Threaded knotless anchor

• US 9,526,492 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Linvatec Corporation (Jefferies Financial Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Linvatec Corporation (Jefferies Financial Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lombardo, Giuseppe, Fitts, Steven E., Miller, Peter C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Victor
• Application Number:
  US14/540,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20160135801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 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 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• 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 2017/0451 Cams or wedges holding the suture by friction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument

Abstract

A suture anchor for deployment in a preformed bone hole to secure soft tissue to bone in a knotless manner. The suture anchor comprises a hollow outer member and an inner member longitudinally movable within the outer member. Suture is directed distally between the wall of the bone hole and the outer anchor member from the soft tissue to be attached to the bone transversely across an eyelet situated at the distal end of the inner member and proximally between the wall of the bone hole and the outer anchor member. A rib/groove suture-locking mechanism is provided by moving the inner member proximally relative to the outer member in order to engage the suture-locking mechanism.

Claims

1. A method of knotlessly securing a suture to a suture anchor to attach soft tissue to bone comprising the steps of:

providing an elongated suture anchor inner component having an elongated inner member with a transverse eyelet at its distal end and at least one first locking means at its proximal end, and an elongated hollow outer member having a second locking means adapted to selectively engage said first locking means;

securing said inner member to an end of a first elongated drive shaft;

securing said outer member to an end of a second elongated drive shaft which has an axial lumen large enough to enable said first shaft to slide within said second shaft;

providing a suture anchor driver having a handle at its proximal end, an inner suture anchor body at its distal end and an outer suture anchor body proximal to said inner suture anchor body;

said inner suture anchor body releasably attached to an actuator shaft connected to said handle, said outer suture anchor body releasably connected to a drive shaft connected to said handle;

attaching at least one suture limb to said tissue and through an eyelet in said inner suture anchor body;

advancing said outer suture anchor body distally over said proximal end of said inner suture anchor body;

providing an indicator means to signal when said inner suture anchor body is in a first predetermined position relative to said outer suture anchor body;

actuating said actuating shaft to move said inner suture anchor body proximally into said outer suture anchor body;

providing at least one locking means to lock said inner and outer suture anchor bodies together into a second predetermined position relative to said other when said suture is sufficiently crimped between said inner and outer anchor bodies.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said locking means comprises at least one projection on the inner surface of said outer anchor body and a cooperating annular rib on the outer surface of said inner anchor body for engaging said projection.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said actuating step comprises advancing said outer body distally for a predetermined distance.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the actuating shaft comprises:

a trigger means movable between a first and second position for enabling motion of said actuating shaft in said first position and for preventing motion of said actuating shaft in said second position.