Suture anchor

• US 20060106423A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brett Bannerman
• Original Assignee: Surgical Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Skinlo, David, Weisel, Thomas, Padget, Martin, Bannerman, Brett
• Granted Patent: US 8,118,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/232
• 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 17/0485 Devices or means, e.g. loops, for capturing the suture thread and threading it through an opening of a suturing instrument or needle eyelet
• 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 17/0642 for bones, e.g. for osteosynthesis or connecting tendon to bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/044 with a threaded shaft, e.g. screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0448 Additional elements on or within the anchor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0451 Cams or wedges holding the suture by friction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0456 Surface features on the anchor, e.g. ribs increasing friction between the suture and the anchor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0458 Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures

Abstract

A suture anchor (e.g. 100) for knotlessly securing nearby tissue to bone is formed from an anchor body (e.g. 101/102) that includes a mechanism for being securely anchored to the bone, an elongated suture puller (e.g. 122) extending through the anchor body with a proximal end for being pulled in a proximal direction by a surgeon and a distal end (e.g. 125) with a suitable mechanism for engaging suture (e.g. 127), suture (e.g. 132) carried by the engaging mechanism (e.g. 127) at the distal end (e.g. 125) of the elongated suture puller (e.g. 122), and a suture locking mechanism (e.g. 110) that substantially prevents the suture (e.g. 122) from moving in at least a first direction after being pulled into and through the anchor body (e.g. 101/102) by the elongated suture puller (e.g. 122).

Claims

1. A suture anchor for for securing nearby tissue to bone, the suture anchor comprising:

an anchor body having an axis and a proximal end that is substantially transverse to the axis;

an elongated suture puller slidably located in the anchor body with first and second lengths extending from the anchor body, the second length including means for engaging suture;

means for anchoring the anchor body to the bone of the patient with the elongated suture puller extending from the anchor body;

suture connected to the second length of the elongated suture puller via the means for engaging, the suture being pulled into and through the anchor body behind the elongated suture puller by the elongated suture puller being pulled outward therefrom via the first length; and

a suture locking mechanism that substantially prevents the suture from moving in at least a first direction after being pulled into and through the anchor body by the elongated suture puller.

2. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the suture locking mechanism substantially prevents the suture from sliding in the first direction but substantially allows the suture to slide in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

3. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the suture locking mechanism substantially prevents the suture from sliding in the first direction and also substantially prevents the suture from sliding a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

4. The suture anchor of claim 1 further comprising:

a suture channel that extends through the anchor body from a first opening at the proximal end of the anchor body to a second opening at the same proximal end of the anchor body; and

wherein the elongated suture puller is located in the suture channel until it is pulled therefrom.

5. The suture anchor of claim 4 further comprising a second suture channel that extends through the anchor body from a first opening at the proximal end of the anchor body to a second opening at the proximal end of the anchor body.

6. The suture anchor of claim 4 wherein the anchor body comprises:

a housing having a cavity at a proximal end thereof; and

an insert having a proximal end, the insert fitting substantially within the cavity of the housing.

7. The suture anchor of claim 6 wherein the housing'"'"'s cavity has a transverse cavity profile and wherein the insert has a transverse insert profile that is substantially the same as the transverse cavity profile.

8. The suture anchor of claim 7 wherein the transverse cavity profile and the transverse insert profile are substantially square at proximal ends thereof.

9. The suture anchor of claim 8 wherein at least one of the cavity and the insert has an axial profile that is substantially “

U”

-shaped.

10. The suture anchor of claim 8 wherein at least one of the cavity and the insert has an axial profile that is substantially “

V”

-shaped.

11. The suture anchor of claim 9 wherein the suture channel is defined by a first groove that extends around the insert from a first side of the proximal end of the insert to a second side of the proximal end of the insert.

12. The suture anchor of claim 11 wherein the suture locking mechanism comprises a one-way pinch point in the suture channel.

13. The suture anchor of claim 12 wherein the one-way pinch point is defined by a locking point located on a flexible locking tab that extends partially into the suture channel.

14. The suture anchor of claim 11 wherein the elongated suture puller is an elongated, substantially flat band, and wherein the elongated suture puller'"'"'s means for engaging suture is a notch that opens to a side thereof for pulling suture through the suture channel.

15. The suture anchor of claim 14 further comprising a suture puller channel for slidably receiving the elongated, substantially flat band.

16. The suture anchor of claim 15 wherein the suture puller channel is located between the insert and the housing, extends around the insert from a first side of the proximal end of the insert to a second side of the proximal end of the insert, opens into the suture channel, and extends laterally to either side of the suture channel,

17. The suture anchor of claim 16 wherein the suture channel is further defined by a second groove that opposes the first groove and that extends around the cavity from a first side of the cavity at the proximal end of the housing to a second side of the cavity at the proximal end of the housing, the first and second grooves accommodating the suture that is folded over on either side of the notch in the elongated suture puller.

18. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the anchor body comprises:

a housing having a cavity at a proximal end thereof, and

an insert having a proximal end, the insert fitting substantially within the cavity of the housing; and

wherein the suture locking mechanism comprises means for compressing the suture between the insert and the cavity.

19. The suture anchor of claim 18 wherein the insert has a ratcheting connection to the cavity.

20. The suture anchor of claim 19 wherein the ratcheting connection comprises locking tabs on one of the cavity and the insert and corresponding locking grooves on the other of the insert and the cavity.

21. The suture anchor of claim 19 wherein the ratcheting connection comprises a locking channel located in a central portion of the insert and a corresponding cross bar extending through the locking channel between opposite walls of the cavity.

22. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the anchor body comprises a housing having a cavity;

and wherein the suture locking mechanism comprises a pivoting member contained in the cavity that compresses the suture against a wall of the cavity.

23. The suture anchor of claim 22 wherein the pivoting member is a spring loaded paddle.

24. The suture anchor of claim 23 wherein the spring loaded paddle has a roughened surface that comes into contact with the suture.

25. The suture anchor of claim 22 wherein the pivoting member is a cam member that pivots about a cross pin in the cavity, the cam member having a cam surface that compresses the suture against an opposing wall of the cavity.

26. The suture anchor of claim 25 further comprising a cam actuation wire that is secured to the cam member between the rotation hole and the cam surface such that the cam surface is pulled against the opposing wall of the cavity when the cam actuation wire is pulled.

27. The suture anchor of claim 26 further comprising a locking detent on the cam surface and a corresponding groove in the opposing wall of the cavity collectively assist in locking the cam member in place and in holding the suture in the locked position.

28. The suture anchor of claim 27 wherein the cam member has a roughened surface that comes into contact with the suture.

29. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the elongated suture puller has an axially symmetric profile.

30. The suture anchor of claim 29 wherein the elongated suture puller has one of a round profile, a square profile, a hex profile, and a tri-lobe profile.

31. The suture anchor of claim 29 wherein the elongated suture puller is a wire.

32. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the elongated suture puller'"'"'s means for engaging suture is a loop at an end thereof for receiving suture to be pulled thereby.

33. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the elongated suture puller has a substantially flat profile that bends preferably in one plane along an axis thereof.

34. The suture anchor of claim 33 wherein the elongated suture puller is an elongated band.

35. The suture anchor of claim 34 wherein the elongated suture puller'"'"'s means for engaging suture is a notch at an end thereof for receiving suture to be pulled thereby.

36. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the elongated suture puller has a hollow metal braid at an end thereof, the hollow metal braid having an inner opening for receiving suture to be pulled thereby, the inner opening reducing in diameter when tension is applied to the elongated suture puller.

37. The suture anchor of claim 1 further comprising means for attaching one end of the suture to the anchor body at a location separate from the suture locking mechanism.

38. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the anchor body comprises:

a housing having a cavity at a proximal end thereof,

an insert having a proximal end and a distal end, and first and second suture channels that extends through the insert, the insert fitting substantially within the cavity of the housing;

a locking pin captured between the distal end of the insert and a bottom of the cavity to define a circuitous suture path running from the first suture channel, between a first side of the distal end of the insert and the locking pin, around the locking pin, between a second side of the distal end of the insert and the locking pin, to the second suture channel.; and

wherein the suture locking mechanism comprises means for compressing suture within the circuitous suture path between the distal end of the insert and the locking pin and between the locking pin and the cavity.

39. The suture anchor of claim 38 wherein the means for compressing comprises a ratcheting connection between the insert and the cavity.