Method and apparatus for attaching connective tissues to bone using a knotless suture anchoring device
First Claim
1. A bone anchor device for attaching connective tissue to bone, comprising:
- an outer body having an outer surface and having a protrusion thereon extending outwardly to anchor said outer body in a bone;
a lumen extending axially through said outer body, said lumen being defined by inner walls and having a smaller cross-section in a proximal portion of said outer body than in a distal portion thereof, such that at least portions of said inner walls taper inwardly in a proximal direction; and
an elongated wedge member disposed in a distal end of said lumen, said wedge member having outer walls which taper inwardly in a proximal direction there along, such that a proximal portion of said wedge member has a smaller cross-section than a distal portion of said wedge member, said wedge member being axially movable in said lumen distal end.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An innovative bone anchor and methods for securing connective tissue, such as tendons, to bone, which permit a suture attachment that ties entirely beneath the cortical bone surface. Advantageously, the suturing material between the connective tissue and the bone anchor is secured without the need for tying a knot. The suture attachment to the bone anchor involves the looping of a length of suturing material around a self-locking wedge block in the anchor, thereby avoiding an eyelet connection which requires a knot and which concentrates stress on a very small portion of the suturing material. Thus, failure rates are greatly decreased over conventional techniques, and the innovative procedures are significantly easier to perform than conventional techniques.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A bone anchor device for attaching connective tissue to bone, comprising:
-
an outer body having an outer surface and having a protrusion thereon extending outwardly to anchor said outer body in a bone;
a lumen extending axially through said outer body, said lumen being defined by inner walls and having a smaller cross-section in a proximal portion of said outer body than in a distal portion thereof, such that at least portions of said inner walls taper inwardly in a proximal direction; and
an elongated wedge member disposed in a distal end of said lumen, said wedge member having outer walls which taper inwardly in a proximal direction there along, such that a proximal portion of said wedge member has a smaller cross-section than a distal portion of said wedge member, said wedge member being axially movable in said lumen distal end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 33)
-
-
8. A bone anchor device for attaching connective tissue to bone, comprising:
-
an outer body;
a lumen extending axially through said outer body, wherein inner walls which define said lumen in a proximal portion of said outer body extend inwardly relative to inner walls which define said lumen in a portion of said outer body distal to said proximal portion;
a suture clamping member comprising a wedge member which is axially movable in said lumen distal portion; and
a suture extending through said lumen and around a distal surface of said wedge member, said suture including a free end extending proximally out of said bone anchor device and a bound end attached to soft tissue to be secured to said bone, wherein when said free end is placed in tension by a proximally directed force, the suture travels about said wedge member until increased tension on said bound end causes said suture to move said wedge member axially in a proximal direction, the proximal axial travel of said wedge member continuing until the proximal surface of the wedge member has moved into sufficient proximity to the inwardly extending internal lumen wall to pinch a length of said suture therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A bone anchor device for attaching connective tissue to bone, comprising:
-
an outer body having an open distal end;
a lumen extending axially through said outer body, wherein inner walls which define said lumen in a proximal portion of said outer body extend inwardly relative to inner walls which define said lumen in a portion of said outer body distal to said proximal portion;
a suture clamping member having an outer surface, said suture clamping member being disposed in said lumen distal end and being axially movable therein; and
complementary engaging structure disposed on each of said suture clamping member outer surface and said lumen inner surface for retaining said suture clamping member in said lumen distal end when the bone anchor device is not in a portion of bone, said complementary engaging structure comprising a pin disposed on one of said suture clamping member outer surface and said lumen inner surface, and a recess for receiving the pin disposed on the other of said suture clamping member outer surface and said lumen inner surface.
-
-
13. A bone anchor device for attaching connective tissue to bone, comprising:
-
an outer body having an outer surface;
a lumen extending axially through said outer body, wherein inner walls which define said lumen in a proximal portion of said outer body extend inwardly relative to inner walls which define said lumen in a portion of said outer body distal to said proximal portion;
a suture clamping member disposed in said lumen distal portion and being axially movable therein; and
at least one outwardly extendable rib disposed on said outer body outer surface for anchoring said outer body into surrounding bone, wherein said inner walls which define said outer body lumen do not move outwardly when said at least one outwardly extendable rib is extended outwardly. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A bone anchor device for attaching connective tissue to bone, comprising:
-
a distal wedge anchor portion comprising an outer body having an outer surface, on which an outwardly deployable anchoring element is situated;
a proximal driver portion connected to said distal wedge anchor portion at a proximal end thereof, said driver portion including an actuator for deploying said anchoring element outwardly, wherein the connection between said proximal driver portion and said distal wedge anchor portion is releasable once the anchoring element has been deployed;
a suture clamping member movable within said distal wedge anchor portion; and
a length of suture disposed in proximity to said suture clamping member. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
said suture clamping member is disposed in said lumen distal portion and is axially movable therein.
-
-
23. The bone anchor device as recited in claim 22, wherein said length of suture extends through said lumen and around a distal surface of said suture clamping member, said suture including a free end extending proximally out of said bone anchor device and a bound end attached to soft tissue to be secured to said bone, wherein when said free end is placed in tension by a proximally directed force, the suture travels about said suture clamping member until increased tension on said bound end causes said suture to move said suture clamping member axially in a proximal direction, the proximal axial travel of said suture clamping member continuing until a proximal surface of the suture clamping member has moved into sufficient proximity to the inwardly extending internal lumen wall to pinch a length of said suture in a tapered distal lumen disposed between said suture clamping member proximal surface and the inwardly extending internal lumen wall.
-
24. A method for securing connective tissue to bone, comprising:
-
securing a first end of a length of suture to a portion of soft tissue to be attached to a portion of bone;
threading a second end of the length of suture through a lumen in an outer body of a bone anchor device and about an axially movable suture clamping member disposed in a distal portion of said lumen;
placing said outer body in a blind hole disposed in said portion of bone; and
pulling the second end of the length of suture proximally, so that the suture travels about the axially movable suture clamping member and draws the first end of the length of suture toward the bone anchor device, thereby securing the portion of soft tissue snugly to the portion of bone;
wherein when the tension on the first end of the length of suture increases, as the portion of soft tissue is bound to the portion of bone, the suture clamping member is pulled proximally toward inwardly extending walls defining a portion of said lumen, thereby clamping a portion of the length of suture between the inwardly extending lumen walls and the suture anchoring device. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. A method for securing connective tissue to bone, comprising:
-
securing a first end of a length of suture to a portion of soft tissue to be attached to a portion of bone;
threading a second end of the length of suture through a lumen in an outer body of a bone anchor device and about an axially movable suture clamping member disposed in a distal portion of said lumen;
inserting said bone anchor device into a blind hole disposed in said portion of bone;
extending a deployable anchoring member disposed on an outer surface of said outer body outwardly to secure said bone anchor device in surrounding bone;
separating a driver portion of said bone anchor device from said outer body and withdrawing said driver portion from the patient'"'"'s body; and
pulling the second end of the length of suture proximally, to secure the portion of soft tissue properly to the portion of bone and to anchor the suture in said outer body by moving the suture clamping member axially to a suture clamping position.
-
-
29. A bone anchor device for attaching connective tissue to bone, comprising:
-
a body having a longitudinal axis, a distal end, and a proximal end;
a surface on said body distal end which slopes inwardly toward said axis from a distal portion of said surface toward a proximal portion thereof;
a suture anchoring member which is movable axially toward and away from said sloping surface, between a proximal position and a distal position, said suture anchoring member having a distal end surface and opposing axial surfaces, said distal end and opposing axial surfaces all comprising suture receiving surfaces for contacting suture material wrapped thereabout; and
a length of suture material disposed about said suture anchoring member, such that when said suture anchoring member is in said proximal position, said suture material is clamped between said suture anchoring member and body surface. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
-
-
34. A bone anchor device for attaching connective tissue to bone, comprising:
-
an outer body;
a lumen extending axially through said outer body, said lumen being defined by inner walls and having a smaller cross-section in a proximal portion of said outer body than in a distal portion thereof, such that at least portions of said inner walls taper inwardly in a proximal direction;
a wedge member disposed in a distal end of said lumen, said wedge member having outer walls which taper inwardly in a proximal direction therealong, such that a proximal portion of said wedge member has a smaller cross-section than a distal portion of said wedge member, said wedge member being axially movable in said lumen distal end; and
a lumen disposed axially in said wedge member, said wedge member lumen being disposed in a substantially same orientation as is disposed the outer body lumen.
-
-
35. A bone anchor device for attaching connective tissue to bone, comprising:
-
an outer body;
a lumen extending axially through said outer body, said lumen being defined by inner walls and having a smaller cross-section in a proximal portion of said outer body than in a distal portion thereof, such that at least portions of said inner walls taper inwardly in a proximal direction; and
an elongated wedge member disposed in a distal end of said lumen, said wedge member having outer walls which taper inwardly in a proximal direction therealong, such that a proximal portion of said wedge member has a smaller cross-section than a distal portion of said wedge member, and a distal end having a curved surface, said wedge member further being axially movable in said lumen distal end.
-
-
36. A bone anchor device for attaching connective tissue to bone, comprising:
-
an outer body;
a lumen extending axially through said outer body, said lumen being defined by inner walls and having a smaller cross-section in a proximal portion of said outer body than in a distal portion thereof, such that at least portions of said inner walls taper inwardly in a proximal direction; and
an elongated wedge member disposed in a distal end of said lumen, said wedge member having outer walls which taper inwardly in a proximal direction therealong, such that a proximal portion of said wedge member has a smaller cross-section than a distal portion of said wedge member, said wedge member being axially movable in said lumen distal end.
-
Specification