ROTATING LOCKING MEMBER SUTURE ANCHOR AND METHOD FOR SOFT TISSUE REPAIR

• US 20130197575A1
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Karapetian, Emil, Wolf, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,198,649 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 2017/0412 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from suture anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0422 by insertion of a separate member into the body of the anchor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0451 Cams or wedges holding the suture by friction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures

Abstract

A suture anchor apparatus and method for anchoring a length of suture with respect to a target tissue has an anchor body with an anchoring structure for fixing the anchor body within the target tissue and a suture locking member. The moveable suture locking member is disposed at least partially within an anchor body lumen while a portion of the length of suture is looped around the suture locking member such that a first and second limb of suture exits the lumen. A suture locking member includes at least two elongate arms, and each arm has an extension dimension respectively, such that the first arm extension dimension is substantially greater than the second arm extension dimension.

Claims

1. A suture anchor apparatus for anchoring a length of suture with respect to a target tissue, comprising:

an anchor body comprising an anchoring structure for fixing the anchor body with respect to the target tissue, the anchor body further comprising an internal lumen;

a suture locking member disposed at least partially within the lumen and wherein a portion of the length of suture is looped around the suture locking member such that a first limb and a second limb of suture exit the lumen; and

wherein the suture locking member comprises a torque arm and a locking arm, and wherein a first tension on the first limb of suture and a second tension on the second limb of suture allows the length of suture to slide around the suture locking member until a sufficient torque is applied to the torque arm to move the suture locking member such that the length of suture is compressed between the locking arm and the anchor body.

2. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the length of suture is locked between the locking arm and a portion of the internal lumen.

3. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 2, wherein the suture locking member has an axis, and wherein the length of suture is compressed against a portion of the internal lumen that is on the opposite side of the axis to the torque arm.

4. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the suture locking member is moveable from a first position wherein said length of suture may freely travel across the suture locking member to a second position, wherein the locking arm prevents axial motion of said length of suture when in said second position.

5. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 3, wherein the torque arm and the locking arm extend radially from the axis in approximately opposite directions from each other.

6. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 1, wherein a suture contact surface of the suture locking member comprises a low friction material and has a low friction surface texture.

7. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a stop, disposed adjacent the locking member, wherein the stop limits the movement of the suture locking member via contact with a portion of the locking arm.

8. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a distal piercing tip to pierce soft tissue and drive the suture anchor into bone tissue.

9. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the anchor body further comprises a threaded portion to threadingly engage bone tissue.

10. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the anchor body further comprises at least one bone lock component to retain the suture anchor in the target tissue.

11. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 4, wherein the suture locking member rotates between the first position and the second position.

12. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 1 wherein the suture locking member comprises a flexible portion.

13. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 12, wherein the flexible portion elastically deflects as the suture locking member moves to the second position.

14. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 4, wherein a portion of the torque arm extends outside of the anchor body when in the second position.

15. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the torque arm comprises a first extension dimension and the locking arm comprises a second extension dimension, and wherein the first extension dimension is substantially greater than the second extension dimension.

16. A knotless suture anchor apparatus for fixing a length of suture with respect to a target tissue, comprising:

an anchor body having an anchoring structure for fixing the anchor body within the target tissue, and wherein the anchor body comprises a proximal end with an opening such that a first portion of suture may be inserted therein, extend distally and around a suture locking member located within said opening, such that a second portion of suture may then return proximally through said opening; and

wherein the suture locking member comprises a first arm and a second arm extending radially from a first axis, wherein said first portion of suture is disposed such that said first arm applies a first tension to the first arm and moves the suture locking member from an open position where the length of suture may freely slide around the suture locking member, to a locked position where the length of suture is locked.

17. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 16, wherein for equivalent first and second tensions, a resultant torque is generated on the suture locking member so as to move the cam to the locked position.

18. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 16, wherein the length of suture is locked by compressing the second portion of suture between a surface of the anchor body and the second arm.

19. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 16, wherein the length of suture is compressed against a lateral portion of the anchor body.

20. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first arm extends substantially further radially from the first axis than the second arm.

21. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 16, wherein the suture locking member comprises a low friction material and has a low friction surface.

22. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first portion of suture is connected with tissue.

23. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first arm and the second arm are opposed to each other.

24. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 16, wherein said second portion of suture is in contact with said second arm and is operable to apply a second tension to the second arm and move the suture locking member from the locked position to the open position wherein the length of suture may freely slide around the suture locking member.

38. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 16, wherein the anchoring structure for fixing the anchor body within the target tissue comprises a proximally disposed deformable anchoring element.

39. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 16, wherein the anchoring structure for fixing the anchor body within the target tissue comprises a threaded anchoring element.

40. The suture anchor apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a connecting member disposed between the suture locking member and the body.

25. A method for securing a connective tissue to a bone, comprising:

securing a first limb of a length of suture to a portion of the connective tissue to be attached to a portion of the bone;

extending a second limb of the length of suture through a lumen in a body of a suture anchor device and looping the second limb around a suture locking member disposed within the lumen, said suture locking member moveably coupled to the suture anchor body and wherein the suture locking member comprises a first elongate arm and a second elongate arm;

inserting said suture anchor device into a portion of bone;

applying tension to the second limb of the length of suture, such that the length of suture slides around the suture locking member so as to draw the first limb of the length of suture toward the suture anchor device, thereby positioning the portion of connective tissue with respect to the portion of bone; and

applying tension to the first limb of the length of suture so as to move suture locking member such that the length of suture is compressed between the second elongate arm and the lumen.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of increasing the tension applied to the second limb of the length of suture to move the suture locking member so as to increase a gap between the second elongate arm and the lumen to allow a length of suture to slide around the suture locking member, such that the connective tissue may be re-positioned relative to the portion of bone.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of increasing the tension to the first limb of the length of suture again so as to compress the length of suture again upon repositioning the connective tissue.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first arm is substantially opposed to the second arm.

29. A method for securing tissue with a suture anchor device, comprising:

manipulating a portion of a length of suture and a suture locking member such that a first length of suture extends into a lumen of the suture anchor device, around the suture locking member, and such that a second length of suture exits the lumen proximal end, and wherein said suture locking member comprises an axis and at least a first and a second elongate arm and wherein a first tension applied to the first length of suture is transferred to the first elongate arm and wherein a second tension applied by the second length of suture is transferred to the second elongate arm;

inserting said suture anchor device into a portion of tissue;

applying the second tension to the second length of suture such that the length of suture slides freely around the suture locking member until the second tension approximates the first tension; and

releasing the second tension to the second length of suture whereby the first tension on the first length of suture moves the suture locking member so as to secure the second length of suture within the lumen.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the elongate arms extend radially from the axis in substantially opposite directions to each other.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the length of suture is secured by compressing the second length of suture between the second elongate arm and a lumen wall.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the suture locking member moves by rotating.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the suture locking member is a cam and rotates about a pin.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the suture locking member moves by sliding and rotating.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the suture locking member moves by bending.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of manipulating comprises placing the length of suture distal to the suture locking member and inserting said suture locking member into the lumen, while capturing the length of suture, such that the first length of suture enters the lumen and a second length of suture exits the lumen.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of inserting the anchor device into a portion of tissue comprises rotating an externally threaded anchor body into bone tissue.