrospun with a second polymer.
3 . The graft of claim 1 , wherein the one or more biocompatible polymers comprise PGA and PLCL.
4 . The graft of claim 1 , wherein a width of the conduit and a width of the aperture are each from about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm.
5 . The graft of claim 1 , wherein a length of the graft is from about 5 mm to about 100 mm and a width of the graft is from about 5 mm to about 100 mm.
6 . The graft of claim 1 , wherein:
the graft is formed from a sheet comprising the one or more electrospun biocompatible polymers; and
the conduit is formed via a first portion of the sheet folded over and secured to a second portion of the sheet.
7 . The graft of claim 6 , wherein the first portion of the sheet is secured to the second portion via heat sealing.
8 . A method of fabricating a graft, comprising:
receiving a sheet electrospun from one or more biocompatible polymers;
forming an aperture in the electrospun sheet, wherein the aperture is configured to receive one or more surgical sutures therethrough;
placing a rod against the electrospun sheet;
folding a second portion of the electrospun sheet over the rod and a first portion of the electrospun sheet;
forming a conduit around the rod from corresponding portions of the first portion and the second portion, wherein the conduit is configured to receive the one or more surgical sutures therethrough;
securing the first portion to the second portion.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the aperture is formed by one or more of cutting, ablating, or mechanically punching.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the conduit is formed by heat sealing the second portion to the first portion around the rod.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are secured via at least one of heat sealing or a biocompatible adhesive.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the heating sealing increases a stiffness of the electrospun sheet at locations where the first portion is heat sealed to the second portion.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more biocompatible polymers comprise a first polymer co-electrospun with a second polymer.
14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more biocompatible polymers comprise PGA and PLCL.
15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a width of the conduit and a width of the aperture are each from about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm.
16 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a length of the graft is from about 5 mm to about 100 mm and a width of the graft is from about 5 mm to about 100 mm.
17 . An electrospun structure comprising:
one or more sheets electrospun from one or more biocompatible polymers, the one or more sheets heat sealed to form a heat sealed peripheral edge defining an interior compartment configured to hold at least one of a pharmaceutical, a biologic material, or a medical device.
18 . The electrospun structure of claim 17 , wherein the one or more biocompatible polymers comprise a first polymer co-electrospun with a second polymer.
19 . The electrospun structure of claim 17 , wherein the one or more biocompatible polymers comprise PGA and PLCL.
20 . The electrospun structure of claim 17 , wherein the heat sealed peripheral edge forms an enclosed interior compartment.
21 . The electrospun structure of claim 17 , wherein the heat sealed peripheral edge defines an opening to the interior compartment.
22 . The electrospun structure of claim 17 , wherein the electrospun structure further comprises an antibiotic, an analgesic, demineralized bone matrix (DBM), thrombin, platelet rich plasma (PRP), adipose tissue, a growth factor, autologous tissue, allograft tissue, xenograft tissue, or any combination thereof disposed within the interior compartment.