Method and apparatus for coupling soft tissue to a bone

• US 10,004,489 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2016
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaiser, Ryan A., Denham, Gregory J., Stone, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Son
• Application Number:
  US15/074,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20160242760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0487 Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1631 Special drive shafts, e.g. flexible shafts A61B17/1642, A61B17/164 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1642 for producing a curved bore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3417 Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00336 with a protective sleeve, e.g. retractable or slidable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00858 high friction or non-slip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0406 Pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0412 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from suture anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0432 the separate member staying in the anchor after placement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/044 with a threaded shaft, e.g. screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0477 with pre-tied sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06185 hollow or tubular
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0811 : Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0852 : Fixation of a loop or U-turn, e.g. eyelets, anchor having multiple holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0858 : Fixation of tendon or ligament between anchor and bone, e.g. interference screws, wedges
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0882 : Anchor in or on top of a bone tunnel, i.e. a hole running through the entire bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0888 : Anchor in or on a blind hole or on the bone surface without formation of a tunnel

Abstract

A method and apparatus for coupling a soft tissue implant into a locking cavity formed within a bone is disclosed. The apparatus includes a member to pull the soft tissue implant into a femoral tunnel. The member includes a suture having first and second ends which are passed through first and second openings associated with the longitudinal passage to form a pair of loops. Portions of the suture lay parallel to each other within the suture. Application of tension onto the suture construction causes retraction of the soft tissue implant into the femoral tunnel.

Claims

1. A method of anchoring suture to bone, comprising:

inserting a first bone engaging member into bone;

inserting a second bone engaging member into bone;

coupling the first bone engaging member to the second bone engaging member with an adjustable suture construct, the adjustable suture construct including a suture with a first free end that extends through a first longitudinal passage in the suture to form a first adjustable loop, wherein, with the first free end extending through the first longitudinal passage in the suture to form the first adjustable loop, the first free end can be pulled through the first longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the first adjustable loop; and

pulling on the first free end of the suture while the adjustable suture construct is coupled to the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member so as to decrease the size of the first adjustable loop.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member comprises a threaded member.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member each comprise a threaded member.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the suture includes a second free end that extends through a second longitudinal passage in the suture to form a second adjustable loop.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first longitudinal passage is separate from the second longitudinal passage in the suture.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling includes positioning the first longitudinal passage in an aperture in the first bone engaging member.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first longitudinal passage maintains positioning relative to the first bone engaging member during said pulling.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling includes positioning the first adjustable loop in an aperture in the second bone engaging member.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, following said inserting of the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member into bone and said coupling the first bone engaging member to the second bone engaging member with the adjustable suture construct, a length of soft tissue is situated between the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member underneath the adjustable suture construct, and wherein said pulling forces the adjustable suture construct down onto the length of soft tissue for forcing the length of soft tissue against the bone.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member are positioned underneath the length of soft tissue during said pulling.

11. A method of anchoring suture to bone, comprising:

implanting a first bone engaging member and a second bone engaging member in bone with an adjustable suture construct situated therebetween to couple the first bone engaging member to the second bone engaging member, the adjustable suture construct including a suture with a first free end that extends through a first longitudinal passage in the suture to form a first adjustable loop and a second free end that extends through a second longitudinal passage in the suture to form a second adjustable loop, wherein, with the first free end extending through the first longitudinal passage in the suture to form the first adjustable loop and with the second free end extending through the second longitudinal passage in the suture to form the second adjustable loop, the first free end can be pulled through the first longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the first adjustable loop and the second free end can be pulled through the second longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the second adjustable loop; and

pulling on the first free end of the suture and the second free end of the suture while the adjustable suture construct is coupled to the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member so as to decrease the size of the first adjustable loop and the size of the second adjustable loop.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member each comprise a threaded member.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first longitudinal passage is separate from the second longitudinal passage in the suture.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said coupling includes positioning the first longitudinal passage and the second longitudinal passage in an aperture in the first bone engaging member.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first longitudinal passage and the second longitudinal passage maintain positioning relative to the first bone engaging member during said pulling.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said coupling includes positioning at least one of the first adjustable loop and the second adjustable loop in an aperture in the second bone engaging member.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein, following said implanting, a length of soft tissue is situated between the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member underneath the adjustable suture construct, and wherein said pulling forces the adjustable suture construct down onto the length of soft tissue for forcing the length of soft tissue against the bone.

18. A method of attaching soft tissue to bone, comprising:

inserting a first bone engaging member into bone at a first location;

inserting a second bone engaging member into bone at a second location;

positioning an adjustable suture construct coupled to the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member over a length of soft tissue situated between the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member, the adjustable suture construct including a suture with a first free end that extends through a first longitudinal passage in the suture to form a first adjustable loop, wherein, with the first free end extending through the first longitudinal passage in the suture to form the first adjustable loop, the first free end can be pulled through the first longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the first adjustable loop; and

pulling on the first free end of the suture so as to decrease the size of the first adjustable loop and force the soft tissue against the bone along said length.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member each comprise a threaded member.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the suture includes a second free end that extends through a second longitudinal passage in the suture to form a second adjustable loop.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first longitudinal passage is separate from the second longitudinal passage in the suture.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said coupling includes positioning the first longitudinal passage in an aperture in the first bone engaging member.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first longitudinal passage maintains positioning relative to the first bone engaging member during said pulling.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein said coupling includes positioning the first adjustable loop in an aperture in the second bone engaging member.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member are positioned underneath the length of soft tissue during said pulling.