US3513484A - Artificial tendon - Google Patents

Description

y 1970 J. HAUSNER 3,513,484

ARTIFICIAL TENDON Filed Oct. 27, 1967 m w L ---w---- n FIG.

FIG. 2.

FIG. 3.

FIG. 4.

- 7: Iii i R mE N N S WU WA H L N H 0 V ATTORNEYS 7 United States Patent O 3,513,484 ARTIFICIAL TENDON John L. Hausner, Norristown, Pa., assignor to Extracorporeal Medical Specialties, Inc., Bridgeport, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 678,556 Int. Cl. A61f 1/24 US. Cl. 31 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The artificial tendon consists of a strip of Dacron woven with loop ends engaged with stainless steel perforated members securable to a bone and a muscle, the former provided with prongs to penetrate the bone. The Dacron strip and portions of the ends are encased in silicone rubber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to artificial tendons of either temporary or permanent nature. Depending upon the extent of damage to tendons artificial tendons are used either for permanent replacement of the severed or damaged natural tendon or for temporary use while healing takes place. Heretofore such tendons have consisted of tapes of Dacron (polyethylene glycol terephthalate) covered with a silicone rubber to prevent adherence to other tissues. These have been generally unsatisfactory particularly in the matter of securement to a muscle and bone.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention an improved construction is provided in which end members of stainless steel or other suitable metal are secured in loops in the ends of a strip of woven Dacron in such fashion as to avoid the possibility of disengagement. The end members have openings respectively for the reception of suture threads and for a bone screw, with the latter provided with prongs to penetrate the bone for secure fastening. A molded coating of silicone rubber encloses the tape and portions of the end members to prevent adherence to tissues and at the same time insure necessary flexibility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a strip of woven Dacron fabric from which strips are cut to provide the flexible tape portions of the artificial tendons;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan View of the Dacron tape or strip with the end members secured in position, the tape or strip having its central portion broken away;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the plane in dicated at 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section taken on the plane indicated at 5-5 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the artificial tendon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1, the first step in the production of the preferred artificial tendon is the weaving of afabric 2 of Dacron with its selvage edges formed as loops 4 which end at theintegral junctions 6 with the single ply main central portion of the fabric. The weaving per se is carried out in the conventional fashion well known in the weaving art for the formation, integrally with the central single ply portion of the fabric, of the double ply marginal portions constituting the loops which extend in the direction of the fabric warp. One or more Wefts zig zag back and forth across the full width of the fabric.

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The second step in the formation of the tendon comprises the cutting of astrip 10 from thefabric 2 along a line indicated at 8 to provide a tape or strip with theintegral loops 12. In view of the fact that such a strip or tape is integrally woven, it has very high tensile strength and the loops, which are attached to end members, are not subject to opening, being constituted by the ends of the passes of the continuous filling which extends back and forth through the entire tape. However, utilizing other aspects of the invention, the tape may have loops closed by stitching.

The overall length of the strip is chosen to suit the particular purposes for which it is intended, and may be long or short and of proper width to replace the natural tendon. When formed as described it is substantially inelastic.

Referring next particularly to FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, at one end of the strip there is located a stainlesssteel end member 14 provided with a smoothly rounded opening indicated at 16 for the reception of sutures. Themember 14 is provided with integraltapered prongs 18 which are initially formed in a fashion in which they extend outwardly beyond the final positions indicated in the figures. Desirably, this end member is formed of cast stainless steel and is rigid in use, and assembly with the strip is effected by pressing theprongs 18 inwardly, to the position illustrated, within one of theloops 12. Other noncorrodable metals, or even rigid plastics, may be used.

At the other end of the strip anend member 20 is provided, also of cast stainless steel or similar suitable material. This is provided with a countersunk opening 22 suitable for the reception of a screw which may be threaded into a bone. Like the other end member it is provided withprongs 24 which may be moved to provide proper engagement in and with theother fabric loop 12. In addition, themember 20 is provided withintegral prongs 26 adapted to be pressed into a bone to prevent possible rotation of the member relative to the bone about the axis of the securing screw.

The tendon is completed by molding a silicone rubber coating about the assembly just described to provide thecentral cover portion 28 and the enlargedends 30 which embrace both theloops 12 and the portions of the end members which are inward of theopenings 16 and 22.

The use and advantages of the artificial tendon will now be evident. Theend member 20 is secured by a bone screw and theprongs 26 penetrate the bone to prevent relative rotation between the member and the bone so that a secure anchorage to the bone is achieved. Theend member 14 is sutured securely to the muscle involved or to a remaining portion of the natural tendon. The entire structure has sufliicent tensile strength to provide the same forces as are normally provided by a natural tendon. The silicone rubber coating or cover encloses the junctions of the end members with the loops of the strip and also encloses the Dacron strip to prevent any adherence to the adjacent tissues of the body.

While the silicone rubber may be molded in position as described, the covering may be provided by a preformed tube of silicone rubber pulled over the assembly in such fashion as to provide tight'engagement at least at its ends with the end members. 1

I claim:

1. An artificial tendon comprising a substantially in elastic, flexible elongated member of a physiologically in-' ert material having at at least one end a loop integral with the portion between the ends, at least one substantially rigid end member of physiologically inert material engaged with said loop and adapted for attachment to a bone, and a silicone rubber sheath encasing said elongated member and the region of its engagement with said rigid end member.

2. An artificial tendon according to claim 1 in which the elongated member'has two loops and is woven with at leastone weft thread extending back and forth about and between said: loops. 7 a

3; An artificial tendon according to claim 2-in which the elongated member is woven of Dacron.

4. An artificial tendon according to claim 1 in which said end member is provided with bone-penetrating prongs.

7 References Cited:

UNITED STATES PATENTS a 841,157 1/1907 Knothe 2-338 7 968,299 8/1910 White 2338 1,141,663 6/1915 Jocobson 2338 1,938,158 12/1933 Steele 294-92 2,002,946 5/1935 Jacobs 2-32 1 XR 2,438,790 3/1948 Postlethwaite 128 -291 2,563,232 8/1951 Q-ejac 128291 2,871,859 2/1959 Dunn 128289 3,105,492 10/1963 Jeckel 128-334 3,176,316 /1965 Bodell 3-1 4 FOREIGN PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Bickharns Operative Surgery, vol. 2, p. 36 2, 1924."

Boat-Nail Fixation of Tendonsc and Ligaments to Cancellous Bonejnby Lt. Col. R. W. Augustine et al., Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, vol. 38A, No. 5, October 1956, pp. 1156-115 8. i

The Use of a Silastic Rod as an Adjunct to Flexor Tendon Grafting, by F. V. Nicolle, The Bulletin of the Dow Corning Center for Aid to Medical, Research, vol. 8, No. 3, July 1966, pp. 9 and 10. 5

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary examina R. L. FRINKS, Assistant Examiner Us. 01. X 11. 128 334

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