Bone anchor suture-loading system, method and apparatus

• US 7,615,061 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: White, George W., Vijay, Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Julian W
• Assistant Examiner(s): RYCKMAN, MELISSA K
• Application Number:
  US11/365,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20070203508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 606/72, 606/148, 606/225, 606/232, 606/74, 606/103, 606/300, 289/17
• US Class Current: 606/148
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0487 Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06123 Flat cylinders, e.g. including an inner reel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0458 Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0459 Multiple holes in the anchor through which the suture extends and locking the suture when tension is applied
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0477 with pre-tied sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2911 rings

Abstract

A suture-loading system, method and apparatus for loading a suture onto a bone anchor, the system comprising: a bone anchor comprising a suture leg-anchoring structure and a plurality of body holes on the anchor; a suture comprising a standing end portion and a working end portion; a standing end trackway to guide the standing end portion of the suture through the suture leg-anchoring structure; and a working end trackway to guide the working end portion of the suture through the body holes in the anchor.

Claims

1. An bone anchor suture-loading system comprising:

a bone anchor comprising a suture leg-anchoring structure and a plurality of body holes;

a suture comprising a standing end portion and a working end portion;

a standing end trackway to guide the standing end portion of the suture through the suture leg-anchoring structure;

a working end trackway to guide the working end portion of the suture through the body holes,

wherein the standing end trackway and the working end trackway are housed on a base, and wherein the bone anchor is removable from the base; and

a snare-wire disposed in the standing end trackway and the working end trackway, the snare-wire slidable along a path disposed on the base and configured to pass through the bone anchor.

2. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 1, wherein the bone anchor comprises a bone-embedding structure adapted to embed the anchor in the bone.

3. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 2, wherein the bone-embedding structure comprises a plurality of embedding barbs disposed on the bone anchor.

4. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 1, wherein the suture leg-anchoring structure comprises a leg-anchoring hole adapted to secure the standing end portion of the suture by a knot on the suture.

5. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 4, wherein the leg-anchoring hole defines a shoulder for fastening the suture knot.

6. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 1, wherein the standing end trackway comprises a plurality of pins positioned on the base to configure a knot on the standing end portion of the suture.

7. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 6, wherein the pins are removable from the base to form the knot.

8. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 1, wherein the standing end portion of the suture is attached to a pull-ring to pull the suture at least partly through the standing end trackway.

9. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 1, wherein the working end trackway comprises a plurality of posts positioned on the base to configure a cinchable suture loop on the standing end portion of the suture.

10. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 1, wherein the working portion of the suture is attached to a suture reel to pull the suture at least partly through working end trackway.

11. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 1, wherein the snare-wire comprises a loop at each end of the snare-wire to snag the working end and standing end portions of the suture.

12. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 11, wherein each of the snare loops is positioned concentric to a first and a second hole formed in the base.

13. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 12, wherein the first and second holes are sized to receive respectively the working end and standing end of the suture.

14. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 1, wherein the suture is selected from the group consisting of braided suture and a monofilament suture.

15. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a cutting element to trim excess portions of the suture.

16. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 1, wherein a lid on the base encloses the anchor, standing end trackway and the working end trackway.

17. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 16, wherein the base and lid are detachable from each other to expose the threaded implant without entanglement.

18. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 16, wherein the base and lid are comprised of material selected from the group consisting of metal, polycarbonate, nylon, zytel, and other plastics.

19. The bone anchor suture-loading system of claim 1, wherein the snare-wire is configured into two intertwined loops, wherein the two intertwined loops will form a suture cinched point on the bone anchor.