Method and apparatus for soft tissue fixation

• US 8,740,939 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2012
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• 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: Stone, Kevin T., Kaiser, Ryan A., Sautter, Nathan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SEVERSON, RYAN J
• Application Number:
  US13/350,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 606/151, 606/219, 606/232
• US Class Current: 606/232
• 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 2017/0435 the barbs being separate elements mechanically linked to the anchor, e.g. by pivots
• 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 2017/0459 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: 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

A positioning member may be released to move an anchor member to a holding position. The positioning member being operable to be held in a selected orientation until the anchor member is in a selected position.

Claims

1. A method of holding a graft in a selected position relative to a portion of an anatomy with an anchor comprising:

forming a bore in a bone;

positioning the anchor relative to the bone;

passing a graft engaging member through the bore;

engaging a graft with the graft engaging member; and

moving the graft through the bore with the graft engaging member by moving the graft engaging member with an activation member relative to the positioned anchor so as to reduce the length of the graft engaging member.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

fixing a first end of the graft with the anchor; and

fixing a second end of the graft with a second anchor member.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the graft includes using a selection portion to select a size for the graft engaging member;

wherein selecting a size for the graft engaging member includes moving the graft engaging member through the bore.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tensioning the graft relative to the bone; and

setting the anchor relative to the bore;

wherein tensioning the graft assists in the setting the anchor relative to the bore.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving the anchor through the bore in a first orientation; and

moving the anchor to a second orientation after removing it from the bore.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extending the activation member through the bore in the bone by at least one of pulling the activation member through the bore, holding the activation member while moving the anchor through the bore, or combinations thereof.

7. A method of holding a graft in a selected position relative to a portion of an anatomy with an anchor comprising:

passing the anchor through a bore in a bone in a first position;

arranging a graft over a flexible member slidably connected to the anchor one of before or after passing the anchor through the bore;

rotating the anchor from the first position to a second position outside of the bore and arranging the anchor such that the anchor extends across the bore;

moving the graft within the bore by moving the flexible member relative to the anchor in the second position with an activation member to reduce the length of the flexible member;

tensioning the graft within the bore; and

retaining the graft in the bore.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein tensioning the graft includes sliding the flexible member through a port defined within the anchor.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein tensioning the graft includes sliding the flexible member through at least one of two parallel ports defined within the anchor.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the graft is arranged over a graft engagement portion of the flexible member.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the activation member includes an activation end of the flexible member;

and

further comprising tensioning the graft by pulling the activation end of the flexible member, the activation end is opposite to the graft engagement portion.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising retaining the graft in the bore by arranging a cross-member of the anchor across the bore.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising passing the anchor through the bore by pulling a movement member through the bore, the movement member seated in a guide arranged at an end of a cross-member of the anchor.

14. A method of holding a graft in a selected position relative to a portion of an anatomy with an anchor comprising:

passing the anchor through a bore in a bone in a first position in which a longitudinal axis extending from a first end of a cross-member of the anchor to a second end of the cross-member is generally aligned with a center axis of the bore;

arranging a graft over a flexible member slidably connected to the anchor one of before or after passing the anchor through the bore, the flexible member arranged between the first end and the second end of the longitudinal axis;

rotating the anchor from the first position to a second position outside of the bore and arranging the cross-member across the bore;

moving the graft within the bore by moving the flexible member with an activation portion of the flexible member relative to the anchor in the second position to reduce the length of the flexible member;

tensioning the graft within the bore by pulling on the activation portion of the flexible member; and

retaining the graft in the bore.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein tensioning the graft includes sliding the flexible member through a pair of ports arranged in parallel and defined within the anchor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein tensioning the graft includes sliding the flexible member through the pair of ports that extend generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the graft is arranged over a graft engagement portion of the flexible member that is opposite to the activation portion of the flexible member.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising passing the anchor through the bore by pulling a movement member through the bore, the movement member is threaded through an opening in the cross-member that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein pulling the movement member includes pulling a suture.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising passing the anchor through the bore by pulling a movement member secured to the first end of the cross-member, and passing the first end through the bore before the second end.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising arranging the graft over the flexible member slidably connected to a collar portion of the anchor, the collar portion extending from the cross-member.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the bore in the bone is a first bore formed in a first bone, the method further comprising:

forming a second bore in a second bone, the second bore aligned with the first bore;

passing the anchor and the graft through the second bore; and

retaining the graft by affixing the graft to the second bone at an exterior of the second bore.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising arranging the graft over a graft support member.