English

The present invention provides a surgical fastener (1) made of a bioabsorbable elastomeric material for the repair of tissues. The fastener may be elongated, thereby creating a compression force across or within the tissue being repaired. The present invention also includes embodiements drawn to methods of using the surgical fastener, such as applying the surgical fastener to a ruptured meniscus or using the surgical fastener to attach a fibrous implant or tissue transplant on or in a living tissue, and an apparatus for installing the fastener. 

A polymerizable monomer adhesive composition includes a 1,1-disubstituted ethylene monomer and at least one slip additive, where the slip additive causes a polymer film formed from the monomer to have a lower coefficient of friction than in an absence of the slip additive. The slip additive can be selected from, inter alia, fluorinated monomers or polymers, fluorinated additives, siloxane-containing monomers or polymers, siloxane-containing additives, fluorinated siloxanes, and long chain fatty acid esters.

Tissue adhesives represent a group of natural and artificial compounds that are currently used for a variety of local applications including hemostasis, wound closure, and fistula repair. The most commonly utilized tissue adhesives in GI endoscopy include cyanoacry- lates, fibrin glues, and thrombin. Other adhesives, such as collagen-based sealants and PEG polymers, are beginning to be studied in various surgical disciplines and may one day find a role in endoscopic practice as well.

By using fluorescent polysorbate 80 coated poly(n-butylcyanoacrylate) (PBCA) nanoparticles in an in vivo study, direct evidence was found for the presence of nanoparticles entering the brain and retina of rats. The nanoparticles, prepared with a miniemulsion process, were labeled in situ with a fluorescent dye and coated with polysorbate 80. After preparation the particle size, ζ potential, and the molecular weight distribution were determined. BMEC cells were used as an in vitro model for the BBB.

Although liquid adhesives or glue have been used as embolic agents for nearly three decades, experience with them outside of neurointerventional indications is generally limited. Cyanoacrylates are the main liquid adhesives used in the vascular system and have an important role in managing vascular abnormalities, especially arteriovenous malformations. Vascular occlusion results as these agents polymerize on exposure to the ions in blood.

Cyanoacrylate glues are easily applied to wounds with good cosmetic results. However, they tend to be brittle and can induce local tissue toxicity. A series of cyanoacrylate monomers with a flexible ether linkage and varying side-chain lengths was synthesized and characterized for potential use as tissue adhesives. The effect of side-chain length on synthesis yield, physical and mechanical properties, formaldehyde generation, cytotoxicity in vitro and biocompatibility in vivo were examined.

Despite the latest polymer materials and surgical suturing techniques, the knot will always be the weakest point of the tied suture loop. In theory, the knot must be as small as possible to prevent an excessive amount of tissue reaction and a delay in healing. There have been reports suggesting that topical cyanoacrylate adhesives could have a reinforcing effect on a surgeon’s knot. Such an outcome could lead to the elimination of knot slippage and the unsatisfactory performance of some surgical knots.

Many synthetic materials are being used in order to reduce the frequency of prolonged air leak (PAL) in thoracic surgical practice. This study presents our experience with the topical application of acrylate co-monomer (Glubran-2) as a synthetic tissue adhesive in an attempt to decrease troublesome postoperative air leaks in patients undergoing resection for non-small cell lung carcinoma. Of the 112 patients who had undergone resection for lung carcinoma, 69 patients having lobectomy or bilobectomy were included in this study.