Method for Soft Tissue Attachment

• US 20090204146A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walters, Troy M., Stone, Kevin T., Kaiser, Ryan A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,967,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/228
• 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 2017/0409 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 2017/0459 Multiple holes in the anchor through which the suture extends and locking the suture when tension is applied
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0811 Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0829 without deformation of anchor parts, e.g. fixation screws on bone surface, extending barbs, cams, butterflies, spring-loaded pins
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0852 Fixation of a loop or U-turn, e.g. eyelets, anchor having multiple holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0882 Anchor in or on top of a bone tunnel, i.e. a hole running through the entire bone

Abstract

An apparatus and method for fixing a selected graft relative to a selected anatomical portion. An anchor may be provided that may be interconnected with a selected graft portion that is operable to pass through a selected bore and then moved into an operable position to engage a selected portion of the bore to substantially eliminate the possibility of the graft moving in an unselected direction through the bore. In addition, a spacer member may be used to expand a selected portion of the graft to reduce localized stress and may increase ingrowth into a selected bony portion.

Claims

1. A method of fixing a graft in a selected region of an anatomy with an anchor member, comprising:

forming a bore in the selected region of the anatomy thereby defining an interior surface within the bore and an exterior surface outside of the bore;

interconnecting a flexible member with a connection region extending from the anchor member;

associating the graft with the flexible member;

passing the anchor member through a selected portion of the bore to a first position in a first orientation;

moving the anchor member to a second position thereby selectively engaging the exterior surface; and

holding the graft in a selected position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving an activation portion defined by the anchor;

wherein moving the anchor member to a second position includes moving the lever arm to selectively engaging the exterior surface

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the activation portion and the anchor member are integrally formed as a single member.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible member includes forming a plurality of loops of a strand through an anchor portion of the anchor member;

and

interconnecting the graft with the plurality of loops of the strand.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

interconnecting an activation member with the anchor member;

passing the activation member through the bore; and

moving the anchor member through the bore with the activation member.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

pulling the activation member to move the anchor member to a second position thereby selectively engaging the exterior surface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing a spacer through a selected portion of the bore relative to the anchor member.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

connecting the spacer to the flexible member;

wherein passing the anchor member also passes the spacer through the bore.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

positioning the graft about a portion of the spacer, such that the graft is held relative to the spacer as the spacer is passed through the bore.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

engaging a portion of the bore with a spacer.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

interconnecting a spacer with the anchor member; and

separating a portion of the graft with the spacer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein interconnecting a spacer member includes a spacer member having a cross-section defined by at least one of cruciform, a circle, a square, an ellipsoid, or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein interconnecting a spacer with the anchor member includes:

passing a flexible member through at least a portion of the anchor member and a portion of the spacer member such that said anchor member is operable to move relative to said spacer member about said flexible member.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein separating a portion of the graft with the spacer includes substantially forming the spacer member around a portion of the graft to hold at least a first portion of the graft from a second portion of the graft.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein separating a portion of the graft with the spacer includes passing at least a portion of the graft through the spacer such that the spacer substantially holds a first portion of the graft a distance from a second portion of the draft.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein interconnecting a flexible member with the anchor member includes interconnecting a suture, a wire, a shape memory material, and combinations thereof with the anchor member.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein interconnecting a flexible member with the anchor member includes interconnecting a shaped memory material with the anchor member;

wherein passing the anchor member through a selected portion of the bore includes moving the shape memory material to a stressed position to pass the shaped memory material through the bore;

moving the anchor member to a second orientation to substantially de-stress the shape memory material to return it to an unstressed state.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the graft with a flexible member includes substantially associating a graft to replace an anterior cruciate ligament with the flexible member;

wherein holding the graft in a selected position includes holding the ACL graft relative to at least a portion of the femur.