Soft tissue to bone fixation device and method
First Claim
1. An arrangement for coupling soft tissue and bone of a living being, the arrangement comprising:
- suture anchor means having a first coupling portion for coupling with the soft tissue of the living being, and a second coupling portion comprising resilient engagement means;
bone anchor means having an external portion for engaging with the bone of the living being, and an internal portion for engaging with said second coupling portion of said suture anchor means, whereby said resilient engagement means of said suture anchor means applies a resilient biasing force against said internal portion of said bone anchor means; and
an extraction arrangement formed on said resilient engagement means for facilitating the application of a force counter to said resilient biasing force, thereby facilitating disengagement between said suture anchor means and said bone anchor means.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A two-part device for suturing soft tissue to bone employs a bone anchor which is installed in the bone and a suture anchor which is coupled to the soft tissue and then engaged with the bone anchor. The engagement of the suture anchor with the bone anchor is readily reversible so as to permit adjustments in the placement of the sutures. In the practice of the invention, no step is irreversible except the drilling of the bone hole that accepts the bone anchor. A special tool is described for facilitating the installation of a bone anchor having a round internal cross-section. The suture anchor can be installed with the application of only direct pressure, and can be disengaged by counterclockwise rotation, with the use of a disengagement tool, such as a screw driver. Sutures are threaded through apertures in the suture anchor, and the engagement of the sutures is enhanced by a friction fit between the suture and bone anchors.
-
Citations
26 Claims
-
1. An arrangement for coupling soft tissue and bone of a living being, the arrangement comprising:
-
suture anchor means having a first coupling portion for coupling with the soft tissue of the living being, and a second coupling portion comprising resilient engagement means; bone anchor means having an external portion for engaging with the bone of the living being, and an internal portion for engaging with said second coupling portion of said suture anchor means, whereby said resilient engagement means of said suture anchor means applies a resilient biasing force against said internal portion of said bone anchor means; and an extraction arrangement formed on said resilient engagement means for facilitating the application of a force counter to said resilient biasing force, thereby facilitating disengagement between said suture anchor means and said bone anchor means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. An arrangement for coupling soft tissue and bone of a living being, the arrangement comprising:
-
suture anchor means having a first coupling portion for coupling with the soft tissue of the living being, and a resilient engagement means having external threads formed thereon; bone anchor means having an external portion for engaging with the bone of the living being, and an internal portion for engaging with said resilient engagement means of said suture anchor means, said internal portion of said bone anchor means having internal threads formed therein, said engagement between said internal portion of said bone anchor means and said resilient engagement means being achieved by interengagement between said internal and external threads, said resilient engagement means of said suture anchor means applying a resilient biasing force against said internal portion of said bone anchor means; and an extraction arrangement formed on said resilient engagement means for facilitating the application of a force counter to said resilient biasing force, thereby facilitating disengagement between said suture anchor means and said bone anchor means. - View Dependent Claims (17)
-
-
18. An arrangement for coupling soft tissue and bone of a living being, the arrangement comprising:
-
suture anchor means having a first coupling portion for coupling with the soft tissue of the living being, and a second coupling portion, said second coupling portion having a predetermined coupling portion surface contour, and said first coupling portion being adapted to engage a suture material for effecting the coupling between said first coupling portion and the soft tissue of the living being; bone anchor means having an external portion for engaging with the bone of the living being, and an internal portion for engaging with said second coupling portion of said suture anchor means, said internal portion having a predetermined internal portion surface contour for engaging with said coupling portion surface contour, whereby said suture anchor means is removably engaged with said bone anchor means; prong means having an outer surface on which is provided said predetermined coupling portion surface contour; coupling body means having first and second ends, for coupling at said first end thereof to said suture anchor means; and resilient coupling means for resiliently coupling said prong means and said second end of said coupling body means. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
-
21. An arrangement for coupling soft tissue and bone of a living being, the arrangement comprising:
-
suture anchor means having a first coupling portion for coupling with the soft tissue of the living being, and a second coupling portion, said second coupling portion having a predetermined coupling portion surface contour configured as an outer screw thread, and said first coupling portion being adapted to engage a suture material for effecting the coupling between said first coupling portion and the soft tissue of the living being; bone anchor means having an external portion for engaging with the bone of the living being, and an internal portion for engaging with said second coupling portion of said suture anchor means, said internal portion having a predetermined internal portion surface contour configured as an inner screw thread for engaging with said outer screw threads of said coupling portion surface contour, whereby said suture anchor means is removably engaged with said bone anchor means; prong means having an outer surface on which is provided said outer screw threads of said predetermined coupling portion surface contour; coupling body means having first and second ends, for coupling at said first end thereof to said suture anchor means; and resilient coupling means for resiliently coupling said prong means and said second end of said coupling body means.
-
-
22. A method of coupling soft tissue and bone of a living being, the method comprising the steps of:
-
providing a suture anchor and a bone anchor; threading a suture material through a passageway in a first coupling portion of the suture anchor and through the soft tissue of the living being, for coupling the soft tissue of the living being to the first coupling portion of the suture anchor; coupling an external portion of the bone anchor with the bone of the living being; and reversibly interengaging a surface contour of a second coupling portion of the suture anchor with an internal surface contour of an internal portion of the bone anchor. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
-
Specification