Expanding suture anchor having an actuator pin

• US 7,976,565 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meridew, Jason D
• Primary Examiner(s): Erezo; Darwin P
• Assistant Examiner(s): MASHACK, MARK F
• Application Number:
  US11/006,398
• Time in Patent Office: 2,408 Days
• Field of Search: 606/72, 606/232
• US Class Current: 606/232
• 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 2017/0408 Rivets other bone rivets A61B17/68; rivets for connecting prosthetic parts A61F2002/30433, A61F2220/0041
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening lateral eyelet for attaching suture to needle A61B2017/06019
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0432 the separate member staying in the anchor after placement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0458 Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reattaching soft tissue to a pre-selected boney structure using an expanding suture anchor. Generally, an expanding suture anchor having an actuator pin is provided to fully secure a suture into the boney structure. The actuator pin is molded to a portion of the suture anchor and detaches from the suture anchor when the suture anchor is fully engaged with the boney structure. Thus, the soft tissue is fully secured to the boney structure ensuring proper healing.

Claims

1. A suture anchor for attaching soft tissue to a pre-selected area of a boney structure, the suture anchor comprising:

an insert including a suture receiving section having a proximal end, a distal end defining a distal tip of the insert and a suture attachment area at the distal end adjacent the distal tip, a frangible breakaway portion having one end to attached on a proximal end of the suture receiving section and an opposite end attached on a first end of a tapered section, and an annular body attached on the tapered section at a second end opposite the first end, the frangible breakaway portion having a diameter less than a diameter of the suture receiving section;

a unitary sleeve disposed around at least a portion of the insert, the sleeve including at least one hinged expanding feature defined by at least one slot formed at a midsection of the sleeve and contained within the sleeve so as to be spaced apart from respective ends of the sleeve, wherein the at least one hinged expanding feature is operable to radially expand and engage the boney structure to retain the insert in the boney structure while a diameter of the sleeve between the at least one hinged expanding feature and each respective end of the sleeve remains substantially unchanged; and

an actuator pin secured to the insert, wherein the actuator pin is operable to move the tapered section relative to the sleeve to engage the sleeve via the at least one hinged expanding feature with the boney structure.

2. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the tapered section of the insert includes a conical shape and is molded to the actuator pin.

3. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the attachment area of the suture receiving section defines an eyelet for receipt of a suture operable to retain the soft tissue.

4. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the insert is made of a resorbable material.

5. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the sleeve further includes:

an inner bore defining a tapered portion; and

wherein the at least one hinged expanding feature is coupled to the tapered portion and is disposed adjacent to the breakaway portion of the insert, and wherein the inner bore includes an uninterrupted annular surface at the respective ends of the sleeve.

6. The suture anchor of claim 5 wherein the at least one expanding feature is activated by applying a retractive force to the actuator pin, the retractive force causing the breakaway portion and the tapered section to separate from the insert when the breakaway portion is adjacent to the tapered portion of the sleeve.

7. The suture anchor of claim 6 wherein the retractive force is applied via an actuator device.

8. The suture anchor of claim 6 wherein the retractive force causes the insert to be displaced in the sleeve whereby the displacement of the insert causes the tapered section of the insert to contact the tapered portion of the sleeve to force the hinged expanding feature to expand.

9. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the sleeve is made of a resorbable material.

10. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the actuator pin is made from a biocompatible corrosive resistant metal.

11. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the actuator pin is molded into the insert.

12. The suture anchor of claim 3, wherein the eyelet fixedly retains the suture in the boney structure without requiring knotting of the suture.

13. The suture anchor of claim 1, wherein the at least one expanding feature includes two expanding features formed about 180 degrees apart at the midsection of the sleeve.

14. The suture anchor of claim 1, wherein the at least one expanding feature includes a tapered interior bearing surface, and the relative movement of the insert by the actuator pin causes the insert to contact the tapered interior surface of the at least one expanding feature to cause the at least one expanding feature to engage the anatomy.

15. The suture anchor of claim 13, wherein the two expanding features are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to an outer diameter of the annular body.

16. The suture anchor of claim 1, wherein the actuator pin includes a distal end directly attached to the tapered section, the metallic member extending through the annular body such that a proximal end of the actuator pin extends beyond a proximal end of the annular body.

26. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the sleeve further includes:

an inner bore defining a tapered section, wherein the expanding member is coupled to the tapered section of the sleeve and disposed adjacent to the breakaway portion of the insert.

27. The suture anchor of claim 26 wherein the expanding member is activated by applying a retractive force to the actuating member, the retractive force operable to cause the breakaway portion and the insert tapered section to separate from the insert when the breakaway portion is adjacent to the tapered section of the sleeve.

28. The suture anchor of claim 27 wherein the retractive force is applied via an actuating device coupled to the metallic member of the actuating member.

29. The suture anchor of claim 27 wherein the retractive force causes the insert to be displaced in the sleeve whereby the displacement of the insert causes the tapered section of the insert to contact the tapered section of the sleeve to force the expanding member to expand.

30. The suture anchor of claim 1, wherein the aperture of the suture receiving section fixedly secures the suture to the boney structure without the use of a knot.

31. The suture anchor of claim 26, further comprising the inner bore defining a pair of tapered sections formed approximately 180 degrees apart, wherein the pair of tapered sections are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to an outer diameter of the annular body.

32. The suture anchor of claim 1, wherein the metallic member includes a distal end directly attached to the tapered section, the metallic member extending through the annular body such that a proximal end of the metallic member extends beyond a proximal end of the annular body.

17. A suture anchor for attaching soft tissue to a pre-selected area of a boney structure, the suture anchor comprising:

an insert that includes a suture receiving section defining an eyelet at a distal end thereof for receipt of a suture to retain the soft tissue, a breakaway portion attached directly to the suture receiving section at a proximal end thereof, a tapered section attached directly to an opposite end of the breakaway portion at a first end of the tapered section, and an elongated annular body attached directly to a second end of the tapered section, a diameter of the first end of the tapered section having a diameter greater than a diameter of the second end of the tapered section and a diameter of the annular body, the breakaway portion having a diameter smaller than the first end of the tapered section;

a sleeve slideably engaged with the insert and including a hinged expanding feature coupled to a midsection of the sleeve, the sleeve defining a throughbore including a tapered area coupled to the hinged expanding feature;

an actuator pin attached to the tapered section and annular body of the insert; and

wherein the application of force to the actuator pin causes the insert to slide and the tapered section to contact the tapered area of the sleeve to radially expand and engage the hinged expanding feature with the boney structure while a diameter of non-tapered portions of the sleeve between the tapered area and each respective end of the sleeve remains substantially unchanged.

18. The suture anchor of claim 17 wherein the sleeve is disposed around the suture receiving section, breakaway section and tapered section.

19. The suture anchor of claim 17 wherein the tapered section of the insert is molded to the actuator pin, and wherein the actuator pin extends through the annular body such that a proximal end of the actuator pin extends beyond a proximal end of the annular body.

20. The suture anchor of claim 17 wherein the hinged expanding feature is disposed adjacent to the breakaway portion of the insert and is defined by a U-shaped slot formed at the midsection of the sleeve.

21. The suture anchor of claim 17 wherein the hinged expanding feature is activated by the application of force to the actuator pin, the force operable to cause the insert to be displaced in the sleeve whereby the displacement of the insert causes the tapered section of the insert to contact the tapered area of the sleeve to force the expanding feature to expand and the breakaway portion to separate from the insert.

22. The suture anchor of claim 21 wherein the force is applied to the actuator pin via an actuation device.

23. The suture anchor of claim 21 wherein the force is applied to the actuator pin via an actuation device and a second force is applied by an operator to the suture.

24. The suture anchor of claim 17, wherein application of force to the actuator pin causes the breakaway portion and the tapered section to detach from the insert upon full engagement of the hinged expanding feature with the boney structure.

25. A suture anchor for attaching soft tissue to a pre-selected area of a boney structure, the suture anchor comprising:

a unitary sleeve including an expanding member that engages the boney structure, the expanding member hingedly coupled to a midsection of the sleeve and defined by a slot contained within the midsection of the sleeve such that the slot is spaced apart from respective ends of the sleeve;

an insert that retains the soft tissue, the insert including;

a suture receiving section having an aperture at a distal end adjacent a distal tip of the insert that receives a suture that retains the soft tissue;

a frangible breakaway portion having one end attached on a proximal end of the suture receiving section opposite the distal tip;

a tapered section having a first end attached on an end of the frangible breakaway portion opposite the end attached to the suture receiving section; and

an annular body attached on a second end of the tapered section opposite the first end;

wherein the sleeve is disposed around at least a portion of the insert and the frangible breakaway portion includes a diameter smaller than a diameter of the tapered section first end;

an actuating member disposed around the insert that is operable to cause the tapered section to expand the expanding member to engage the boney structure while a diameter of the sleeve between the expanding member and each respective end of the sleeve remains substantially unchanged, the actuating member including a metallic member molded to the tapered section of the insert and received through the annular body of the insert so that the metallic member extends beyond the expanding member.

33. An expandable suture anchor for attaching a suture to a pre-selected area of a boney structure, the suture anchor comprising:

an insert operable to retain the suture, the insert including a suture receiving section separated from an end section by a frangible breakaway section, the suture receiving section including a proximal end and a distal end defining a distal tip and the end section including a tapered portion, the frangible breakaway section having one end directly attached to the proximal end of the suture receiving section and an opposite end directly attached to a distal end of the tapered portion, the frangible breakaway section having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the suture receiving section;

a sleeve disposed around a portion of the insert including the frangible breakaway section and the tapered portion, the sleeve including at least one hinged expanding feature coupled to a midsection of the sleeve and adjacent to the tapered portion of the insert, the sleeve including an inner bore defining a tapered area coupled to the at least one hinged expanding feature, the sleeve being operable via the at least one hinged expanding feature to engage the boney structure to retain the insert in the boney structure; and

an actuator pin fixedly attached to the end section of the insert, the actuator pin operable to cause the tapered portion of the insert to engage the tapered area of the sleeve to fully expand the at least one hinged expanding feature to engage the boney structure while a diameter of the sleeve between the at least one hinged expanding feature and each respective end of the sleeve remains substantially unchanged;

wherein upon full engagement of the at least one hinged expanding feature with the boney structure, the frangible breakaway section of the insert fractures and the end section of the insert is detached from the suture receiving section.

34. The suture anchor of claim 33 wherein the at least one hinged expanding feature is activated by applying a retractive force to the actuator pin.