Method For Soft Tissue Attachment

• US 20080161852A1
• Filed: 03/12/2008
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stone, Kevin T., Kaiser, Ryan A., Howell, Stephen M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,776,077 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 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 lateral eyelet for attaching suture to needle A61B2017/06019
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0811 Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0829 without deformation of anchor parts, e.g. fixation screws on bone surface, extending barbs, cams, butterflies, spring-loaded pins
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0852 Fixation of a loop or U-turn, e.g. eyelets, anchor having multiple holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0882 Anchor in or on top of a bone tunnel, i.e. a hole running through the entire bone

Abstract

An apparatus and method for fixing a selected graft relative to a selected anatomical portion. An anchor may be provided that may be interconnected with a selected graft portion that is operable to pass through a selected bore and then moved into an operable position to engage a selected portion of the bore to substantially eliminate the possibility of the graft moving in an unselected direction through the bore.

Claims

1. A method of fixing a member in a selected region of an anatomy with an anchor member, comprising:

providing the anchor member including;

providing a body extending along a first axis including a first end and a second end and an exterior dimension;

providing a lever arm interconnected with the body a distance from the first end of the body, movable between an activated position and a non-activated position; and

providing a connection region spaced a distance from the first end towards the second end of the body;

providing a holding mechanism that selectively holds the lever arm relative to the body;

holding the lever arm substantially within the exterior dimension with the holding mechanism;

releasing the lever arm to move relative to the body; and

moving the lever arm about an axis of motion substantially at an end of the lever arm such that a portion of the lever arm extends beyond the exterior dimension to engage a selected portion of the anatomy;

wherein the body receives a portion of the lever arm such that the exterior dimension is substantially maintained.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein holding the lever arm substantially within the exterior dimension includes sliding the holding mechanism to extend between and contact both the lever arm and the body.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein holding the lever arm includes:

providing a throughbore in the body;

providing a contact area with the lever arm; and

providing a holding member to pass through the throughbore and to engage the contact area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the connection region with at least one dimension less than the maximum exterior dimension; and

forming a bore in the anatomy wherein the at least one dimension is less than an internal dimension of the bore formed in the anatomy;

wherein the at least one dimension allows for the graft to be moved through and positioned relative to the bore without substantially binding the graft relative to the bore.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wherein the lever arm extends between a first end and a second end;

providing the axis of rotation at the second end; and

positioning the second end of the lever arm within the exterior dimension of the body when the first end of the lever arm extends outside of the exterior dimension.

6. A method of fixing a member in a selected region of an anatomy with an anchor member, comprising:

providing the anchor member;

engaging a holding member with the anchor member to assist in maintaining the anchor member in a first configuration;

moving the anchor member to the selected region of the anatomy at least with assistance of the holding member;

disengaging the holding member from the anchor member to configure the anchor member to a second configuration; and

engaging the selected region of the anatomy with the anchor member to fix the anchor member in the selected region of the anatomy.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein moving the anchor member to the selected region of the anatomy with the holding member includes positioning the anchor member in a selected position with the holding member.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein positioning the anchor member with the holding member includes:

forming a bore in the anatomy; and

pushing the anchor member through the bore to the selected position with the holding member.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

pulling the holding member away from the anchor member and through the bore.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing an activating portion extending from the anchor member; and

providing an engaging member interconnected with the activating portion to activate the anchor member to move the anchor member to the second configuration after the holding member has been disengaged.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

wherein the anchor member includes a body and a lever arm;

rotating the lever arm relative to the body;

providing a lever arm stop portion; and

engaging a body stop portion with the lever arm stop portion to stop rotation of the lever relative to the body.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing demarcations on the holding member to indicate an amount of passage of the holding member.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

blindly positioning the anchor member the anatomy while using the demarcations on the holding member to indicate a position of the anchor member.

14. A method of fixing a member in a selected region of an anatomy with an anchor member, comprising:

providing the anchor member including;

providing a body extending along a first axis including a first end and a second end and an exterior dimension;

providing a lever arm interconnected with the body near the first end of the body, movable between an activated position and a non-activated position; and

providing a holding member to selectively interconnect the lever arm and the body and hold the lever arm substantially within the exterior dimension;

providing an actuating member operably associated with the anchor member;

moving the anchor member relative to the selected region of the anatomy with the actuating member;

after moving the anchor member, releasing the lever arm to extend a distance beyond the exterior dimension at least by disconnecting the holding member from the lever arm; and

moving the lever arm around an axis of rotation positioned substantially at an end of the lever arm such that a portion of the lever arm extends beyond the exterior dimension to engage a selected portion of the anatomy;

wherein the body receives a portion of the lever arm such that the dimension is substantially maintained.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the lever arm extends between a first end and a second end;

wherein moving the lever arms includes extending the lever arm to allow substantially only the first end to extend beyond the exterior dimension.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

nesting the lever arm within the body portion to achieve a substantially single dimension.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

forming a bore in the anatomy; and

engaging the interior surface of the bore with the anchor member to substantially hold the graft in a selected position within the bore.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein moving the lever arm includes rotating the lever arm relative to the body such that the anchor member substantially defines a L-shape.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein providing a holding member includes:

sliding the holding member between the lever arm and the body to operably hold the lever arm in a fixed position relative to the body.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

forming a bore in the anatomy with a maximum internal dimension;

providing the anchor member with a maximum exterior dimension substantially equivalent to the maximum internal dimension;

providing the connection region with a transverse dimension less than the maximum exterior dimension;

interconnecting a graft member with the connection region;

after interconnecting the graft member with the connection region, moving the anchor member through the bore; and

fixing the graft member relative to the anatomy by moving the lever arm about an axis of motion;

wherein the transverse dimension allows for the graft to be moved through and positioned relative to the bore without substantially binding the graft on the bore.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing the lever arm extending from a first free end to a second end; and

providing a pivot connection at the second end.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein moving the lever arm includes extending substantially only the first free end beyond the exterior dimension.