# US 11,109,854 B2 · Methods of making reinforced soft tissue grafts with suture loop/needle constructs

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- Number: US 11,109,854 B2
- Document ID: US11109854B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/654,627
- Filed: 2019-10-16
- Published: 2020-02-20
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-14
- Assignees: Arthrex, Inc.
- Applicants: Arthrex, Inc.
- Inventors: James J. Guerra; Jacob A. Jolly; Dustin T. Libby; Thomas M. Deberardino
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11109854B2

## CPC

- A61B 17/0401: {Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors (A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811)}
- A61F 2/08: Muscles; Tendons; Ligaments
- A61F 2/0811: {Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments}
- A61B 2017/0404: {Buttons}
- A61B 2017/0414: {having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening}
- A61B 2017/0417: {T-fasteners}
- A61B 2017/06185: {hollow or tubular}
- A61F 2002/0852: {Fixation of a loop or U-turn, e.g. eyelets, anchor having multiple holes}
- A61F 2002/087: {Anchor integrated into tendons, e.g. bone blocks, integrated rings}
- A61F 2002/0882: {Anchor in or on top of a bone tunnel, i.e. a hole running through the entire bone}
- A61F 2220/0075: sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)

## Abstract

A method of reinforcing a biological construct according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, attaching a suture loop/needle construct to a reinforcement material and stitching the reinforcement material to a biological construct to form a reinforced biological construct. The reinforcement material is attached to the suture loop/needle construct prior to approximating the reinforcement material to the biological construct.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of reinforcing a biological construct, comprising:
attaching a suture/needle construct to a reinforcement material; and
whipstitching the reinforcement material to a biological construct to form a reinforced biological construct,
wherein the whipstitching includes:
passing the suture/needle construct through the reinforcement material and the biological construct multiple times to create multiple stitches in the reinforcement material and the biological construct,
wherein the biological construct is a graft,
wherein the suture/needle construct includes a continuous suture loop,
wherein the continuous suture loop is fixedly attached to the reinforcement material,
wherein the continuous suture loop of the suture/needle construct is swedged to the reinforcement material.

### Claim 2

A method of reinforcing a biological construct, comprising:
attaching a suture/needle construct to a reinforcement material; and
whipstitching the reinforcement material to a biological construct to form a reinforced biological construct,
wherein the whipstitching includes:
passing the suture/needle construct through the reinforcement material and the biological construct multiple times to create multiple stitches in the reinforcement material and the biological construct,
wherein the biological construct is a graft,
wherein the suture/needle construct includes a continuous suture loop,
wherein the continuous suture loop is fixedly attached to the reinforcement material,
wherein the continuous suture loop of the suture/needle construct is knotted to the reinforcement material.