Tissue augmentation tacks for use with soft tissue fixation repair systems and methods

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods to improve both the reliability of soft tissue repair procedures and the speed at which the procedures are completed are provided. The devices and systems include one or more tissue augmentation constructs, which include constructs that are configured to increase a footprint across which suture applied force to tissue when the suture is tied down onto the tissue. The tissue augmentation constructs can be quickly and easily associated with the repair suture, and can be useful in many different tissue repair procedures that are disclosed in the application. In one exemplary embodiment, one or more constructs are disposed on a suture threader, which can be used to associate the construct(s) with a repair suture(s) being used to repair the soft tissue. Tissue augmentation constructs can include various blocks and patches, among other formations. Exemplary methods for manufacturing the tissue augmentation constructs are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A soft tissue suture repair system, comprising:
 a suture filament having a collapsible loop defined by a self-locking mechanism configured to adjust a size of the collapsible loop by moving along a length of the suture filament, the suture filament further having a first tail and a second tail, the first and second tails extending from an opposite side of the self-locking mechanism than the collapsible loop extends from the self-locking mechanism, at least one of the first and second tails being actuable to move the self-locking mechanism along a length of the suture filament to adjust the size of the collapsible loop; and   a tissue augmentation tack coupled to the suture filament, the tissue augmentation tack having a diameter that is at least two times greater than a diameter of the suture filament.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tissue augmentation tack is coupled to at least one of the first and second tails and disposed on the opposite side of the self-locking mechanism from the collapsible loop. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a guide having a lumen extending from a proximal end of the guide to a distal end of the guide, the lumen being configured to receive an inserter tool for inserting an anchor coupled to the collapsible loop to a surgical site. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising a slot formed in an outer surface of the guide, the slot extending an entire length of the guide, from the proximal end to the distal end, and the slot being configured to receive the suture filament. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an anchor coupled to the collapsible loop. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the anchor is a toggle anchor. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the anchor is a soft anchor formed of a flexible construct, and   wherein the soft anchor is actuable from an unstressed configuration, in which the soft anchor has a first length and a first diameter, to a stressed configuration, in which the soft anchor has a second length that is less than the first length and a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first tail is actuable to move the self-locking mechanism along a length of the suture filament to adjust the size of the collapsible loop, and a locking knot is formed by part of the second tail to fix a location of the tissue augmentation tack with respect to the suture filament. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the tissue augmentation tack is at least three times greater than a diameter of the suture filament. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tissue augmentation tack comprises at least one of: fabric, plastic, synthetic polymer, natural polymer, collagen, collagen scaffold, reconstituted collagen, biological autograft connective tissue, biological allograft connective tissue, biological xenograft connective tissue, human dermal matrix, porcine dermal matrix, bovine dermal matrix, periosteal tissue, pericardial tissue, and fascia. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the tissue augmentation tack comprises collagen. 
     
     
         12 . A surgical method, comprising:
 inserting an anchor coupled to a collapsible loop of a surgical filament into bone;   disposing the collapsible loop through tissue adjacent to the bone;   applying tension to a first tail of the surgical filament to collapse the collapsible loop, thereby drawing a tissue augmentation tack coupled to the surgical filament towards the tissue and bone such that the tissue augmentation tack applies a force to the tissue to draw the tissue towards the bone, the tissue augmentation tack having a diameter that is at least two times greater than a diameter of the suture filament; and   locking a location of the tissue augmentation tack with respect to the bone to set the location of the tissue with respect to the bone.   
     
     
         13 . The surgical method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 positioning a distal end of a guide adjacent to the tissue,   wherein inserting an anchor coupled to a collapsible loop of a surgical filament into bone further comprises passing the anchor through the guide.   
     
     
         14 . The surgical method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 advancing a punch through the guide to form a hole in the tissue,   wherein disposing the collapsible loop through tissue adjacent to the bone further comprises passing the collapsible loop through the hole in the tissue.   
     
     
         15 . The surgical method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 advancing the punch through the guide to form a hole in the bone,   wherein inserting an anchor coupled to a collapsible loop of a surgical filament into bone further comprises inserting the anchor into the hole in the bone.   
     
     
         16 . The surgical method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 inserting a portion of the collapsible loop into a slot formed in an outer surface of the guide to assist in managing the suture filament during performance of the method.   
     
     
         17 . The surgical method of  claim 13 , wherein the guide is removed before applying tension to the first tail of the surgical filament to collapse the collapsible loop. 
     
     
         18 . The surgical method of  claim 12 , further comprising toggling the anchor to set a location of the anchor with respect to the bone. 
     
     
         19 . The surgical method of  claim 12 , wherein the anchor is a soft anchor formed of a flexible construct, the method further comprising:
 actuating the anchor from an unstressed configuration to a stressed configuration to set a location of the anchor with respect to the bone.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the diameter of the tissue augmentation tack is at least three times greater than a diameter of the suture filament. 
     
     
         21 . The surgical method of  claim 12 , wherein the tissue augmentation tack comprises at least one of: fabric, plastic, synthetic polymer, natural polymer, collagen, collagen scaffold, reconstituted collagen, biological autograft connective tissue, biological allograft connective tissue, biological xenograft connective tissue, human dermal matrix, porcine dermal matrix, bovine dermal matrix, periosteal tissue, pericardial tissue, and fascia. 
     
     
         22 . The surgical method of  claim 21 , wherein the tack comprises collagen.