Suture anchor
First Claim
1. An apparatus which is adapted to be at least partially received in body tissue, said apparatus comprising an anchor which is longer than it is wide and having a longitudinal central axis, said anchor including a tubular wall which extends along the longitudinal central axis of said anchor, said tubular wall having outer side surface means for engaging body tissue, said outer side surface means having a longitudinal central axis which is coincident with the longitudinal central axis of said anchor, said tubular wall having inner side surface means for defining a passage which extends longitudinally through said anchor and has a central axis which is coincident with the longitudinal central axis of said anchor, said tubular wall having a first end surface area which is disposed at a first longitudinal end of said anchor and extends between said inner and outer side surface means at the first longitudinal end of said anchor, said tubular wall having a second end surface area which is disposed at a second longitudinal end of said anchor and extends between said inner and outer side surface means at the second longitudinal end of said anchor, and suture means for extending into the body tissue, through said passage in said tubular wall of said anchor and back out of the body tissue, said suture means having a first portion disposed in said passage in said tubular wall, said suture means having a second portion which extends across said first end surface area of said tubular wall at the first longitudinal end of said anchor and which has a length sufficient to enable said second portion of said suture means to extend away from said first end surface area and through body tissue to a location outside of the body tissue, said suture means having a third portion which extends along said second end surface area of said tubular wall at the second longitudinal end of said anchor and which has a length sufficient to enable said third portion of said suture means to extend away from said second end surface area and through body tissue to a location outside of the body tissue, said tubular wall extending around said first portion of said suture means, said second portion of said suture means being engageable by body tissue along at least a part of said second portion of said suture means, said third portion of said suture means being engageable by body tissue along at least a part of said third portion of said suture means.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is an anchor for securing a suture in the body. The anchor includes a tubular wall having a central axis. The tubular wall has a proximal end and a distal end each free of axially inwardly extending slots. The tubular wall has an inner surface extending for the entire length of the tube and defining in the anchor a central opening extending between the proximal end and the distal end. The anchor has a width less than its length. A suture may extend through the anchor within the central opening. First and second end portions of the suture extend out of opposite ends of the anchor and are sufficiently long to project out of the body when the suture is secured in the body by the anchor. The anchor has an anchoring orientation in the body achieved by manipulation of the distal end of the anchor by pulling on the second end portion of the suture. The anchor has a removal orientation in the body achieved by manipulation of the proximal end of the anchor by pulling on the first end portion of the suture. The present invention also relates to a method of anchoring to a bone a suture having first and second end portions.
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Citations
11 Claims
- 1. An apparatus which is adapted to be at least partially received in body tissue, said apparatus comprising an anchor which is longer than it is wide and having a longitudinal central axis, said anchor including a tubular wall which extends along the longitudinal central axis of said anchor, said tubular wall having outer side surface means for engaging body tissue, said outer side surface means having a longitudinal central axis which is coincident with the longitudinal central axis of said anchor, said tubular wall having inner side surface means for defining a passage which extends longitudinally through said anchor and has a central axis which is coincident with the longitudinal central axis of said anchor, said tubular wall having a first end surface area which is disposed at a first longitudinal end of said anchor and extends between said inner and outer side surface means at the first longitudinal end of said anchor, said tubular wall having a second end surface area which is disposed at a second longitudinal end of said anchor and extends between said inner and outer side surface means at the second longitudinal end of said anchor, and suture means for extending into the body tissue, through said passage in said tubular wall of said anchor and back out of the body tissue, said suture means having a first portion disposed in said passage in said tubular wall, said suture means having a second portion which extends across said first end surface area of said tubular wall at the first longitudinal end of said anchor and which has a length sufficient to enable said second portion of said suture means to extend away from said first end surface area and through body tissue to a location outside of the body tissue, said suture means having a third portion which extends along said second end surface area of said tubular wall at the second longitudinal end of said anchor and which has a length sufficient to enable said third portion of said suture means to extend away from said second end surface area and through body tissue to a location outside of the body tissue, said tubular wall extending around said first portion of said suture means, said second portion of said suture means being engageable by body tissue along at least a part of said second portion of said suture means, said third portion of said suture means being engageable by body tissue along at least a part of said third portion of said suture means.
Specification