Reinforced biological construct and method of reinforcing biological construct
AssigneeArthrex, Inc.
InventorJohn KONICEK
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reinforced graft construct for repairing a tendon or ligament formed by inserting a piece of material, such as suture, through the graft lengthwise. The material may be inserted along only a portion of the graft or along the entire graft. The material may be a reinforcement (reinforcing) material such as suture, tape, weave, or mesh passed lengthwise through the graft (for example, along the center of the graft). The ends of the graft may be whipstitched to provide additional fixation when implanted. The material may be bioabsorbable such that it will resorb away after a period of time in the body.
Claims20
A method of forming a graft tendon, comprising:
- folding a graft tendon that comprises a single tendon strand such that a first free tendon end and a second free tendon end of the single tendon strand are positioned longitudinally in parallel with one another,
- wherein the first free tendon end and the second free tendon end are located on an opposite end of the graft tendon from a folded portion of the graft tendon;
- and
- whip stitching together the first and second free tendon ends, thereby forming a stitched end portion that abuts an unstitched middle portion of the graft tendon,
- wherein the whipstitching includes placing a plurality of suture stitches that originate at the first and second free tendon ends and progress toward the unstitched middle portion.
A graft tendon, comprising:
- a first tendon end and a second tendon end, the first and second tendon ends positioned longitudinally in parallel to one another;
- and
- a whipstitched pattern securing together the first and second tendon ends, thereby forming a stitched end portion that abuts an unstitched middle portion, the whipstitched pattern comprising a plurality of sutures that originate at the tendon ends and progress toward the unstitched middle portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.