Apparatus for coupling soft tissue to a bone

• US 9,314,241 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stone, Kevin T., Denham, Gregory J., Norton, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Dornbusch, Dianne
• Application Number:
  US13/757,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• 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 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0485 Devices or means, e.g. loops, for capturing the suture thread and threading it through an opening of a suturing instrument or needle eyelet
• 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 17/16 Bone cutting, breaking or removal means other than saws, e.g. Osteoclasts; Drills or chisels for bones; Trepans arthroscopic bone cutters A61B17/320016; dental implant drills potentially for other surgical use A61C8/0089; bone grinders A61F2/4644, A22C17/06; A61B17/1662 takes precedence over all other subgroups except A61B17/17
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1615 Drill bits, i.e. rotating tools extending from a handpiece to contact the worked material
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1655 for tapping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1684 for the shoulder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00336 with a protective sleeve, e.g. retractable or slidable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00858 high friction or non-slip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0406 Pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0432 the separate member staying in the anchor after placement
• 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 2017/0458 Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0477 : with pre-tied sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06185 : hollow or tubular

Abstract

A flexible member for coupling tissue. The flexible member includes a tail and a self-locking construct. The tail includes a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. The tail defines a tail passageway proximate to the second end. The self-locking construct includes a first loop and an adjustable second loop. The second loop is slidably threaded through the tail passageway defined by the tail. The self-locking construct is configured such that passing the tail through the first loop so that the second loop extends into the first loop forms a tissue capture region defined by the self-locking construct. The tail passageway defined by the tail defines a locking member configured to secure the second loop to the first loop.

Claims

1. A flexible member for coupling tissue comprising:

a tail including a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the tail defining a tail passageway proximate to the second end;

a self-locking construct including a first loop and an adjustable second loop, the second loop slidably threaded through the tail passageway defined by the tail; and

a first anchor defining a first anchor passageway, the tail extends through the first anchor passageway and the first anchor is slidably mounted to the tail;

wherein the self-locking construct is configured such that passing the tail through the first loop so that the second loop extends into the first loop forms a tissue capture region defined by the self-locking construct; and

wherein the tail passageway defined by the tail defines a locking member configured to secure the second loop to the first loop.

2. The flexible member of claim 1, wherein the first anchor is a first flexible anchor, and further comprising a second flexible anchor defining a second anchor passageway, the tail extends through the second anchor passageway and the second anchor is slidably mounted to the tail.

3. The flexible member of claim 1, wherein the second loop is between the first loop and the tail passageway;

and

wherein the first loop is adjustable.

4. The flexible member of claim 3, wherein the self-locking construct defines a first passage portion between the first and the second loops.

5. The flexible member of claim 4, wherein the self-locking construct defines a second passage portion between the tail passageway and the first loop.

6. The flexible member of claim 5, wherein a second end of the self-locking construct extends through the second passage portion to define the second loop.

7. The flexible member of claim 6, wherein pulling the second end of the self-locking construct decreases the size of the second loop.

8. The flexible member of claim 5, wherein sliding the first passage portion away from the second passage portion decreases the size of the first loop.

9. The flexible member of claim 1, wherein the tail is different from the self-locking construct with respect to at least one of color, surface design, or size.

10. The flexible member of claim 1, wherein the flexible member is configured to couple tissue thereto at the tissue capture region.

11. The flexible member of claim 1, wherein the flexible member is configured to couple a first tissue with a second tissue at the tissue capture region upon threading the self-locking construct through the first tissue and the second tissue with the tail.

12. A flexible member for coupling tissue comprising:

a tail extending from a first end to a second end opposite to the first end;

an anchor coupled to the tail between the first end and the second end; and

a flexible member construct including a first loop and an adjustable second loop, the second loop coupled to the tail;

wherein the flexible member construct is configured such that passing the tail through the first loop so that the second loop extends into the first loop forms a tissue capture region defined by the flexible member construct;

wherein a portion of the tail defines a locking member configured to secure the second loop to the first loop; and

the flexible member construct defines a first passage portion and a separate second passage portion where the first passage portion forms the first loop and the second passage portion forms the second loop.

13. The flexible member of claim 12, wherein the anchor is a flexible anchor extending from a first anchor end to a second anchor end and the tail extends through at least a portion of the flexible anchor between the first anchor end and the second anchor end.

14. The flexible member of claim 12, wherein the tail defines a tail passageway proximate to the second end and the second loop is slidably threaded through the tail passageway.

15. The flexible member of claim 12, wherein the first loop is an adjustable loop and wherein sliding the first passage portion away from the second passage portion decreases the size of the first loop.