KNOTLESS SUTURE ANCHORING USING TWO AWL SHAFTS

• US 20190029663A1
• Filed: 07/27/2017
• Published: 01/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medos International Sarl (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Medos International Sarl (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Gustafson, Adam, Gabriel, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 17/1604 Chisels; Rongeurs; Punches; Stamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8888 at its central region
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/044 with a threaded shaft, e.g. screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0445 cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0448 Additional elements on or within the anchor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0456 Surface features on the anchor, e.g. ribs increasing friction between the suture and the anchor

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for securing tissue to bone. A surgical system can include a driver having a proximal handle and a driver shaft extending therefrom, a distal awl shaft, a proximal awl shaft separate from the distal awl shaft and movable with respect to the distal awl shaft, a suture anchor, and a dilator feature distal to the suture anchor. The distal and proximal awl shafts are receivable in at least part of a lumen of the driver. In a bone forming configuration of the system, in which the distal awl shaft is driven into bone, a distal end of the proximal awl shaft abuts a proximal end of the distal awl shaft. The proximal awl shaft can be moved proximally, such as by activating an awl handle coupled thereto, with respect to the distal awl shaft to move the system in a suture anchor insertion configuration.

Claims

1. A surgical system, comprising:

a driver having a proximal handle and a driver shaft extending therefrom, the driver having a lumen extending therethrough;

a distal awl shaft and a proximal awl shaft separate from the distal awl shaft and movable proximally with respect to the distal awl shaft, the distal and proximal awl shafts being receivable in the lumen of the driver such that a portion of the distal awl shaft extends distally from a distal end of the driver shaft and the proximal awl shaft is disposed proximally to the distal awl shaft; and

a suture anchor having a lumen extending therethrough that removably receives the distal awl shaft, wherein a distal driver feature of the driver shaft is operably coupled to the suture anchor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the driver shaft has a suture retaining feature extending longitudinally through a sidewall thereof and communicating with a suture retaining feature of the distal awl shaft extending longitudinally through a sidewall of the distal awl shaft.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the suture retaining feature of the distal awl shaft is configured to receive at least one suture therethrough such that the suture received therethrough extends proximally through the suture anchor and through at least a portion of the suture retaining feature of the driver shaft.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the proximal awl shaft is a solid elongate member.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a suture holding feature coupled to an outer wall of the driver shaft proximal to a distal end of the suture retaining feature of the driver shaft.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the suture holding feature extends at least partially radially about the outer wall of the driver shaft.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the proximal awl shaft abuts a proximal end of the distal awl shaft in a configuration in which the system is used to form a hole in a bone.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the distal end of the proximal awl shaft is spaced apart from the proximal end of the distal awl shaft in a configuration in which the system is used to drive the suture anchor into the hole.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the proximal end of the distal awl shaft comprises a mating feature having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of a portion of the distal awl shaft extending from the mating feature.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the distal end of the proximal awl shaft abuts the proximal end of the distal awl shaft such that, in the configuration in which the system is used to form the hole in the bone, the driver shaft is prevented from being driven distally relative to the distal awl shaft.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the proximal awl shaft has an awl handle coupled to a proximal portion thereof, the awl handle being configured to be activated to cause the proximal awl shaft to be retracted proximally away from the distal awl shaft.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the awl handle is disposed at least partially within the proximal handle of the driver, and wherein the awl handle and the proximal handle of the driver are independently movable.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the awl handle has a trigger feature configured to be activated to cause the proximal awl shaft to be retracted proximally away from the distal awl shaft.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the lumen extending through the distal drive feature has an inner wall with a hexagonal cross section.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a dilator feature distal to the suture anchor and having a distal portion of the distal awl shaft at least partially extending therethrough such that at least a portion of a distal tip of the distal awl shaft extends distally from a distal end of the dilator feature.

16. A method of performing a surgical repair, comprising:

advancing a distal end of a distal awl shaft into a bone to form a bone hole, a proximal end of the distal awl shaft abutting a distal end of a proximal awl shaft such that the proximal awl shaft applies a load to the proximal end of the distal awl shaft;

after the bone hole has been formed, moving the proximal awl shaft to a retracted configuration such that the distal end of the proximal awl shaft is spaced apart from the proximal end of the distal awl shaft; and

with the proximal awl shaft in the retracted configuration, driving a suture anchor having a suture coupled thereto distally into the bone hole and thereby securing the suture.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein moving the proximal awl shaft to the retracted configuration comprises activating a handle coupled to a proximal portion of the proximal awl shaft.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the distal awl shaft extends through an implantable dilator feature, through the suture anchor positioned proximal to the dilator feature, and through a portion of a driver shaft, and wherein driving the suture anchor distally into the bone hole comprises driving the suture anchor distally towards the dilator feature.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising applying tension on a terminal end portion of the suture while the proximal awl shaft is moved to the retracted configuration.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the terminal end portion of the suture is passed through a suture retaining feature of the distal awl shaft, through a lumen of the suture anchor, and through at least a portion of a suture retaining feature of the driver shaft, the terminal end portion extending from the driver shaft.