# US 12,004,734 B2 · Methods of making reinforced soft tissue grafts with suture loop/needle constructs

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- Number: US 12,004,734 B2
- Document ID: US12004734B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/411,242
- Filed: 2021-08-25
- Published: 2021-12-09
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- 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/US12004734B2

## 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 reinforcement material is pre-assembled to a suture loop/button construct and includes an eyelet configured to receive a suture loop of the suture loop/button construct.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the suture/needle construct comprises a needle attached to a continuous, uninterrupted suture loop.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the needle is a free floating needle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement material is selected from the group consisting of a suture, a tape, a suture tape, a weave, a mesh, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the reinforcement material is absorbable.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the suture loop/button construct is a knotless, selflocking, adjustable construct having a button and the suture loop, wherein the suture loop is a flexible, adjustable loop connected to the button, the flexible, adjustable loop having an adjustable length, the flexible, adjustable loop having two ends, two splices and two adjustable independently formed loops that are interconnected.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement material is attached to the suture/needle construct prior to approximating the reinforcement material to the biological construct.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the biological construct is a graft.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the suture/needle construct includes a continuous suture loop.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the continuous suture loop is fixedly attached to the reinforcement material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method as recited in claim 8, comprising clamping the reinforcement material to the graft prior to whipstitching the reinforcement material to the graft.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method as recited in claim 8, comprising aligning a distal aspect of the reinforcement material to a distal aspect of the graft prior to whipstitching the reinforcement material to the graft.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the whipstitching includes:
inserting the suture/needle construct through a proximal end of the reinforcement material and through the biological construct to create a first whipstitched region; and
inserting the suture/needle construct through the reinforcement material and through the biological construct to create a second whipstitched region that is distal to the first whipstitched region.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method as recited in claim 13, wherein a needle of the suture/needle construct is passed through a first side of the reinforcement material prior to passing through a second side of the reinforcement material when creating both the first and second whipstitched regions.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a button of the suture loop/button construct is a non-flexible component, and further wherein the button is a metallic button.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement material includes a length extending between a first end and a second end, and further wherein the suture loop of the suture loop/button construct is coupled to the first end of the reinforcement material and a length of suture of the suture/needle construct is coupled to the second end of the reinforcement material.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method as recited in claim 16, wherein a first stitching tail and a second stitching tail of the length of suture extend from the second end of the reinforcement material.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the eyelet is provided at the first end of the reinforcement material.

### Claim 19

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 a suture loop/button construct is attached to the reinforced 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 or swedged to the reinforcement material.

### Claim 20

A method of reinforcing a biological construct, comprising:
whipstitching a reinforcement material to a graft with a suture/needle construct to form a reinforced graft, wherein the whipstitching includes:
passing the suture/needle construct through the reinforcement material and the graft multiple times to create multiple stitches in the reinforcement material and the graft,
wherein a suture loop/button construct is pre-assembled to the reinforcement material and includes a suture loop received through an eyelet of the reinforcement material, and
wherein the suture/needle construct includes a length of suture that is knotted or swedged to the reinforcement material.