Method for arthroscopic tissue repair
OwnerGary Karlin Michelsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical rivet device for the repair of torn menisci and other intra-articular bodily tissues is disclosed in which the device comprises a shaft, projecting fins and a penetration head at one end and a wide rear portion. The device is inserted by a driving mechanism through both sides of the torn meniscus, compressing the tear in the meniscus between the fins near the head and the wide rear portion, holding the tear together. After insertion, the driving mechanism is separated from the rivet, leaving the rivet device in the patient. The rivet device is entirely biodegradable and absorabable by the body.
Claims23
A method for holding pieces of tissue together with a tissue rivet, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing the rivet having a shaft with a leading end for insertion first into the tissue, a trailing end opposite the leading end, a mid-longitudinal axis therebetween, and a member proximate the trailing end of the shaft, the member having a top, a bottom opposite the top, the bottom being adapted to contact tissue, at least a portion of the member being moveable relative to the shaft between an undeployed position where the bottom surface is not in contact with the tissue and a deployed position where the bottom surface contacts the tissue, the member having a first shape in the deployed position and a second shape in the undeployed position, the first shape being different from the second shape, the rivet having a passageway between the leading and trailing ends of the shaft;
- engaging a driving instrument to the rivet, the driving instrument including a handle, a shaft extending from the handle, and a face at a junction of the handle and the shaft of the driving instrument, the engaging including inserting the shaft of the driving instrument into the passageway until the face of the driving instrument contacts the top of the member;
- inserting the rivet into the tissue until the bottom contacts the tissue;
- and
- moving at least a portion of the member relative to the shaft to the deployed position.
A method for holding pieces of tissue together with a tissue rivet, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing the rivet having a shaft with a leading end for insertion first into the tissue, a trailing end opposite the leading end, and a flexible member proximate the trailing end of the shaft, the flexible member having a top and a bottom opposite the top, the rivet having a passageway between the leading and trailing ends of the shaft;
- engaging a driving instrument to the rivet, the driving instrument including a handle, a shaft extending from the handle, and a face at a junction of the handle and the shaft of the driving instrument, the engaging including inserting the shaft of the driving instrument into the passageway until the face of the driving instrument contacts the top of the flexible member rivet;
- and
- inserting the rivet into the tissue until the bottom of the flexible member contacts the tissue;
- and
- deforming the flexible member deforms to conform to the curvature of the tissue adjacent the rivet.
A method for holding pieces of tissue together with a tissue rivet, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing the tissue rivet having a shaft with a leading end for insertion first into the tissue, a trailing end opposite the leading end, and a member proximate the trailing end of the shaft, the member having a top, a bottom opposite the top, and an outer perimeter, the rivet having a passageway between the leading and trailing ends of the shaft;
- engaging a driving instrument to the rivet, the driving instrument including a handle, a shaft extending from the handle, and a face at a junction of the handle and the shaft of the driving instrument, the engaging including inserting the shaft of the driving instrument into the passageway until the face of the driving instrument contacts the top of the member rivet;
- and
- inserting the rivet into the tissue until the bottom of the member contacts the tissue,;
- and
- deforming the member so that at least a first portion of the bottom adjacent to the outer perimeter of the member being at an acute angle relative to the mid-longitudinal axis of the shaft, at least a second portion of the bottom adjacent to the outer perimeter of the member being at an obtuse angle relative to the mid-longitudinal axis of the shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.