Search

US-12622690-B2 - Method and apparatus for passing suture through tissue

US12622690B2US 12622690 B2US12622690 B2US 12622690B2US-12622690-B2

Abstract

A method for retaining a suture includes extending a distal end of a suture manipulator of a suture passer from a distal portion of a hollow tube of the suture passer, the distal portion of the suture manipulator forming a single arm so that only the single arm extends out of the distal end of the hollow tube when the suture manipulator is fully extended, locating a portion of a suture adjacent to a catching portion of the suture manipulator, and retracting the distal end of the suture manipulator into the hollow tube and pulling the portion of the suture into the hollow tube so that a loop of the suture is located in a lumen of the hollow tube and the portion of the suture is compressed by an inner surface of the hollow tube and a side surface of the catching portion.

Inventors

  • Daren Stewart
  • James Flom

Assignees

  • STRYKER CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20231023

Claims (15)

  1. 1 . A method for retaining a suture, comprising: extending a distal portion of a suture manipulator of a suture passer from a distal portion of a hollow tube of the suture passer, the distal portion of the suture manipulator forming a single arm so that only the single arm extends out of the distal portion of the hollow tube when the suture manipulator is fully extended, the hollow tube comprising a lumen that extends to a distal end of the hollow tube; locating a portion of a suture adjacent to a catching portion of the suture manipulator, wherein the catching portion of the suture manipulator extends proximally to a tip; and retracting the distal portion of the suture manipulator into the hollow tube and pulling the portion of the suture into the hollow tube so that a loop of the suture is located in the lumen of the hollow tube and the portion of the suture is compressed by an inner surface of the hollow tube and a side surface of the catching portion.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , comprising passing the distal portion of the suture passer with the portion of the suture through tissue.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the tissue is a labrum.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the tissue is a joint capsule.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the tissue is located in a hip.
  6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the distal portion of the hollow tube is curved.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the hollow tube tapers to a pointed tip.
  8. 8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the distal portion of the hollow tube comprises a cutaway in a side of a wall defining the distal portion of the hollow tube that is, the cutaway being proximal of the tapered distal end.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a first portion of the cutaway curves around a longitudinal axis of the distal portion of the hollow tube and two longitudinally extending portions of the cutaway extend distally from the first portion to the tapered distal end of the hollow tube.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein extending the distal portion of the suture manipulator from the distal portion of the hollow tube comprises extending at least a portion of the suture manipulator laterally outwardly through the cutaway.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the distal portion of the hollow tube has a longitudinal axis and at least a portion of the suture manipulator extends laterally away from the longitudinal axis.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the distal portion of the suture manipulator has a non-circular cross section such that the width of the distal portion of the suture manipulator is smaller than a height of the distal portion of the suture manipulator.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the distal portion of the suture manipulator comprises two opposed flat sides and the portion of the suture is compressed between the inner surface of the hollow tube and the two opposed flat sides.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the suture is a #2 orthopedic suture and the portion of the suture is compressed to at least 36% of an uncompressed diameter.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the suture is a #2 orthopedic suture, and the method comprises applying a force of at least five pounds to the suture in a longitudinal direction of the distal portion of the suture manipulator while the portion of the suture is compressed within the hollow tube and the suture remaining in place.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/093,447, filed Nov. 9, 2020, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/692,839, filed Aug. 31, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,828,023, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/531,531, filed Nov. 3, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,405,850, which in turn: (1) is a continuation-in-part of International Application No. PCT/US2013/060167, filed Sep. 17, 2013, which patent application: (A) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/230,652, filed Sep. 12, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,123,794, which claims benefit of: (i) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/384,423, filed Sep. 20, 2010,(ii) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/473,219, filed Apr. 8, 2011,(iii) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/495,441, filed Jun. 10, 2011, and(iv) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/381,787, filed Sep. 10, 2010, (B) claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/701,920, filed Sep. 17, 2012, and(C) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/791,395, filed Mar. 8, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,098,631, which patent application: (i) claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/701,920, filed Sep. 17, 2012, and(ii) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/230,652, filed Sep. 12, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,123,794, which patent application in turn claims benefit of: (a) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/384,423, filed Sep. 20, 2010,(b) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/473,219, filed Apr. 8, 2011,(c) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/495,441, filed Jun. 10, 2011, and(d) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/381,787, filed Sep. 10, 2010, (2) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/230,652, filed Sep. 12, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,123,794, which patent application in turn claims benefit of: (A) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/384,423, filed Sep. 20, 2010,(B) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/473,219, filed Apr. 8, 2011,(C) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/495,441, filed Jun. 10, 2011, and(D) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/381,787, filed Sep. 10, 2010, (3) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/791,395, filed Mar. 8, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,098,631, which patent application: (A) claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/701,920, filed Sep. 17, 2012, and(B) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/230,652, filed Sep. 12, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,123,794, which patent application in turn claims benefit of: (i) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/384,423, filed Sep. 20, 2010,(ii) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/473,219, filed Apr. 8, 2011,(iii) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/495,441, filed Jun. 10, 2011, and(iv) U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/381,787, filed Sep. 10, 2010, (4) claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/898,729, filed Nov. 1, 2013, and(5) claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/947,870, filed Mar. 4, 2014. The above-identified patent applications are each hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to surgical apparatus and procedures in general, and more particularly to surgical apparatus and procedures for passing suture through tissue. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In many situations suture must be passed through tissue. In open surgical procedures, the suture is typically attached to a needle and the needle is then used to draw the suture through the tissue. However, in closed surgical procedures (e.g., so-called “keyhole” surgeries, where an interior surgical site is accessed through a narrow cannula), it can be difficult to advance a needle (and particularly a curved needle) to the interior surgical site, and it can be even more difficult to maneuver the needle about the interior surgical site. Furthermore, in closed surgical procedures, it is frequently necessary to advance the suture through tissue, and then to retrieve the suture on the far side of the tissue, so that the suture can thereafter be drawn back through the tissue, e.g., at a second point of penetration. Conventional needles are typically inadequate for these situations. On account of the foregoing, in closed surgical procedures, it is common to use a suture passer to pass suture through tissue, e.g., at a remote surgical site. Such suture passers are dedicated suture passing instruments generally comprising a shaft, a tissue-penetrating and suture-carrying working tip set at the distal end of the shaft, and a handle set at the proximal end of the shaft. However, such suture passers all tend to suffer from one or more deficiencies, including but not limited to: (i) size;