Suture Anchor

• US 20080306511A1
• Filed: 11/27/2006
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biocomposites Limited
• Original Assignee: Biocomposites Limited
• Inventors: Cooper, John Joseph, Waters, Russell David
• Granted Patent: US 8,409,251 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 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0416 Packages or dispensers for suture anchors or for anchor applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/044 with a threaded shaft, e.g. screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0454 the anchor being crimped or clamped on the suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0459 Multiple holes in the anchor through which the suture extends and locking the suture when tension is applied

Abstract

A suture anchor assembly with an anchor and a driver locatable in an axial longitudinal opening in the anchor, the driver having a through hole at its distal end. A suture is provided extending through the opening and outside of the anchor at its distal end, and passing proximally along longitudinal grooves on the outside of the anchor. Once the anchor has been inserted into a body, the driver can be withdrawn providing a loop of suture extending from the opening, plus the suture ends extending from the grooves.

Claims

1-51. -51. (canceled)

52. A suture anchor assembly, the assembly including an anchor locatable in a bone, and a driver selectively engageable with the anchor to enable rotation of the anchor, the anchor including a body with a screw thread on the exterior thereof, a longitudinal opening extending through the body and having a non circular cross section, at least one exterior opening being provided extending through the anchor from the longitudinal opening to the exterior of the anchor, the driver including a drive part locatable within the longitudinal opening of the anchor and profiled such that rotation of the driver causes rotation of the anchor.

53. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein the driver also includes an engagement means for receiving a loop of suture with the ends of the loop extendable from the engagement means, each end on a generally opposite side of the exterior of the anchor to the other when the drive part is located in the longitudinal opening of the anchor, such that when the driver is withdrawn proximally from the anchor a loop of suture extends proximally out of the longitudinal opening as well as the suture ends extending externally of the anchor.

54. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein a recess formation is provided on the outside of the anchor which can receive two lengths of suture extending to the proximal end of the anchor.

55. An assembly according to claim 54, wherein the recess formation is dimensioned such that the suture does not extend substantially outwardly beyond the thread root when located in said formation.

56. An assembly according to claim 54, wherein the recess formation is dimensioned such that the suture does extend outwardly beyond the thread root when located in said formation to some extent.

57. An assembly according to claim 54, wherein the recess formation extends from the distal end of the anchor longitudinal opening to the proximal end of the anchor.

58. An assembly according to claim 54, wherein the recess formation includes a longitudinal groove in the outside of the anchor body.

59. An assembly according to claim 58, wherein the recess formation includes a pair of longitudinal grooves, in the outside of the anchor body.

60. An assembly according to claim 59, wherein the longitudinal grooves are substantially diametrically opposite each other.

61. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein the longitudinal opening in the anchor is generally rectangular in cross section.

62. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein the longitudinal opening in the anchor is generally triangular in cross section.

63. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein recesses are provided in one or more of sides of the longitudinal opening for at least part of the length of the opening, to at least partially locate a suture in the recess.

64. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein the screw thread is helical.

65. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein the screw thread extends for substantially the whole length of the anchor.

66. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein the anchor is made of a bioabsorbable polymer.

67. An assembly according to claim 66, wherein the anchor is made of a bioabsorbable polymer and a bioactive filler.

68. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein the anchor is manufactured from metal or a non bioabsorbable polymer such as PEEK.

69. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein the drive part of the driver provides a sliding fit in the longitudinal opening in the anchor.

70. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein the drive part of the driver extends substantially for the whole length of the longitudinal opening.

71. An assembly according to claim 53, wherein the engagement means is located towards the distal end of the driver.

72. An assembly according to claim 71, wherein the engagement means includes a hole extending through the drive part.

73. An assembly according to claim 72, wherein the engagement means includes a plurality of holes.

74. An assembly according to claim 73, wherein the holes in the engagement means are longitudinally and/or circumferentially offset relative to each other.

75. An assembly according to claim 71, wherein the engagement means includes a slot.

76. An assembly according to claim 75, wherein the slot has a proximally inclined opening.

77. An assembly according to claim 71, wherein the engagement means is formed by crimping the distal end of the driver.

78. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein a distal exterior opening is provided in the anchor.

79. An assembly according to claim 78, wherein the assembly is arranged such that the ends of a loop of suture received in the engagement means extend out of said distal exterior opening.

80. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein radial exterior openings are provided in the anchor extending radially outwardly from the longitudinal opening to the outside of the anchor, spaced from the distal end of the anchor.

81. An assembly according to claim 80, wherein the driver also includes an engagement means for receiving a loop of suture with the ends of the loop extendable from the engagement means, each end on a generally opposite side of the exterior of the anchor to the other when the drive part is located in the longitudinal opening of the anchor, such that when the driver is withdrawn proximally from the anchor a loop of suture extends proximally out of the longitudinal opening as well as the suture ends extending externally of the anchor, and wherein the driver is arranged such that when the drive part is fully located in the longitudinal opening, the engagement means are aligned at least generally with the radial exterior openings.

82. An assembly according to claim 80, wherein the distal end of the anchor is substantially solid.

83. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein a further formation extends for part or all of the length of the drive part to receive a suture therein to help prevent snagging of the suture during withdrawal of the drive part from the anchor.

84. An assembly according to claim 83, wherein the further formation includes a slot.

85. An assembly according to claim 83, wherein the further formation includes an area of the drive part at the distal end thereof, of smaller cross section than the remainder of the drive part.

86. An assembly according to claim 52, wherein the driver includes an elongate part extending proximally from the drive part.

87. An assembly according to claim 86, wherein a recess formation is provided extending longitudinally in the elongate part to receive sutures extending from the anchor.

88. An assembly according to claim 87, wherein the formation includes a pair of diametrically opposite slots of a size to substantially fully receive a suture therein.

89. An assembly according to claim 52, further comprising a suture extending through the drive part engagement means, and extending proximally from the exterior of the anchor.

90. An assembly according to claim 89, wherein the assembly includes two sutures each extending through the longitudinal opening in the body, and extending proximally from the exterior of the anchor.

91. An assembly according to claim 89, wherein the suture anchor assembly is sterilised and provided in sterilised packaging.