SUTURE ANCHOR EYELET WITH SUTURE LOADER

• US 20110118762A1
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arthrex Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Arthrex Incorporated
• Inventors: Sodeika, John A., Dooney, Thomas JR.
• Granted Patent: US 9,113,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/148
• 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 2017/0445 cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument

Abstract

Techniques and reconstruction systems for knotless tissue fixation using a driver with a cannulated interference device or fixation device preloaded on the shaft of the driver. An eyelet, adjustable in size, is formed of a loading suture provided at the distal end of the driver shaft. A working suture attached to the tissue to be fixed is passed through the eyelet. The size of the eyelet is adjusted by the user once the working suture is passed through the eyelet, to capture the working suture with the eyelet. The cannulated interference device is then advanced down the shaft to secure the working suture in a bone socket.

Claims

1. An assembly for interference fixation of a suture into a hole, comprising:

an eyelet loop removably attached to a driver shaft;

a flexible strand attached to tissue to be affixed and passed through the eyelet loop; and

a cannulated interference device preloaded on the driver shaft.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the eyelet loop is formed by passing a strand through two apertures formed within the driver shaft.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the eyelet loop is formed by passing a strand through lateral holes on opposing arms of a forked tip provided at a most distal end of the driver shaft.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the forked tip is integral with the driver shaft.

5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the forked tip is releasably attached to the driver shaft.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the eyelet loop has an adjustable perimeter.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the cannulated interference device is advanced into the hole to secure the flexible strand into the hole.

8. A system for interference fixation of a suture into a hole, comprising:

a driver having a handle and a shaft with a proximal end and a distal end;

a cannulated interference device preloaded on the shaft of the driver and disposed coaxially with the shaft;

an eyelet loop provided at a most distal end of the shaft and removably attached to the shaft; and

a flexible strand passed through the eyelet loop.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the most distal end of the shaft is provided with two apertures and wherein a strand is passed through the apertures to form the eyelet loop.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein free ends of the strand forming the eyelet loop are secured to the handle while the driver and the cannulated interference device are advanced into a hole to secure the interference device and the flexible strand in the hole.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the most distal end of the shaft is provided with a forked tip and a strand is passed through lateral holes on opposite arms of the forked tip, to form the eyelet loop.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the forked tip is integral with the shaft or releasably attached to the shaft.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the interference device is a screw, a plug or an anchor body.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the flexible strand is suture.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the eyelet loop is a suture loop.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the flexible strand is attached to tissue to be fixated.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the tissue to be fixated is biological or non-biological tissue.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the tissue to be fixated is soft tissue, graft, tendon, ligament, synthetic material, biological material, or a combination of such materials.

19. A suture anchor comprising:

a threaded anchor body;

an anchor tip with a suture loop removably attached to the anchor tip, the anchor tip being engageable with the anchor body; and

a flexible strand passed through the suture loop.

20. The suture anchor of claim 19, wherein the anchor tip has a forked end with opposing arms and at least one through hole through each opposing arm, to allow a suture to pass thereto and to form the suture loop.

21. The suture anchor of claim 20, wherein the flexible strand is attached to tissue to be fixated and is captured in the forked end.

22. The suture anchor of claim 19, wherein the anchor tip is detachable from the anchor body.

23. The suture anchor of claim 19, wherein the anchor tip and the anchor body are engaged in a snap fit configuration.

24. The suture anchor of claim 19, wherein the threaded anchor body is insertable over the anchor tip for securing the suture anchor in bone.

25. The suture anchor of claim 19, wherein the threaded anchor body is insertable into bone, along the anchor tip, so that the threaded anchor body abuts the anchor tip, for securing the suture anchor in bone.

26. The suture anchor of claim 19, wherein the suture loop comprises strands of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene.

27. A method of knotless tissue fixation, comprising the steps of:

attaching a flexible strand to tissue to be fixated;

passing the flexible strand through an eyelet loop removably attached to a driver shaft; and

securing the flexible strand into a bone socket.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the steps of passing a strand through a plurality of apertures formed within a distal end of the driver shaft, to form the eyelet loop.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the plurality of apertures are formed within a forked tip of the driver shaft.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the forked tip is releasably attached to the driver shaft.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the forked tip is integral with the driver shaft.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of securing the flexible strand into a bone socket further comprises the steps of preloading an interference device on the driver shaft;

inserting the flexible strand into the bone socket by advancing the driver shaft into the bone socket; and

advancing the interference device into the bone socket and towards the flexible strand, to secure the flexible strand within the bone socket.

33. A method of soft tissue repair, comprising the steps of:

providing a hole in a bone at a location at which a soft tissue graft is to be affixed;

attaching at least one suture to the soft tissue graft to be affixed;

preloading a cannulated interference device on a shaft of a driver;

capturing the suture attached to the graft by feeding the suture through an eyelet loop removably attached to a distal end of the shaft, the eyelet loop having an adjustable perimeter;

inserting the suture into the hole by inserting the distal end of the driver into the hole;

pulling on one end of the suture to draw the suture through the eyelet loop such that the soft tissue graft attached to the suture is drawn toward the hole; and

inserting the interference device into the hole so that the cannulated interference device is advanced toward the suture, to secure the suture in the hole.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the eyelet loop is formed by passing a flexible strand through a plurality of apertures formed within the distal end of the shaft.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the eyelet loop is formed by passing a flexible strand through lateral holes of opposing arms of a forked tip provided at the distal end of the shaft.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the forked tip is integral with the shaft.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the forked tip is releasably attached to the shaft.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the method further comprises the step of pulling on the ends of the flexible strand to adjust the perimeter of the loop, to capture the suture.

39. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of removing the flexible strand after the step of inserting the interference device into the hole.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the soft tissue graft is drawn into the hole by pulling on the suture, and the interference device secures not only the suture but also the graft in the hole.