System and method for ligament reconstruction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724188-B2
Application number	US-201113281557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2011
Priority date	Oct 27, 2010
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for ligament reconstruction provides an implant configured to position ligaments in the anatomic positions to thereby to restore the native anatomy and function of the reconstructed area. The implant includes a sheath, a first ledge, a second ledge, a first anchor and a second anchor. The sheath has an exterior surface and an interior surface, wherein the interior surface of the sheath forms a lumen configured to receive a sheath expander. The first ledge and the second are configured to separate the ligaments and acts as an anchor for the sheath in the bone tunnel. The first anchor and the second anchor are configured to engage the ligaments and be expandable outwards away from the lumen to provide fixation in a bone tunnel. When the implant receives the sheath expander, the ligaments can be separated, positioned, and secured in the bone tunnel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical implant for implementing a ligament reconstruction in a subject using a first ligament and a second ligament, the implant comprising:
a sheath extending from a first end along a length to a second end to form an exterior surface and an interior surface, wherein the interior surface forms a lumen, the sheath including an end surface between the exterior surface and the interior surface;
a first ledge formed on the exterior surface of the sheath and extending along the length of the sheath;
a second ledge formed on the exterior surface of the sheath in a spaced relationship to the first ledge;
a first anchor formed on the exterior surface of the sheath and extending along the length of the sheath;
a second anchor formed on the exterior surface of the sheath and extending along the length of the sheath;
the first anchor positioned between the first ledge and the second ledge on a first side of the sheath, and the second anchor positioned between the first ledge and the second ledge on a second side of the sheath, the first side being 180 degrees about a circumference of the sheath from the second side;
a sheath expander configured to selectively extend and retract to and from the lumen of the sheath;
wherein the spaced relationship of the first ledge and the second ledge are configured to cooperate with the sheath to form a barrier separating the first ligament and the second ligament when the implant is implanted in the joint of the subject;
wherein the first anchor and the second anchor are configured to move between a first position to a second position in response to the sheath expander extending through the lumen of the sheath to thereby engage the first anchor with the first ligament and second anchor with the second ligament, the first position being a concave position and the second position being a convex position; and
wherein the end surface of the sheath has a perimeter, the perimeter of the end surface of the sheath remains continuous when the sheath expander has been inserted completely into the lumen of the sheath thereby defining an uninterrupted end.

2. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the first anchor includes a first furrow and the second anchor includes a second furrow, each of the first and second furrows having formed therein ridges configured to engage the first ligament and the second ligament respectively.

3. The implant of claim 2 , wherein, when the first anchor and the second anchor are in the first position, the first furrow and the second furrow are substantially concave to extend into the lumen.

4. The implant of claim 3 wherein when the first anchor and the second anchor are in the first position, the first furrow and the second furrow form a v-shape extending into the lumen.

5. The implant of claim 4 wherein the v-shape extending into the lumen includes a slot at a vertex of the v-shape.

6. The implant of claim 3 , wherein, when the first anchor and the second anchor are in the second position, the first furrow and the second furrow are substantially convex to extend away from the lumen.

7. The implant of claim 3 , wherein, when the first anchor and the second anchor are in the second position, the ridges of the first furrow and the second furrow are configured to engage the first ligament and the second ligament respectively.

8. The implant of claim 2 , wherein the surgical implant is configured for use with the first ligament and the second ligament, first ligament including an anteromedial bundle and the second ligament including a posterolateral bundle.

9. The implant of claim 1 , wherein, upon the sheath expander being engaged with the sheath, the first anchor and the second anchor are configured to deform as the sheath expander extends through the lumen to move the first anchor and the second anchor from the first position to the second position.

10. The implant of claim 9 , wherein the first position is a retracted position wherein the first anchor and the second anchor extend into the lumen and the second position is an extended position wherein the first anchor and the second anchor extend away from the lumen.

11. The implant of claim 1 , further including the sheath expander, the sheath expander extending from a first end having a first diameter to a second end having a second diameter, wherein the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter.

12. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the interior of the sheath is configured to receive a plurality of threads formed on the sheath expander to drive the sheath expander through the lumen.

13. The implant of claim 12 , wherein the interior of the sheath includes a mating thread to receive at least one of the plurality of threads formed on the sheath expander.

14. The implant of claim 12 , wherein the first anchor and the second anchor include at least one opening configured to receive at least one of the plurality of threads formed on the sheath expander as the sheath expander extends through the lumen.

15. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the sheath has a first diameter and the second end of the sheath has a second diameter and wherein the second diameter is smaller than the first diameter.

16. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the first anchor and the second anchor are configured to be displaced radially away from the lumen as the sheath expander is extended through the lumen, the sheath being adapted to engage a joint when inserted therein.

17. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the surgical implant is for implementing a single-tunnel, double-bundle ligament reconstruction.

18. The implant of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first ledge and the second ledge includes a rib on an outer surface.

19. The implant of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first anchor and the second anchor includes an opening, the opening being configured to receive a thread formed on the sheath expander to drive the sheath expander through the lumen.

20. A surgical implant for implementing a single-tunnel, double-bundle reconstruction in a subject using a first ligament and a second ligament, the implant comprising:
a sheath extending from a first end along a length to a second end to form an exterior surface and an interior surface, wherein the interior surface forms a lumen, the sheath including an end surface between the exterior surface and the interior surface;
a first ledge formed on the exterior surface of the sheath and extending along the length of the sheath;
a second ledge formed on the exterior surface of the sheath in a spaced relationship to the first ledge;
a first anchor formed on the exterior surface of the sheath and extending along the length of the sheath;
a second anchor formed on the exterior surface of the sheath and extending along the length of the sheath;
the first anchor positioned between the first ledge and the second ledge on a first side of the sheath, and the second anchor positioned between the first ledge and the second ledge on a second side of the sheath, the first side being 180 degrees about a circumference of the sheath from the second side;
a sheath expander configured to selectively extend and retract to and from the lumen of the sheath;
wherein the first anchor and second anchor are configured to be displaced radially away from the lumen in response to the sheath expander extending through the lumen of the sheath to engage the joint and thereby resist forces applied to the implant to extend the sheath expander through the lumen;
wherein the spaced

Assignees

• Li Guoan
• Gadikota Hemanth R
• Gill Thomas J
• Massachusetts Gen Hospital

Inventors

• Li Guoan
• Gadikota Hemanth R
• Gill Thomas J

Classifications

• A61F2/08

  Muscles; Tendons; Ligaments · CPC title

• A61F2/0811 Primary

  Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments · CPC title