This invention relates to surgical methods and apparatus in general, and more particularly to surgical methods and apparatus for treating a hip joint.
The Hip Joint in General
The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint which movably connects the leg to the torso. The hip joint is capable of a wide range of different motions, e.g., flexion and extension, abduction and adduction, medial and lateral rotation, etc. See
With the possible exception of the shoulder joint, the hip joint is perhaps the most mobile joint in the body. Significantly, and unlike the shoulder joint, the hip joint carries substantial weight loads during most of the day, in both static (e.g., standing and sitting) and dynamic (e.g., walking and running) conditions.
The hip joint is susceptible to a number of different pathologies. These pathologies can have both congenital and injury-related origins. In some cases, the pathology can be substantial at the outset. In other cases, the pathology may be minor at the outset but, if left untreated, may worsen over time. More particularly, in many cases, an existing pathology may be exacerbated by the dynamic nature of the hip joint and the substantial weight loads imposed on the hip joint.
The pathology may, either initially or thereafter, significantly interfere with patient comfort and lifestyle. In some cases, the pathology can be so severe as to require partial or total hip replacement. A number of procedures have been developed for treating hip pathologies short of partial or total hip replacement, but these procedures are generally limited in scope due to the significant difficulties associated with treating the hip joint.
A better understanding of various hip joint pathologies, and also the current limitations associated with their treatment, can be gained from a more thorough understanding of the anatomy of the hip joint.
The hip joint is formed at the junction of the leg and the torso. More particularly, and looking now at
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Both the head of the femur and the acetabular cup are covered with a layer of articular cartilage which protects the underlying bone and facilitates motion. See
Various ligaments and soft tissue serve to hold the ball of the femur in place within the acetabular cup. More particularly, and looking now at
As noted above, the hip joint is susceptible to a number of different pathologies. These pathologies can have both congenital and injury-related origins.
By way of example but not limitation, one important type of congenital pathology of the hip joint involves impingement between the neck of the femur and the rim of the acetabular cup. In some cases, and looking now at
By way of further example but not limitation, another important type of congenital pathology of the hip joint involves defects in the articular surface of the ball and/or the articular surface of the acetabular cup. Defects of this type sometimes start out fairly small but often increase in size over time, generally due to the dynamic nature of the hip joint and also due to the weight-bearing nature of the hip joint. Articular defects can result in substantial pain, induce and/or exacerbate arthritic conditions and, in some cases, cause significant deterioration of the hip joint.
By way of further example but not limitation, one important type of injury-related pathology of the hip joint involves trauma to the labrum. More particularly, in many cases, an accident or sports-related injury can result in the labrum being torn away from the rim of the acetabular cup, typically with a tear running through the body of the labrum. See
The current trend in orthopedic surgery is to treat joint pathologies using minimally-invasive techniques. Such minimally-invasive, “keyhole” surgeries generally offer numerous advantages over traditional, “open” surgeries, including reduced trauma to tissue, less pain for the patient, faster recuperation times, etc.
By way of example but not limitation, it is common to re-attach ligaments in the shoulder joint using minimally-invasive, “keyhole” techniques which do not require large incisions into the interior of the shoulder joint. By way of further example but not limitation, it is common to repair torn meniscal cartilage in the knee joint, and/or to replace ruptured ACL ligaments in the knee joint, using minimally-invasive techniques.
While such minimally-invasive approaches can require additional training on the part of the surgeon, such procedures generally offer substantial advantages for the patient and have now become the standard of care for many shoulder joint and knee joint pathologies.
In addition to the foregoing, in view of the inherent advantages and widespread availability of minimally-invasive approaches for treating pathologies of the shoulder joint and knee joint, the current trend is to provide such treatment much earlier in the lifecycle of the pathology, so as to address patient pain as soon as possible and so as to minimize any exacerbation of the pathology itself. This is in marked contrast to traditional surgical practices, which have generally dictated postponing surgical procedures as long as possible so as to spare the patient from the substantial trauma generally associated with invasive surgery.
Unfortunately, minimally-invasive treatments for pathologies of the hip joint have lagged far behind minimally-invasive treatments for pathologies of the shoulder joint and the knee joint. This is generally due to (i) the constrained geometry of the hip joint itself, and (ii) the nature and location of the pathologies which must typically be addressed in the hip joint.
More particularly, the hip joint is generally considered to be a “tight” joint, in the sense that there is relatively little room to maneuver within the confines of the joint itself. This is in marked contrast to the shoulder joint and the knee joint, which are generally considered to be relatively “spacious” joints (at least when compared to the hip joint). As a result, it is relatively difficult for surgeons to perform minimally-invasive procedures on the hip joint.
Furthermore, the pathways for entering the interior of the hip joint (i.e., the natural pathways which exist between adjacent bones and/or delicate neurovascular structures) are generally much more constraining for the hip joint than for the shoulder joint or the knee joint. This limited access further complicates effectively performing minimally-invasive procedures on the hip joint.
In addition to the foregoing, the nature and location of the pathologies of the hip joint also complicate performing minimally-invasive procedures on the hip joint. By way of example but not limitation, consider a typical detachment of the labrum in the hip joint. In this situation, instruments must generally be introduced into the joint space using an angle of approach which is offset from the angle at which the instrument addresses the tissue. This makes drilling into bone, for example, significantly more complicated than where the angle of approach is effectively aligned with the angle at which the instrument addresses the tissue, such as is frequently the case in the shoulder joint. Furthermore, the working space within the hip joint is typically extremely limited, further complicating repairs where the angle of approach is not aligned with the angle at which the instrument addresses the tissue.
As a result of the foregoing, minimally-invasive hip joint procedures are still relatively difficult to perform and relatively uncommon in practice. Consequently, patients are typically forced to manage their hip pain for as long as possible, until a resurfacing procedure or a partial or total hip replacement procedure can no longer be avoided. These procedures are generally then performed as a highly-invasive, open procedure, with all of the disadvantages associated with highly-invasive, open procedures.
As a result, there is, in general, a pressing need for improved methods and apparatus for treating pathologies of the hip joint.
As noted above, hip arthroscopy is becoming increasingly more common in the diagnosis and treatment of various hip pathologies. However, due to the anatomy of the hip joint and the pathologies associated with the same, hip arthroscopy is currently practical for only selected pathologies and, even then, hip arthroscopy has generally met with limited success.
One procedure which is sometimes attempted arthroscopically relates to the repair of a torn and/or detached labrum. This procedure may be attempted (i) when the labrum has been damaged but is still sufficiently healthy and intact as to be capable of repair and/or re-attachment, and (ii) when the labrum has been deliberately detached (e.g., so as to allow for acetabular rim trimming to treat a pathology such as a pincer-type FAI) and needs to be subsequently re-attached. See, for example,
Unfortunately, current methods and apparatus for arthroscopically repairing (e.g., re-attaching) the labrum are somewhat problematic. The present invention is intended to improve upon the current approaches for labrum repair.
More particularly, current approaches for arthroscopically repairing the labrum typically use apparatus originally designed for use in re-attaching ligaments to bone. For example, one such approach utilizes a screw-type bone anchor, with two sutures extending therefrom, and involves deploying the bone anchor in the acetabulum above the labrum re-attachment site. A first one of the sutures is passed either through the detached labrum or, alternatively, around the detached labrum. Then the first suture is tied to the second suture so as to support the labrum against the acetabular rim. See
Unfortunately, bone anchors of the sort described above are traditionally used for re-attaching ligaments to bone and, as a result, tend to be relatively large, since they must carry the substantial pull-out forces normally associated with ligament reconstruction. However, this large anchor size is generally unnecessary for labrum re-attachment, since the labrum is not subjected to substantial pull-out forces, and the large anchor size typically causes unnecessary trauma to the patient.
Furthermore, the large size of traditional bone anchors can be problematic when the anchors are used for labrum re-attachment, since the bone anchors generally require a substantial bone mass for secure anchoring, and such a large bone mass is generally available only a substantial distance up the acetabular shelf. In addition, the large size of the bone anchors generally makes it necessary to set the bone anchor a substantial distance up the acetabular shelf, in order to ensure that the distal tip of the bone anchor does not inadvertently break through the acetabular shelf and contact the articulating surfaces of the joint. However, labral re-attachment utilizing a bone anchor set high up into the acetabular shelf creates a suture path, and hence a labral draw force, which is not directly aligned with the portion of the acetabular rim where the labrum is to be re-attached. As a result, an “indirect” draw force (also known as eversion) is typically applied to the labrum, i.e., the labrum is drawn around the rim of the acetabulum rather than directly into the acetabulum. See
Alternatively, the suture path can also surround the labrum, thus placing a suture on both sides of the labrum, including the articular side of the labrum, and thus exposing the articular surface of the femur to a foreign body, which could in turn cause damage to the articular surface (i.e., the articular cartilage) of the femur.
Accordingly, a new approach is needed for arthroscopically re-attaching the labrum to the acetabulum.
The present invention provides a novel method and apparatus for re-attaching the labrum to the acetabulum. Among other things, the present invention comprises the provision and use of a novel suture anchor system.
In one form of the invention, there is provided apparatus for securing a first object to a second object, the apparatus comprising:
at least one longitudinally-extending slit extending through the side wall of the elongated body and communicating with the lumen, the at least one longitudinally-extending slit having a distal end and a proximal end, with the distal end of the at least one longitudinally-extending slit being spaced from the distal end of the elongated body; and
an elongated element extending through the lumen of the elongated body, the elongated element comprising a proximal end and a distal end and having an enlargement at its distal end, the enlargement having a diameter greater than the second section of the lumen.
In another form of the invention, there is provided apparatus for securing a first object to a second object, the apparatus comprising:
an elongated body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen extending between the distal end and the proximal end, the lumen comprising a first section and a second section, the first section of the lumen being disposed distal to the second section of the lumen, and with the first section of the lumen having a wider diameter than the second section of the lumen; and
a suture extending through the lumen of the elongated body, the suture comprising a proximal end and a distal end and having a suture knot at its distal end, the suture knot having a diameter greater than the second section of the lumen.
In another form of the invention, there is provided apparatus for securing a first object to a second object, the apparatus comprising:
an elongated body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen extending between the distal end and the proximal end, the lumen comprising a first section and a second section, the first section of the lumen being disposed distal to the second section of the lumen and with the first section of the lumen having a wider diameter than the second section of the lumen;
the side wall of the elongated body having a weakened section therein adjacent to the second section of the lumen; and
an elongated element extending through the lumen of the elongated body, the elongated element comprising a proximal end and a distal end and having an enlargement at its distal end, the enlargement having a diameter greater than the second section of the lumen.
In another form of the invention, there is provided a method for securing a first object to a second object, the method comprising:
providing apparatus comprising:
In another form of the invention, there is provided a method for securing a first object to a second object, the method comprising:
providing apparatus comprising:
inserting the elongated body into the second object;
moving the suture knot proximally so as to expand the elongated body; and
securing the first object to the second object with the suture.
In another form of the invention, there is provided a method for securing a first object to a second object, the method comprising:
providing apparatus comprising:
inserting the elongated body into the second object;
moving the enlargement proximally so as to expand the elongated body; and
securing the first object to the second object with the elongated element.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will be more fully disclosed or rendered obvious by the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, which is to be considered together with the accompanying drawings wherein like numbers refer to like parts, and further wherein:
The present invention provides a novel method and apparatus for arthroscopically re-attaching the labrum to the acetabulum. Among other things, the present invention comprises the provision and use of a novel suture anchor system.
More particularly, and looking now at
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Near (but spaced from) the distal end 40 of generally cylindrical body 35, there is provided a longitudinally-extending slit 75 which extends completely through one side wall (but not the other) of generally cylindrical body 35. Thus, longitudinally-extending slit 75 communicates with lumen 50 of anchor 10. The distal end of longitudinally-extending slit 75 terminates in a distal relief hole 80, and the proximal end of longitudinally-extending slit 75 terminates in a proximal relief hole 85. It will be appreciated that distal relief hole 80 is spaced from distal end 40 of generally cylindrical body 35, so that a solid distal ring 90 is located at the distal end of generally cylindrical body 35, whereby to provide the distal end of generally cylindrical body 35 with a degree of structural integrity.
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Preferably anchor 10, suture 15 and inserter 20 are pre-assembled into a single unit, with suture 15 extending back through lumen 115 of inserter 20 with a slight proximal tension so as to hold anchor 10 on the distal end of inserter 20.
Suture anchor system 5 preferably also comprises a hollow guide 25 for guiding components from outside of the body to the acetabulum. More particularly, hollow guide 25 generally comprises a lumen 130 for slidably receiving anchor 10 and inserter 20 therein, as will hereinafter be discussed. The internal diameter of hollow guide 25 is preferably approximately equal to the largest external feature of anchor 10 (e.g., one or more of the barbs 70), so that anchor 10 can make a close sliding fit within the interior of hollow guide 25. Alternatively, the internal diameter of hollow guide 25 may be slightly smaller or larger than the largest external feature of anchor 10 if desired. Where suture anchor system 5 also comprises a punch (or drill) 30, lumen 130 of hollow guide 25 is preferably sized to slidably receive punch (or drill) 30, as will hereinafter be discussed. The distal end of hollow guide 25 preferably includes a sharp tip/edge for penetrating the labrum and engaging the acetabulum, as will hereinafter be discussed.
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Suture anchor system 5 is preferably used as follows to secure a detached labrum to the acetabulum.
First, the sharp distal end 136 of hollow guide 25 is passed through the labrum and positioned against the acetabulum at the location where anchor 10 is to be deployed. Preferably the sharp distal end of hollow guide 25 penetrates through the labrum and a short distance into the acetabulum so as to stabilize the hollow guide vis-à-vis the acetabulum. A stylet (e.g., an obturator) may be used to fill the hollow guide 25 during such insertion and thus prevent tissue coring of the labrum during insertion. The distal portion of the punch (or drill) 30 may also be used to fill the hollow tip of the hollow guide 25 during such insertion.
Next, if desired, punch (or drill) 30 may be used to prepare a seat in the acetabulum to receive anchor 10. More particularly, if punch (or drill) 30 is used, the sharp distal end 135 of punch (or drill) 30 is passed through hollow guide 25 (thereby also passing through the labrum) and advanced into the acetabulum so as to form an opening (i.e., a seat) in the bone to receive anchor 10. Then, while hollow guide 25 remains stationary, punch (or drill) 30 is removed from hollow guide 25.
Next, inserter 20, carrying anchor 10 thereon, is passed through hollow guide 25 (thereby also passing through the labrum) and into the seat formed in the acetabulum. As anchor 10 is advanced into the bone, the body of anchor 10 (e.g., ribs 70) makes an interference fit with the surrounding bone, whereby to initially bind the anchor to the bone. At the same time, the solid distal ring 90 located at the distal end of the anchor provides the structural integrity needed to keep the anchor intact while it penetrates into the bone. When anchor 10 has been advanced an appropriate distance into the acetabulum, the proximal end of suture 15 (i.e., proximal open loop 105) is pulled proximally while the distal end of inserter 20 is held in position, thereby causing enlargement 100 to move proximally relative to the generally cylindrical body 35, forcing the distal end of generally cylindrical body 35 to split and expand, in the manner shown in
Significantly, in view of the modest holding power required to secure the labrum in place, anchor 10 can have a very small size, much smaller than a typical bone anchor of the sort used to hold a ligament in place. By way of example but not limitation, anchor 10 may have a length of 0.325 inches, an outer diameter (unexpanded) of 0.063 inches, and an outer diameter (expanded) of 0.080 inches. This small size enables a minimal puncture to be made in the labrum (and hence a minimal hole to be made in the labrum), thus reducing potential damage to the labral tissue and enabling a more accurate puncture location through the labrum. The small size of anchor 10 also allows the anchor to be placed closer to, or directly into, the rim of the acetabular cup, without fear of the anchor penetrating into the articulating surfaces of the joint. See, for example,
Once anchor 10 has been set in the acetabulum, guide 25 is removed from the surgical site, leaving anchor 10 deployed in the acetabulum and suture 15 extending out through the labrum.
This process may then be repeated as desired so as to deploy additional anchors through the labrum and into the acetabulum, with each anchor having a pair of associated free suture ends extending out through the labrum.
Finally, the labrum may be secured to the acetabular cup by tying the labrum down to the acetabulum using the free suture ends emanating from the one or more anchors.
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Furthermore, one or more of the ribs 70 may utilize a different construction than that shown in
Or one or more of the ribs 70 may be slotted as shown in
If desired, alternative arrangements can be provided for coupling anchor 10 to the distal end of inserter 20. More particularly, in
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In another form of the present invention, and looking now at
If desired, one or both of distal relief hole 80 and proximal relief hole 85 may be omitted, with longitudinally-extending slit 75 terminating in a blind surface at one or both ends.
Furthermore, if desired more than one longitudinally-extending slit 75 may be provided in anchor 10, e.g., two diametrically-opposed longitudinally-extending slits 75 may be provided. Additionally, if desired, longitudinally-extending slit 75 may extend all the way to the distal end of the anchor body, rather than stopping short of the distal end of the anchor body. See, for example,
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Or anchor 10 may be provided with an angled through-hole to create varying wall thicknesses and non-symmetric effects as shown in
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Anchor 10 can be made out of any material consistent with the present invention, e.g., anchor 10 can be made out of a biocompatible plastic (such as PEEK), an absorbable polymer (such as poly-L-lactic acid, PLLA), bio-active materials such as hydrogels, or metal (such as stainless steel or titanium).
Suture 15 can be made out of any material consistent with the present invention, e.g., common surgical suture materials. One such material is woven polymer such as PE or UHMWPE. Another material is a co-polymer material such as UHMWPE/polyester. Yet another material is an absorbable polymer such as polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid, polydioxanone, or caprolactone. Proximal loop 105 is preferably a #1 suture size; alternatively, it is a #2 suture size, a #0 suture size, or a #2-0 suture size. Distal loop 95 is preferably a #2-0 suture size; alternatively, it is a #2 suture size, a #1 suture size, or a #0 suture size.
As noted above, enlargement 100 may comprise a solid member attached to the distal end of distal loop 95, or it may comprise a suture knot formed by knotting off the distal ends of distal loop 95 of suture 15. In this latter construction, enlargement 100 can be formed out of a single knot or multiple knots. It can be an overhand knot or other knot such as a “
In one form of the present invention, anchor 10 of suture anchor system 5 may be delivered trans-labrally, i.e., through the labrum and into the acetabular bone, e.g., such as was described above.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, anchor 10 may be placed directly into the acetabular bone, without passing through the labrum first, and then suture 15 may be passed through the labrum. In this form of the invention, the components of suture anchor system 5 may remain the same. Alternatively, in this form of the invention, the distal end of hollow guide 25 need not have a sharp tip/edge 136 for penetrating the labrum as described above, and may instead have engagement features for engaging the acetabular bone. One such feature may be a tooth or a plurality of teeth. In this form of the invention, the distal end of the hollow guide may also include a window for confirming that the anchor is properly placed into the bone.
Suture anchor system 5 may also comprise a curved or angled configuration. More particularly, hollow guide 25 may comprise a curve or angle at its distal end. In this form of the invention, the punch (or drill) 30, inserter 20 and anchor 10 are adapted to pass through the curved or angled hollow guide 25 so as to permit a curved or angled delivery of anchor 10.
It should be appreciated that suture anchor system 5 may also be used for re-attaching other soft tissue of the hip joint, or for re-attaching tissue of other joints, or for re-attaching tissue elsewhere in the body. In this respect it should be appreciated that suture anchor system 5 may be used to attach soft tissue to bone or soft tissue to other soft tissue, or for attaching objects (e.g., prostheses) to bone other tissue.
It should be understood that many additional changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the present invention, may be made by those skilled in the art while still remaining within the principles and scope of the invention.
This patent application claims benefit of: (i) pending prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/271,205, filed Jul. 17, 2009 by Chris Pamichev et al. for METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RE-SECURING THE LABRUM TO THE ACETABULUM, INCLUDING THE PROVISION AND USE OF A NOVEL NANO TACK SYSTEM (Attorney's Docket No. FIAN-46 PROV); and(ii) pending prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/326,709, filed Apr. 22, 2010 by Chris Pamichev et al. for METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RE-SECURING THE LABRUM TO THE ACETABULUM, INCLUDING THE PROVISION AND USE OF A NOVEL SUTURE ANCHOR SYSTEM (Attorney's Docket No. FIAN-55 PROV). The two (2) above-identified patent applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61271205 | Jul 2009 | US | |
61326709 | Apr 2010 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12839246 | Jul 2010 | US |
Child | 14935659 | US |