Locking mechanism for use with a slotted suture anchor

• US 5,269,809 A
• Filed: 04/05/1991
• Issued: 12/14/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: American Cyanamid Co (Pfizer Inc.)
• Inventors: Cerier, Jeffrey C., Hayhurst, John O., Small, Alan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Application Number:
  US07/681,129
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 606/72, 606/144, 606/145, 606/220, 606/151, 606/232, 411/508, 411/509, 411/510, 411/512, 24/136, 24/543
• 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 17/0487 Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8695 Washers surrounding screw head in plate hole A61B17/8047, between bone plate and bone A61B17/8028
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00004 (bio)absorbable, (bio)resorbable or resorptive
• 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 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0445 cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0458 Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0461 with features cooperating with special features on the suture, e.g. protrusions on the suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0462 One way system, i.e. also tensioning the suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue

Abstract

A locking mechanism having a locking element carried by one or more strands of suture material. One end of the suture is attachable to an anchor having a slot extending from a trailing end of the anchor toward a leading end. A portion of the suture is at least partially disposable in the slot. A separate locking member engages the locking element to secure tissue relative to the anchor.

Claims

1. An anchor and a strand of suture material in combination, said anchor comprising a body having a leading end and a trailing end, a slot extending from said trailing end toward said leading end, a portion of said strand being at least partially disposable in said slot, means for attaching said strand of suture material to said leading end of said body with said strand extending from said leading end at least partially through said body, said strand being shiftable between an insertion position in which said strand extends from said body at the trailing end and a toggle position in which said strand extends from said body through said slot, and locking means, carried by said strand, for engaging a separate locking member to secure the locking member relative to said locking means.

2. The combination of claim 1 further including a locking member for cooperating with said locking means to hold said combination together to secure at least two pieces of tissue together.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said locking means includes a series of stops disposed on its exterior surface for mating with said locking member.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said stops are alternating ridges and depressions.

5. The combination of claim 2 wherein said anchor, said strand, said locking means and said locking member are made from a bioabsorbable material.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body is a tube.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said trailing end defines a trailing face disposed at an oblique angle to the central axis of said body.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said trailing face is inclined toward said slot.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said slot has a width and a depth sufficient to fully accommodate said portion of said strand.

10. A locking element for securing tissue relative to an anchor, comprising an elongated body defining internally means for fastening said body to a first portion of a suture, another portion of the suture being attachable to the anchor, and means, disposed on the exterior of said body, for engaging a separate locking member to secure the locking member relative to said body and thereby secure the tissue between the locking member and the anchor, said means for fastening including a longitudinal passage through which the suture is insertable.

11. The locking element of claim 10 wherein said body is formed of a material which enables it to be compressed onto the suture within said passage to fasten said body to the suture.

12. The locking element of claim 11 wherein said material is capable of sufficient compression to enable said means for engaging to be established on said body after the suture is inserted through said passage.

13. The locking element of claim 12 wherein said means for engaging is establishable on said body as a plurality of ridges formed on said body.

14. The locking element of claim 10 where said means for fastening includes distal means for attaching to the first portion of the suture, and proximal means for attaching to a terminal portion of a second suture.

32. The locking element of claim 10 wherein said body is permanently attachable to the suture.

15. A suture anchor and suture in combination comprising:

a suture;

an elongated anchor;

said suture having a knot tied adjacent a terminal end of said suture and engaging a first end of said anchor;

said anchor having a slot extending from a second end to a slot base intermediate the first and second ends;

said suture being threaded through said anchor from the first end axially through said anchor and through the second end in an insertion position and being shifted through the slot during deployment to a deployed position wherein said suture extends from said anchor at the slot base; and

locking means, carried by said suture, for engaging a separate locking member to secure the locking member relative to said locking means.

16. The combination of claim 15 further including a locking member for cooperating with said locking means to hold said combination together to secure at least two pieces of tissue together.

17. The combination of claim 16 wherein said locking means includes a series of stops disposed on its exterior surface for mating with said locking member.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein said stops are alternating ridges and depressions.

19. The combination of claim 16 wherein said anchor, said strand, said locking means and said locking member are made from a bioabsorbable material.

20. The combination of claim 15 wherein said body is a tube.

21. The combination of claim 15 wherein said trailing end defines a trailing face disposed at an oblique angle to the central axis of said body.

22. The combination of claim 21 wherein said trailing face is inclined toward said slot.

23. A locking element permanently attachable to a suture comprising an elongated body defining a longitudinal passage through which the suture is insertable and means, disposed on the exterior of said body, for engaging a separate locking member to secure the locking member relative to said body.

24. The locking element of claim 23 wherein said body is formed of a material which enables it to be compressed onto the suture within said passage to fasten said body to the suture.

25. The locking element of claim 23 wherein said body is formed of a material which enables said means for engaging to be established on said body after the suture is inserted through said body.

26. The locking element of claim 25 wherein said means for engaging is a series of alternating depressions and ridges formed on said body.

27. The locking element of claim 23 wherein said means for engaging is a series of alternating depressions and ridges formed on said body.

28. An elongated suture locking element in combination with first and second sections of suture each having proximal and distal portions, the distal portion of the first section being attachable to an anchor member, the locking element comprising an elongated body including a distal end having distal means for attaching to the proximal portion of the first suture section, the proximal suture portion being attached thereto, a proximal end having proximal means for attaching to the distal portion of the second suture section, the distal suture portion being attached thereto, and a center portion having means for engaging a separate locking member.

29. The combination of claim 28 wherein said means for engaging include a plurality of ribs for interlocking with the separate locking member.

30. The combination of claim 28 wherein said distal and proximal means for attaching to said first and second suture sections each include a passage through which the proximal and distal suture portions, respectively, are insertable.

31. The combination of claim 28 wherein said locking element is made from a bioabsorbable material.

36. The combination of claim 30 wherein said first section passage and said second section passage each communicate with an outer end surface of said distal and proximal ends, respectively, of said locking element.

37. The combination of claim 36 further including a washer-like element as said separate locking member, said washer-like element defining a passage through which said elongated body is insertable to engage at least one of said stops, and said means for engaging includes a plurality of stops for interlocking with said locking member.

33. A suture and locking element in combination comprising:

a suture; and

a locking element permanently attached to a portion of said suture and having a longitudinal passage through which said suture extends and means, disposed on an exterior surface of said body, for engaging a separate locking member to secure the locking member relative to said body.

34. The combination of claim 33 in which said means for engaging includes a plurality of stops formed on said body.

35. The combination of claim 34 further including a washer-like element as said separate locking member, said washer-like element defining a passage through which said elongated body is insertable to engage at least one of said stops.