Suture anchor with pulley

• US 9,271,715 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Mitek LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Mitek LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Cauldwell, Nathan, Howe, Jonathan, Whittaker, Gregory R., McAlister, Gary, Lizardi, Jose E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, PHONG SON H
• Application Number:
  US13/423,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 606/232, 606/300, 623/13.13, 623/13.14, 623/19.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/888 the driver bit acting on the central region of the screw head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0403 Dowels other bone dowels A61B17/68; dowels for connecting prosthetic parts A61F2002/30433
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0412 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 lateral eyelet for attaching suture to needle A61B2017/06019
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0427 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from the anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/044 with a threaded shaft, e.g. screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0445 cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0454 the anchor being crimped or clamped on the suture
• 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 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0619 thermoplastic, e.g. for bonding, welding, fusing or cutting the suture by melting it suture cutters A61B17/0467; ultrasonic cutters A61B17/320068; electrically heated instruments A61B18/08

Abstract

Methods and devices are provided for anchoring suture to bone. In one exemplary embodiment, a cannulated suture anchor is provided and it includes a suture-engaging member formed therein and configured to receive a suture therearound such that trailing ends of the suture can extend through the suture anchor. The present invention also provides exemplary sutures and drivers that can be used with the various methods and devices disclosed herein, or with other methods and devices known in the art.

Claims

1. An apparatus for anchoring tissue to bone, comprising:

a suture anchor that includes at least one surface feature adapted to engage bone and formed on an external surface thereof along less than an entire longitudinal length of the suture anchor, that includes an inner lumen extending therethrough between proximal and distal ends of the suture anchor, that has opposed cut-outs formed in a sidewall thereof and extending proximally from a distal-most end thereof, and that includes a rotatable member extending across opposed sidewalls of the inner lumen in a distal portion of the suture anchor such that a suture can extend around the rotatable member and trailing ends of the suture can extend through the inner lumen of the suture anchor, the rotatable member being located distal to proximal ends of the opposed cut outs; and

a driver having an elongate shaft and a distal end adapted to be advanced distally into a proximal end of the inner lumen so as to engage a proximal portion of the inner lumen of the suture anchor such that after the distal end of the driver has been advanced distally into the proximal end of the inner lumen and the distal end of the driver is engaging the proximal portion of the inner lumen, the driver is adapted to rotate so as to rotate the suture anchor such that the at least one surface feature penetrates into the bone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongate shaft includes an inner lumen extending therethrough for receiving the suture extending through the inner lumen of the suture anchor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the elongate shaft includes opposed cut-outs formed therein for allowing the suture extending from the suture anchor to extend externally along the elongate shaft of the driver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the elongate shaft has an asymmetrical cross-sectional shape, and wherein at least the proximal portion of the inner lumen the suture anchor has a complementary asymmetrical cross-sectional shape.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable member comprises a pin extending between the opposed sidewalls of the inner lumen of the suture anchor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable member is positioned adjacent to the distal end of the suture anchor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable member is non-removably disposed in the distal portion of the inner lumen of the suture anchor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner lumen defines a longitudinal axis, and the rotatable member extends across the opposed sidewalls at a fixed axial position along the longitudinal axis.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the driver and the suture anchor includes a stop mechanism adapted to prevent the distal end of the driver from extending distally beyond a proximal end of the rotatable member after the distal end has been advanced distally into the proximal end of the inner lumen and the distal end of the driver is engaging the proximal portion of the inner lumen.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface feature extends from the proximal end of the suture anchor and terminates proximal to the rotatable member.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface feature comprises at least one thread formed on and extending around the external surface of the suture anchor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one thread extends from the proximal end of the suture anchor and terminates proximal to the rotatable member.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface feature comprises at least one of one or more ridges formed on and extending around the external surface of the suture anchor and one or more protrusions extending radially outward from the external surface of the suture anchor.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the suture extends around the rotatable member, the trailing ends of the suture extend through the inner lumen and exit the suture anchor through the proximal end of the inner lumen, and the trailing ends of the suture extend through an inner lumen formed in the distal end of the driver.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotation of the driver advances the distal portion of the suture anchor into a hole in the bone without the external surface of the suture anchor in the distal portion thereof penetrating into sidewalls of the hole in the bone.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the opposed sidewalls define opposed arms at the distal end of the suture anchor, the rotatable member being positioned between the opposed arms.

17. An apparatus for anchoring tissue to bone, comprising:

a cannulated suture anchor having at least one thread formed thereon, an inner lumen extending through the suture anchor between proximal and distal ends of the suture anchor, and a rotatable member extending across opposed sidewalls of the inner lumen such that a suture can extend around the rotatable member and trailing ends of the suture can extend through the inner lumen of the suture anchor and out the proximal end of the suture anchor, the thread extending around an external surface of the suture anchor and being configured to penetrate into bone, and the rotatable member extending across the opposed sidewalls in a distal portion of the suture anchor at a fixed axial position along a longitudinal axis of the inner lumen; and

a driver having an elongate shaft and a distal end configured to be advanced into the proximal end of the suture anchor so as to engage a proximal portion of the inner lumen of the suture anchor, with the trailing ends of the suture extending through the inner lumen of the suture anchor and out the proximal end of the suture anchor, such that rotation of the driver rotates the suture anchor relative to the bone to drive the suture anchor into the bone with the at least one thread threadably engaging the bone.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one thread extends from the proximal end of the suture anchor and terminates proximal to the rotatable member.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one thread is located entirely proximal to the rotatable member.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the rotation of the driver advances the distal portion of the suture anchor into the bone without the external surface of the suture anchor in the distal portion thereof threadably engaging the bone.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one thread extends around the external surface of the suture anchor in a proximal portion of the suture anchor and terminates proximal to the distal portion of the suture anchor, and the rotatable member is exposed through the opposed sidewalls to an outside environment.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the suture anchor includes a unitary elongate body having the inner lumen extending therethrough, the opposed sidewalls in the distal portion of the suture anchor being defined by opposed surfaces of the elongate body, and the rotatable member being attached to the opposed surfaces of elongate body in the distal portion of the suture anchor.

23. An apparatus for anchoring tissue to bone, comprising:

a suture anchor having

at least one thread adapted to engage bone and formed on an external surface thereof along less than an entire longitudinal length of the suture anchor such that the suture anchor has a threaded proximal portion including the at least one thread and has an unthreaded distal portion,

an inner lumen extending through the suture anchor between proximal and distal ends thereof,

an opening formed through a sidewall thereof and fully contained in the distal portion thereof, and

a rotatable member extending across opposed sidewalls of the inner lumen such that a suture can extend around the rotatable member and trailing ends of the suture can extend through the inner lumen of the suture anchor, the rotatable member being fully contained in the unthreaded distal portion of the suture anchor, the rotatable member being exposed through the opening, and the rotatable member being configured to rotate 360°

; and

a driver having an elongate shaft and a distal end adapted to be advanced distally into a proximal end of the inner lumen so as to engage a proximal portion of the inner lumen of the suture anchor and rotate, thereby causing rotation of the suture anchor such that the at least thread penetrates into the bone.