Method and apparatus for soft tissue attachment

• US 7,695,503 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2004
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stone, Kevin T., Kaiser, Ryan A., Howell, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrett; Thomas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOODALL, NICHOLAS W
• Application Number:
  US10/864,905
• Time in Patent Office: 2,134 Days
• Field of Search: 606 72- 73, 606232-233, 411340-346
• US Class Current: 606/300
• 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 2017/0412 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from suture anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0811 Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0829 without deformation of anchor parts, e.g. fixation screws on bone surface, extending barbs, cams, butterflies, spring-loaded pins
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0852 Fixation of a loop or U-turn, e.g. eyelets, anchor having multiple holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0882 Anchor in or on top of a bone tunnel, i.e. a hole running through the entire bone

Abstract

An apparatus and method for fixing a selected graft relative to a selected anatomical portion. An anchor may be provided that may be interconnected with a selected graft portion that is operable to pass through a selected bore and then moved into an operable position to engage a selected portion of the bore to substantially eliminate the possibility of the graft moving in an unselected direction through the bore.

Claims

1. An anchor assembly operable to pass through a passage having a passage wall defining an internal passage dimension and to hold a graft near a selectable portion of an anatomy, comprising:

a body including at least one external dimension equivalent to the internal passage dimension to engage a portion of the passage wall;

a lever arm having a first end and a second end;

a graft engaging portion extending from said body and operable to hold the graft at a position relative to the lever arm; and

a stop portion connected to and fixed to the body and having a first stop portion extending a distance away from said body;

wherein said lever arm rotates about a fulcrum positioned substantially at the first end of said lever arm;

wherein the second end of the lever arm is operable to selectively engage the selected portion of the anatomy;

wherein said stop portion limits rotation of said lever arm to achieve a selected orientation of said lever arm relative to the selected portion of the anatomy, and further includes said first stop portion extending a distance over a depression formed within the body, where the depression is defined at least in part by a surface of the body formed within the external dimension;

wherein the lever arm rotates from a first position at least partially within the depression to a second position at least partially out of the depression and stopped by the first stop portion.

2. The anchor assembly of claim 1, wherein said lever arm and said graft engaging portion of said body are permanently connected.

3. The anchor of claim 1, wherein said lever arm is rotatably interconnected with said body portion;

wherein said lever arm is rotatable between an activated position and a non-activated position.

4. The anchor assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a holding member operable to at least one of hold said lever arm relative to said body or position said body in a selected position.

5. The anchor of claim 1, further comprising:

a holding member including an elongated rod positioned between said body and said lever arm to substantially eliminate movement of said lever arm to an activated position.

6. The anchor of claim 5, further comprising:

a first bore in said body and a second bore in said lever arm;

wherein said first bore and said second bore can be positioned substantially coaxial and said holding member can be passed relative to said first bore and said second bore.

7. The anchor assembly of claim 1, wherein the first stop portion defines an arch having a center aligned with a center axis of the body;

wherein the first stop portion extends substantially perpendicular to the center axis of the body.

8. The anchor assembly of claim 1, wherein only the second end of the lever arm engagebly extends from said fulcrum.

9. An anchor assembly comprising:

a body extending along a first axis extending from a first end to a second end, at least a portion of the body formed as a cylindrical exterior defining a maximum exterior diameter;

a depression defined by said body within said maximum exterior dimension;

only a single lever arm interconnected with said body a distance from said first end of said body, movable between an activated position at least partially outside of the depression and a non-activated position at least partially within the depression;

a fulcrum portion operably connected to an end of said lever arm;

a graft connection region spaced a distance from said first end towards said second end of said body; and

a holding member having a first portion operable to engage said body and a second portion operable to engage said lever arm, wherein in a first position said holding member is within the depression and operable to selectively contact said body and said lever arm to substantially maintain said lever arm in said non-activated position and in a second position said holding member is removed to allow said lever arm to move relative to said body;

wherein said depression is sized to receive a portion of said lever arm such that said lever arm is substantially maintained within said maximum exterior dimension when said lever arm is in said non-activated position;

wherein said graft connection region includes a first dimension transverse to a longitudinal axis of the body that is substantially equal to said maximum exterior dimension and a second dimension transverse to said longitudinal axis of the body that is less than said maximum exterior dimension;

wherein said only said single lever arm extends in substantially only one direction from said fulcrum portion and includes an axis of motion relative to said body substantially at an end of said single lever arm.

10. The anchor assembly of claim 9, further comprising:

a rod extending from said body a distance;

wherein said rod is operable to extend though a bore to assist in positioning said body.

11. The anchor assembly of claim 9, wherein said holding member includes an elongated rod operable to extend between a first bore in said body that is positioned coaxial with a second bore in said lever arm to selectively fix said lever arm relative to said body.

12. The anchor assembly of claim 11, wherein said lever arm is operable to rotate at said fulcrum portion relative to said body when said holding member is removed from at least one of said first bore or said second bore.

13. The anchor of claim 9, further comprising:

a stop portion operable to limit a rotation of said lever arm relative to said body.

14. The anchor of claim 13, wherein said stop portion includes an arch member extending over at least a portion of the depression to engage said lever arm at a selected position.

15. The anchor assembly of claim 9, further comprising:

an activation member;

wherein said activation member extends from said lever arm to move said lever arm from a non-activated position to an activated position.

16. The anchor assembly of claim 9, wherein said holding member is a substantially elongated rod operable to contact both said body and said lever arm.

17. The anchor assembly of claim 16, further comprising:

a first bore in said body and a second bore in said lever arm;

wherein said first bore and said second bore are operable to be positioned coaxial;

wherein said holding member is positioned within said first bore and said second bore to interconnect said body and said lever arm.

18. An anchor assembly comprising:

a body extending along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end, at least a portion of said body defined as a cylindrical exterior wall defining a maximum exterior of the body;

a depression defined by said body extending towards the longitudinal axis of said body from said maximum exterior;

only a single lever arm extending between a first terminal end and a second terminal end, connected with said body, the single lever arm movable between an activated position and a non-activated position at least partially within the depression;

a fulcrum portion operably connected at said first terminal end;

a graft connection region spaced a first distance from said first end of said body towards said second end of said body; and

a holding member having a first end having both a first portion operable to engage said body and a second portion operable to engage said lever arm, the holding member further having a second end a second distance from said first end and extending from said body;

wherein in a first position said holding member is within the depression operable to selectively contact said body and said lever arm to substantially maintain said lever arm in said non-activated position within the depression and in a second position said holding member is removed from said depression to allow said lever arm to move to said activated position;

wherein said depression defines a void sized to receive both a portion of said lever arm such that said lever arm is substantially maintained within said maximum exterior dimension when said lever arm is in said non-activated position and said holding member to allow the holding member to contact the lever arm and a sidewall of the depression;

wherein said graft connection region includes a first dimension transverse to a longitudinal axis of the body that is substantially equal to said maximum exterior dimension and a second dimension transverse to said longitudinal axis of the body that is less than said maximum exterior dimension; and

wherein said lever arm connects to said fulcrum portion at said first terminal end so that said first terminal end remains within said maximum exterior dimension of said body.

19. The anchor assembly of claim 18, further comprising:

a body stop portion at said first end of said body operable to contact said single lever arm when said single lever arm is in said activated position to allow only a maximum angular rotation of the single lever arm around said fulcrum portion;

wherein said maximum angular rotation is less than or equal to a ninety degree angle defined between a surface of said single lever arm and the longitudinal axis of said body;

wherein said body stop portion extends from a portion of said body and defines an end of said depression.

20. The anchor assembly of claim 19, wherein said single lever arm includes:

an engaging portion at said second terminal end that is operable to engage an exterior portion of a bone;

a lever arm stop portion near said second terminal end that is operable to contact said body stop portion;

a connecting portion extending away from said lever arm stop portion and operable to at least partially surround said fulcrum portion; and

an activating portion nearer said second terminal end than said lever arm stop portion.

21. The anchor assembly of claim 20, further comprising:

an activation member operable to extend through a bore formed in an anatomy to at least one of assist in moving said body through the bore or move the single lever arm to the activated position.

22. An anchor assembly comprising:

a body extending from a first end to a second end along a first axis, the body having an external sidewall;

a lever arm moveably connected to said body, the lever arm movable between an activated position and a non-activated position;

a holding member operable to maintain the lever arm in said non-activated position;

a depression defined in the body through the external sidewall operable to receive a portion of the lever arm and the holding member;

wherein the holding member is positionable within the depression between the lever arm and a surface defining the depression to maintain the lever arm in the non-activated position;

wherein the holding member is removable from the depression whereby the lever arm can move to the activated position;

a connection region spaced a distance from the first end towards the second end of the body to allow connection of an implant portion with the body; and

a stop portion having a first portion extending a distance over the depression defined within the body and operable to engage the lever arm in the activated position to limit rotation of the lever arm.

23. The anchor assembly of claim 22, further comprising:

an axle pin to connect said body and said lever arm;

wherein the axle pin is positioned at a terminal end of the lever arm.

24. The anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein the axle pin is within a perimeter of said body.

25. The anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein the lever arm extends from a first terminal end to a second terminal end;

wherein both of the first terminal end and the second terminal end are within the first end, the second end, and a perimeter of the body when the lever arm is in the non-activated position.

26. The anchor assembly of claim 22, further comprising:

an activation member;

wherein the activation member extends from the lever arm to move the lever arm from the non-activated position to the activated position.

27. The anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein the depression is defined by at least two opposed longitudinal sidewalls positioned apart and a third wall extending between and substantially perpendicular to the two opposed longitudinal sidewalls;

and

wherein the lever arm is operable to be positioned between the at least two opposed longitudinal sidewalls and the holding member is operable to be positioned between the lever arm and the third wall.

28. An anchor assembly comprising:

a body extending from a first end to a second end along a first axis, the body having an external sidewall;

a lever arm extending from a first terminal end to a second terminal end and moveably connected to said body;

a fulcrum adjacent the first terminal end of the lever arm;

a depression defined in the body through the external sidewall operable to receive a portion of the lever arm, wherein the lever arm is movable between a non-activated position substantially completely within the depression and an activated position extending from the depression;

a stop portion having a first portion extending a distance over the depression defined in the body and operable to engage the lever arm in the activated position to limit rotation of the lever arm; and

a connection region spaced a distance from said first end towards said second end of said body to allow connection of an implant portion with said body.

29. The anchor assembly of claim 28, wherein the stop portion defines a portion of an annular ring having a center aligned with the first axis of the body.

30. The anchor assembly of claim 28, further

a holding member operable to maintain the lever arm in the non-activated position;

wherein the holding member is positionable within the depression between the lever arm and a surface defining the depression to maintain the lever arm in the non-activated position; and

wherein the holding member is removable from the depression to allow the lever arm to move to the activated position.

31. The anchor assembly of claim 30, wherein the depression is defined by at least two opposed longitudinal sidewalls positioned a distance apart and a third wall extending the distance between and substantially perpendicular to the two opposed longitudinal sidewalls;

and

wherein the lever arm is operable to be positioned between the at least two opposed longitudinal sidewalls and the holding member is operable to be positioned between the lever arm and the third wall.

32. The anchor assembly of claim 28, wherein the first terminal end is maintained within the external sidewall of the body.