Suture anchor
First Claim
1. A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising the steps of:
- moving a pusher member to a position in which the pusher member projects outward from a base member with an end surface on the pusher member spaced a predetermined distance from an end surface on the base member,inserting a suture through a passage in the pusher member, through a passage in the base member, and through a passage in an anchor,engaging a first end surface on the anchor with the end surface on the pusher member,pushing the anchor into body tissue with a second end surface on the anchor leading, said step of pushing the anchor into body tissue including pressing the end surface on the pusher member against the first end surface on the anchor and moving a portion of the pusher member which extends outwardly from the end surface on the base member into the body tissue, andterminating said step of pushing the anchor into the body tissue when the end surface on the base member engages the body tissue.
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.
672 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising the steps of:
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moving a pusher member to a position in which the pusher member projects outward from a base member with an end surface on the pusher member spaced a predetermined distance from an end surface on the base member, inserting a suture through a passage in the pusher member, through a passage in the base member, and through a passage in an anchor, engaging a first end surface on the anchor with the end surface on the pusher member, pushing the anchor into body tissue with a second end surface on the anchor leading, said step of pushing the anchor into body tissue including pressing the end surface on the pusher member against the first end surface on the anchor and moving a portion of the pusher member which extends outwardly from the end surface on the base member into the body tissue, and terminating said step of pushing the anchor into the body tissue when the end surface on the base member engages the body tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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- 6. A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising the steps of providing an anchor having an outer side surface which extends between first and second end surfaces and having a passage which extends through the anchor, providing a depth measurement device having a first surface spaced from a second surface, inserting a suture through the passage extending through the anchor, and moving the anchor into body tissue with the first end surface of the anchor leading and the second end surface of the anchor trailing and with the suture extending through the passage in the anchor, said step of moving the anchor into body tissue including engaging the second end surface on the anchor with the first surface on the depth measurement device and moving the anchor relative to the body tissue until the second surface on the depth measurement device engages a surface of the body tissue.
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10. A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising the steps of providing an anchor having a passage which extends through the anchor, determining a desired distance of insertion of the anchor into body tissue, inserting a suture through the passage extending through the anchor, moving the anchor into body tissue with the suture extending through the passage in the anchor, measuring the distance which the anchor moves into the body tissue, and interrupting said step of moving the anchor into body tissue when the measured distance which the anchor extends into the body tissue is the same as the desired distance of insertion of the anchor into the body tissue.
- 11. A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising the steps of providing an anchor having a passage which extends through the anchor, providing first and second members, inserting a suture through the passage in the anchor, inserting the anchor and at least a portion of the first member into the second member, moving the anchor out of the passage in the second member and into body tissue with a portion of the suture extending through the passage in the anchor and with a portion of the suture extending from the passage in the anchor along a path which is at least partially disposed between the first and second members, and, thereafter, transmitting force to the anchor through the portion of the suture which is at least partially disposed between the first and second members.
- 22. An apparatus for use in anchoring a suture in body tissue, said apparatus comprising a first member having inner and outer sides, said inner side of said first member at least partially defines a passage extending through said first member, a second member having an inner side which at least partially defines a passage extending through said second member, said first member being at least partially disposed in said passage in said second member, an anchor having a passage which extends through said anchor, and a suture having a first portion which extends through said passage in said first member, a second portion which extends through said passage in said anchor, and a third portion which extends along a path which is at least partially disposed between said outer side of said first member and said inner side of said second member.
- 26. A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising the steps of providing an anchor having a passage which extends through the anchor, providing first and second members, inserting a suture through the passage in the anchor and through a passage in the first member, enclosing at least a portion of the first member with the second member, moving the anchor into body tissue with a first portion of the suture extending from a location disposed to one side of the body tissue through the passage in the first member, with a second portion of the suture extending through the passage in the anchor, and with a third portion of the suture extending along an outer side surface of the anchor and to the location disposed to one side of the body tissue, at least partially enclosing the third portion of the sture with the second member during performance of said step of moving the anchor into the body tissue, and engaging one end of the anchor with an end of the first member during performance of at least a portion of said step of moving the anchor into body tissue.
- 36. A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising the steps of providing an anchor having a passage which extends through the anchor, providing first and second members, inserting a suture through the passage in the anchor, positioning at least a portion of the anchor in a passage in the second member along with at least a portion of the first member, pressing an end portion of the second member against a surface area on the body tissue, and moving the anchor out of the passage in the second member and through the surface area on the body tissue while continuing to press the end portion of the second member against the surface area on the body tissue, said step of moving the anchor out of the passage in the second member and through the surface area on the body tissue includes pressing the anchor against body tissue under the influence of force transmitted from the first member to the anchor and with the suture extending through the passage in the anchor.
- 43. A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising the steps of providing an anchor having a passage which extends through the anchor, providing first and second members, inserting a suture through the passage in the anchor, positioning at least a portion of the anchor in a passage in the second member along with at least a portion of the first member, moving the first member along the passage in the second member from a first position in which an end portion of the first member and the anchor are at least partially enclosed by the second member to a second position in which the end portion of the first member projects outward from the second member and the anchor is spaced from the second member, and, thereafter, pivoting the anchor relative to the end portion of the first member while the end portion of the first member is projecting outward from the second member and the anchor is spaced from the end portion of the second member.
- 49. A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising the steps of providing an anchor having a passage which extends between first and second end portions of the anchor, providing first member having a passage which extends between first and second end portions of said first member, providing a second member having a passage extending between first and second end portions of the second member, inserting the first member into the passage in the second member, inserting a suture through the passage in the anchor and through the passage in the first member, moving the anchor and the first end portion of the first member into engagement with body tissue by moving the first member relative to the second member, said step of moving the anchor and the first end portion of the first member into engagement with body tissue being performed with the first end portion of the anchor leading and the second end portion of the anchor trailing, said step of moving the anchor and the first end portion of the first member into engagement with body tissue being performed with a first portion of the suture extending from a location disposed to one side of the body tissue through the passage in the first member, a second portion of the suture extending through the passage in the anchor and a third portion of the suture extending across the first end portion of the anchor to the location disposed to one side of the body tissue, thereafter, applying to the first end portion of the anchor a force having a component which extends transverse to a central axis of the first member and a component which extends along the central axis of the first member by tensioning the third portion of the suture.
Specification