# US 10,307,153 B2 · Systems, devices and methods for affixing soft tissue to bone

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,307,153 B2
- Document ID: US10307153B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/439,272
- Filed: 2017-02-22
- Published: 2017-08-24
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-02-22
- Applicants: Michael William Nordmeyer; Daniel J. Smith
- Inventors: Michael William Nordmeyer; Daniel J. Smith
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10307153B2

## CPC

- 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)}
- A61B 17/8605: {Heads, i.e. proximal ends projecting from bone}
- A61B 17/862: {at the periphery of the screw head}
- A61B 17/865: {Packages or dispensers for bone screws or threaded wires}
- A61B 17/8695: {Washers (surrounding screw head in plate hole A61B17/8047, between bone plate and bone A61B17/8028)}
- A61B 17/8891: {at its periphery}
- A61B 17/8894: {holding the implant into or through which the screw is to be inserted (A61B17/7082, A61B17/7091 take precedence)}
- A61B 17/863: {with thread interrupted or changing its form along shank, other than constant taper}
- A61B 17/8635: {Tips of screws}
- A61B 2017/0409: {Instruments for applying suture anchors}
- A61B 2017/0416: {Packages or dispensers for suture anchors or for anchor applicators}
- A61B 2017/044: {with a threaded shaft, e.g. screws}
- A61B 2090/0807: {Indication means}
- A61B 2090/0808: {for indicating correct assembly of components, e.g. of the surgical apparatus}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A system for fastening soft tissue to bone includes a bone screw having a threaded shaft and a screw head having an underside with malleable protuberances that project toward a distal end of the threaded shaft. A fixation plate is coupled with the threaded shaft. The fixation plate has a proximal face that opposes the underside of the screw head, a distal face that faces away from the underside of the screw head, an outer peripheral edge that extends between the proximal and distal faces, a central opening for receiving the threaded shaft, and protrusions spaced from one another around the outer peripheral edge that extend distally beyond the distal face of the fixation plate. The system includes an insertion tool having a handle and a tubular shaft extending distally from the handle. The tubular shaft has a proximal shaft section having an inner diameter that closely matches an outer diameter of the screw head, and a distal shaft section having an inner surface with a groove that seats the outer peripheral edge of the fixation plate for releasable retaining the fixation plate within the distal shaft section.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for fastening soft tissue to bone comprising:
a bone screw having a threaded shaft with a proximal end and a distal end, a screw head secured to the proximal end of said threaded shaft, and a self-tapping tip located at the distal end of said threaded shaft;
a fixation plate coupled with said threaded shaft, said fixation plate having a central opening for receiving said threaded shaft of said bone screw and protrusions that extend distally from said fixation plate; and
an insertion tool having a handle and a tubular shaft extending distally from said handle, wherein said tubular shaft has a proximal shaft section that receives said screw head, and wherein said tubular shaft has a distal shaft section having an inner surface with a groove that seats said outer peripheral edge of said fixation plate for retaining said fixation plate within said distal shaft section until said fixation plate is contacted by the underside of said screw head;
wherein said fixation plate has a proximal face that opposes an underside of said screw head, a distal face that faces away from the underside of said screw head, and an outer perimeter edge that extends between said proximal face and said distal face, and wherein said protrusions are spaced from one another about the outer peripheral edge of said fixation plate and extend distally from said distal face of said fixation plate;
wherein the underside of said screw head comprises one or more malleable protuberances that project toward the proximal face of said fixation plate;
wherein said spaced protrusions on said fixation plate have sharpened lower ends;
wherein the central opening of said fixation plate has an outer perimeter, and wherein said fixation plate further comprises guide flanges positioned around the outer perimeter of the central opening for engaging said threaded shaft of said bone screw;
wherein said guide flanges extend distally from said distal face of said fixation plate;
wherein said guide flanges project into the central opening of said fixation plate; and
wherein said proximal shaft section of said tubular shaft has an inner diameter that closes matches an outer diameter of said screw head.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said self-tapping tip located at the distal end of said threaded shaft comprises an angled or fluted tip having at least one sharpened edge.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said threaded shaft of said bone screw comprises an elongated groove devoid of threads that extends between the distal and proximal ends of said threaded shaft for collecting bone chips as said bone screw is advanced into bone and allowing the bone chips to be brought to a surface below the soft tissue being fastened as said bone screw is advanced into bone.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bone screw and said fixation plate comprise biocompatible materials selected from the group consisting of metal, stainless steel and titanium.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distal shaft section comprises a plurality of spaced, elongated slots that extend along the length of said tubular shaft, wherein said spaced, elongated slots are opening at the distal-most end of said tubular shaft, and wherein said spaced protrusions of said fixation plate are disposed within said spaced, elongated slots.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said insertion tool further comprises castling or gripping teeth projecting from the distal-most end of said tubular shaft.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:
said screw head having a top side with a tool opening:
said insertion tool having a rotatable tool bit having a proximal end projecting from a proximal end of said handle and a distal end disposed within said tool opening of said screw head, wherein said tool bit is configured to be rotated for rotating said screw head and said threaded shaft about the longitudinal axis of said threaded shaft.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cartridge containing a plurality of units of said bone screw and said fixation plate coupled with said bone screw, said cartridge including a proximal end that seats said screw heads of said bone screws and a distal end that seats said fixation plates.

### Claim 9

A system for fastening soft tissue to bone comprising:
a bone screw having a threaded shaft with a proximal end and a distal end, a screw head secured to the proximal end of said threaded shaft, said screw head having an underside with malleable protuberances that project toward the distal end of said threaded shaft;
a fixation plate coupled with said threaded shaft, said fixation plate including a proximal face that opposes the underside of said screw head, a distal face that faces away from the underside of said screw head, an outer peripheral edge that extends between said proximal and distal faces, a central opening for receiving said threaded shaft of said bone screw, and protrusions spaced from one another around said outer peripheral edge that extend distally beyond said distal face of said fixation plate;
an insertion tool having a handle and a tubular shaft extending distally from said handle, wherein said tubular shaft has a proximal shaft section having an inner diameter that closely matches an outer diameter of said screw head, and wherein said tubular shaft has a distal shaft section having an inner surface with a groove that seats said outer peripheral edge of said fixation plate for releasable retaining said fixation plate within said distal shaft section.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said bone screw further comprises:
a self-tapping tip located at the distal end of said threaded shaft, wherein said self-tapping tip includes an angled or fluted tip having at least one sharpened edge;
said threaded shaft of said bone screw including an elongated groove devoid of threads that extends between the distal and proximal ends of said threaded shaft for collecting bone chips as said bone screw is advanced into bone and allowing the chips to be brought to a surface below the soft tissue being fastened as said bone screw is advanced into bone.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said spaced protrusions on said fixation plate have sharpened lower ends, wherein the central opening of said fixation plate has an outer perimeter, and wherein said fixation plate further comprises guide flanges positioned around the outer perimeter of the central opening for engaging said threaded shaft of said bone screw.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said distal shaft section comprises a plurality of spaced, elongated slots that extend along the length of said tubular shaft, wherein said spaced, elongated slots are opening at the distal-most end of said tubular shaft, and wherein said spaced protrusions of said fixation plate are disposed within said spaced, elongated slots.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:
said screw head having a top side with a tool opening:
said insertion tool having a rotatable tool bit having a proximal end projecting from a proximal end of said handle and a distal end disposed within said tool opening of said screw head, wherein said tool bit is configured to be rotated for rotating said bone screw about a longitudinal axis that extend between the distal and proximal ends of said threaded shaft.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a cartridge containing a plurality of units of said bone screw and said fixation plate coupled with said bone screw, said cartridge including a proximal end that seats said screw heads of said bone screws and a distal end that seats said fixation plates.

### Claim 15

A system for fastening soft tissue to bone comprising:
a bone screw having a threaded shaft with a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal and distal ends of said threaded shaft, a screw head secured to the proximal end of said threaded shaft, said screw head having an underside with malleable protuberances that project toward the distal end of said elongated shaft, and a self-tapping tip located at the distal end of said threaded shaft;
a fixation plate coupled with said threaded shaft, said fixation plate including a proximal face that opposes the underside of said screw head, a distal face that faces away from the underside of said screw head, an outer peripheral edge that extends between said proximal and distal faces, a central opening for receiving said threaded shaft of said bone screw, and protrusions spaced from one another around said outer peripheral edge of said fixation plate that extend distally beyond said distal face of said fixation plate;
an insertion tool having a handle and a tubular shaft extending distally from said handle, wherein said tubular shaft has a proximal shaft section having an inner diameter that closely matches an outer diameter of said screw head and a distal shaft section having an inner surface with a groove that seats said outer peripheral edge of said fixation plate for releasable retaining said fixation plate with said distal shaft section, said distal shaft section further comprising a plurality of spaced, elongated slots that extend along the length of said tubular shaft and that are open at a distal-most end of said tubular shaft, wherein said spaced protrusions of said fixation plate are disposed within said spaced, elongated slots of said distal shaft section.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a cartridge containing a plurality of units of said bone screw and said fixation plate, said cartridge including a proximal end that seats said screw heads of said bone screws and a distal end that seats said fixation plates coupled with said respective bone screws.