Suture anchor
First Claim
1. An apparatus for use in association with body tissue, said apparatus comprising an anchor, and a suture which is connected with said anchor, said anchor includes means for absorbing body liquid and expanding when said anchor is inserted into body tissue to retain said anchor in the body tissue against the influence of tension force transmitted from said suture to said anchor.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A suture anchor is formed of a material which absorbs body liquid when exposed to body liquid. The anchor may be at least partially formed of a material having a strong affinity for body liquids. This enables the anchor to absorb body liquid and expand upon being inserted into a patient'"'"'s body. At least one embodiment of the suture anchor has portions formed of a relatively hard material which does not absorb body liquids and is pressed against body tissue by the material which absorbs body liquid to mechanically interlock the suture anchor and the body tissue. The anchor may be at least partially formed of a cellular material. The cells expand to absorb body liquid. At least one embodiment of the anchor has a pointed leading end portion to form an opening in an imperforate surface on body tissue. The configuration of the anchor may be changed by tensioning the suture while the anchor is disposed in body tissue.
474 Citations
21 Claims
- 1. An apparatus for use in association with body tissue, said apparatus comprising an anchor, and a suture which is connected with said anchor, said anchor includes means for absorbing body liquid and expanding when said anchor is inserted into body tissue to retain said anchor in the body tissue against the influence of tension force transmitted from said suture to said anchor.
- 8. An apparatus for use in association with body tissue, said apparatus comprising a suture anchor formed of one piece of porous polymer which absorbs body liquid, and a suture which is connected with said suture anchor, said suture anchor being expandable from a first size to a second size as the porous polymer of said suture anchor absorbs body liquid.
- 17. An apparatus for use in association with body tissue, said apparatus comprising a suture anchor formed of a material which expands by between 10 and 50 percent by volume when said suture anchor is exposed to body liquid, and a suture which is connected with said suture anchor.
- 20. An apparatus for use in association with body tissue, said apparatus comprising an anchor, and a suture which is connected with said anchor, at least a portion of said anchor is formed of material which expands and absorbs body liquid as the material of said portion of said anchor expands when said anchor is inserted into first body tissue to retain said anchor in a desired location in the first body tissue against the influence of force transmitted between said suture and said anchor, said suture having first and second legs which are interconnected by a portion of said suture which engages said anchor, said first and second legs of said suture being effective to transmit force between said anchor and second body tissue.
Specification