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US 2003/0153948 A1Published application
Stiff tipped suture
AssigneeArthrex, Inc.
InventorsDavid S. Morrison, Randall L. Hacker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-stranded suture having a stiff portion adjacent to at least one end of the suture to facilitate advancement of the suture through a cannulated surgical suturing instrument. The suture preferably has a non-stiff distal tip to provide flexibility for passing the suture through bends in the surgical instrument.
Claims14
A suture, comprising:
- an elongated, non-stiff portion which is flexible for tying knots;
- and
- a stiff portion adjacent at least one end of the suture to facilitate insertion of the suture through a cannulation of an instrument.
A method of suturing tissue within a body, comprising the steps of:
- providing a suture strand having a stiff portion adjacent at one end;
- advancing the end with the stiff portion through a cannulated instrument, the cannulated instrument being provided with a sharp cannulated tip;
- positioning the cannulated instrument with the stiff portion in the proximity of a tissue to be sutured;
- penetrating the tissue to be sutured with the sharp tip of the cannulated instrument;
- advancing the suture strand through the cannulated instrument so that the suture end having the stiff portion is exposed at the cannulated tip of the instrument;
- and
- retrieving the suture end having the stiff portion and pulling the stiff portion through the tissue to be sutured.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.