Methods and devices for preventing tissue bridging while suturing

摘要

Suture passers and methods of suturing tissue to prevent tissue bridging, without requiring a cannula. Tissue bridging involves the capture of non-target tissue within a loop of suture formed around and/or through a target tissue. The devices and methods described herein may include the use of a threading aperture at or near the distal end of the suture passer to guide the device in passing a suture through the tissue along the same pathway that another leg or legs of the loop took to access the target tissue, thereby preventing the inadvertent capture of non-target tissue leading to tissue bridging. In particular, described herein are suture passers and methods of arthroscopically suturing the meniscus of the knee while preventing tissue bridging.

主权项

1. A method of preventing the entrapment of non-target tissue when passing multiple lengths of suture through a target tissue, the method comprising:
passing a first length of suture through the target tissue so that a first limb of the first length of suture extends from the target tissue; connecting the first limb of the first length of suture through a threading aperture at the distal end region of a suture passer; sliding the threading aperture of the suture passer along the first limb of the first length of suture to guide the suture passer to the target tissue; and passing a second length of suture through the target tissue using the suture passer.