Medical device for repair of tissue and method for implantation and fixation

Abstract

The present invention relates to medical devices for repairing tissue and more specifically to devices which facilitate tissue regeneration and to surgical methods for the implantation and fixation of such devices. In one embodiment, the medical device is an elongate conduit that includes a longitudinal bore extending therethrough to facilitate the transfer of blood from a vascular region of tissue to a tear or damaged area located in an avascular and/or semi-vascular region of tissue. A filament and/or filaments are attached to the conduit and are positioned to secure the conduit and fixate the adjacent tear walls in mutual engagement. In another embodiment, a series of conduits are connected via a filament and/or filaments to facilitate the implantation of multiple conduits.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A medical device comprising:
 an elongate conduit formed of:
 a first body made of solid material and having an exterior, a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal bore, and 
 a second body made of porous material and attached to the first end of the first body to close the first end of the first body; and 
   a filament attached to the conduit, whereby the filament can be positioned to fixate tissue in a desired position.   
     
     
         3 . The medical device of  claim 2 , wherein the longitudinal bore of the conduit extends from the first end to the second end. 
     
     
         4 . The medical device of  claim 2 , wherein the conduit includes an aperture. 
     
     
         5 . The medical device of  claim 4 , wherein the filament is attached to the conduit via the aperture. 
     
     
         6 . The medical device of  claim 4 , wherein the aperture is in communication with the longitudinal bore. 
     
     
         7 . The medical device of  claim 2 , wherein the conduit includes a surface feature extending from the exterior and selected from the group consisting of ribs and threading. 
     
     
         8 . The medical device of  claim 2 , wherein the longitudinal bore contains a scaffold material. 
     
     
         9 . A medical device comprising:
 an elongate conduit having an exterior, a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal bore;   a meniscus implant; and   a filament attached to the conduit and the meniscus implant.   
     
     
         10 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the longitudinal bore of the conduit extends from the first end to the second end. 
     
     
         11 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the conduit includes an aperture. 
     
     
         12 . The medical device of  claim 11 , wherein the filament is attached to the conduit via the aperture. 
     
     
         13 . The medical device of  claim 11 , wherein the aperture is in communication with the longitudinal bore. 
     
     
         14 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the conduit includes a surface feature extending from the exterior and selected from the group consisting of ribs and threading. 
     
     
         15 . A method for implanting a medical device in tissue, the tissue having a first area of vascularity and a second area of vascularity, the vascularity of the second area being less than the vascularity of the first area, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a medical device including an elongate conduit, an anchor, and a filament attached to the conduit and the anchor, the conduit having a first end, a second end, and a wall defining a longitudinal bore, the wall having an exterior surface, the anchor having a first end, a second end, and a wall defining a longitudinal bore extending between the first and second ends of the anchor, the longitudinal bore of the anchor extending along an anchor axis when the anchor is in an implanted configuration;   inserting the conduit within the tissue;   positioning the first end of the conduit adjacent to a face of a tear in the tissue such that the longitudinal bore of the conduit is in communication with the tear;   positioning the second end of the conduit in the first area of vascularity of the tissue;   inserting the anchor through the tissue;   positioning at least a portion of the anchor against an outer wall of the tissue, the anchor being in the implanted configuration; and   securing the filament.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the conduit includes at least one surface feature protruding from the exterior surface, and further comprising the step of securing the conduit within the tissue by engaging the at least one surface feature with the tissue. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the longitudinal bore of the conduit extends between the first and second ends of the conduit along a conduit axis, the conduit having a length dimension parallel to the conduit axis and a width dimension transverse to the conduit axis, the length dimension being greater than the width dimension when the conduit is implanted in an implanted configuration, and the anchor having a length dimension parallel to the anchor axis and a width dimension transverse to the anchor axis, the length dimension of the anchor being greater than the width dimension of the anchor when the anchor is implanted in the implanted configuration thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one surface feature includes ribs or threads. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the longitudinal bore of the conduit extends between the first and second ends of the conduit along a conduit axis, and wherein the longitudinal bore of the conduit is non-circular in cross-section, and wherein the step of inserting the conduit includes rotating the conduit about the conduit axis. 
     
     
         20 . The medical device of  claim 15 , wherein the filament includes a first end and a second end, and the wall of the conduit includes two apertures in communication with the longitudinal bore of the conduit, further comprising the steps of:
 inserting the first end of the filament through the two apertures of the conduit; and   inserting the first end of the filament through the longitudinal bore of the anchor; and   connecting the first end of the filament to the second end of the filament to form a slipknot.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the step of securing the filament includes sliding the slipknot with respect to the filament.