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Bone implant with convertible suture attachment

  • US 9,445,805 B2
  • Filed: 11/16/2010
  • Issued: 09/20/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A suture anchoring system comprising:

  • an implant body extending substantially longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end, the implant body comprising;

    an insertion nose at the distal end, the insertion nose configured for insertion into bone;

    a slot formed in the implant body, the slot extending at least partially longitudinally, the slot having a slot proximal edge and a slot distal edge; and

    a slider that slides along the slot, the slider comprising a slider proximal edge and a slider distal edge;

    a first aperture at least partially formed by the slot distal edge and the slider distal edge;

    a second aperture at least partially formed by the slot proximal edge and the slider proximal edge, the second aperture located proximally with respect to the first aperture; and

    a loader comprising;

    an inner cavity configured to receive the implant body;

    an outer surface;

    a first opening formed in the loader, the first opening extending from the outer surface to the inner cavity, wherein the first opening has a first opening area at the outer surface and a second opening area at the inner cavity, the first opening area being larger than the second opening area;

    an alignment feature, wherein the alignment feature is configured to align one of the first and second apertures with the second opening area when the implant body is received by the inner cavity; and

    a second opening formed in the loader, the second opening extending from the outer surface to the inner cavity, wherein the second opening has a third opening area at the outer surface and a fourth opening area at the inner cavity, the third opening area being larger than the fourth opening area,wherein the alignment feature is further configured to align the second opening area with the first aperture and the fourth opening area with the second aperture when the distal end of the implant body is received by the inner cavity,wherein the slider is configured to slide along the slot both before and after implantation of the implant body,such that a suture passed through only one of the first and second apertures before implantation is moveable freely in both directions after implantation, andsuch that a suture threaded, before implantation, through one of the first and second apertures, around the slider, and back through the other of the first and second apertures is, after implantation, moveable freely in a first direction but substantially inhibited from moving in a second direction opposite the first direction.

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