# US 11,998,188 B2 · Suture threader for bone plate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,998,188 B2 - Document ID: US11998188B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/552,001 - Filed: 2021-12-15 - Published: 2022-06-30 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-28 - Assignees: DePuy Synthes Products, Inc. - Applicants: Depuy Synthes Products, Inc. - Inventors: Gaser El Zoghbi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998188B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/0482: {Needle or suture guides (guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; guides for puncturing needles A61B17/3403)} - A61B 17/0485: {Devices or means, e.g. loops, for capturing the suture thread and threading it through an opening of a suturing instrument or needle eyelet} - 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 17/0483: {Hand-held instruments for holding sutures (A61B17/0469 takes precedence; other holders for needles or sutures A61B17/06061; surgical forceps A61B17/28; surgical pincettes A61B17/30)} - A61B 17/1728: {for holes for bone plates or plate screws} - A61B 17/8052: {immobilised relative to screws by interlocking form of the heads and plate holes, e.g. conical or threaded} - A61B 17/808: {Instruments for holding or positioning bone plates, or for adjusting screw-to-plate locking mechanisms} - A61B 17/8061: {specially adapted for particular bones (A61B17/70 and A61B17/74 take precedence)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A suture threader configured to thread sutures through suture holes in a bone plate, including: a base; a plurality of hooks attached to the base, wherein the plurality of hooks are arranged at positions on the base corresponding the suture holes on the bone plate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system configured to thread sutures through suture holes in a bone plate, comprising: a bone plate comprising a plurality of suture holes; and a suture threader comprising: a base; a plurality of hooks attached to the base, wherein the plurality of hooks are arranged at positions on the base corresponding to the plurality of suture holes on the bone plate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a handle connected to the base. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the base has a lower surface shaped to correspond to a shape of the bone plate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the base is a screw targeting guide. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hooks are wire hooks, wherein the wire hooks include a loop portion configured to receive a suture, wherein the loop portion includes a bend that forms an opening to the loop portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hooks are sliding hooks, wherein the sliding hooks include a body with a hollow opening and a shaft in the hollow opening, wherein the shaft slides in the hollow opening to form a loop configured to receive a suture. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hooks are latch hooks, wherein the latch hooks include a body with a pivot and a latch attached to the body via the pivot, wherein the latch rotates about the pivot to form a loop configured to receive a suture. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a plate alignment structure attached to the base configured to engage an edge or hole of the bone plate and align the hooks with the plurality of suture holes. ### Claim 9 A system configured to thread sutures through suture holes in a bone plate, comprising: a bone plate comprising a plurality of suture holes; and a suture threader comprising: a base; a plurality of loops attached to the base, wherein the plurality of loops are arranged at positions on the base corresponding to the plurality of suture holes on the bone plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising a handle connected to the base. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, the base has a lower surface shaped to correspond to a shape of the bone plate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the base is a screw targeting guide. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising a plate alignment structure attached to the base configured to engage an edge or a hole of the bone plate and align the loops with the plurality of suture holes. ### Claim 14 A method for threading sutures through suture holes in a bone plate using a suture threader including a base, a plurality of loops or hooks attached to the base, wherein the plurality of loops or hooks are arranged at positions on the base corresponding to the suture holes on the bone plate, comprising: inserting the loops or hooks of the suture threader through suture holes of the bone plate by moving the suture threader towards the bone plate; threading sutures through the loops or the hooks of the suture threader; pulling the sutures through the suture holes by pulling the loops or hooks out of the suture holes by moving the suture threader away from the bone plate; and removing the suture from the loops or hooks. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising aligning the loops or hooks of the suture threader with the suture holes of the bone plate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein aligning the loops or hooks of the suture threader with the suture holes of the bone plate includes aligning a plate alignment structure with an edge or hole of the bone plate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein threading the sutures through the hooks of the suture threader includes threading the sutures through openings in a loop portions on the hooks. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein at least one loop portion of the loop portions includes a bend that forms an opening to the at least one loop portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the hooks include a body with a hollow opening and a shaft in the hollow opening, further comprising sliding the shaft in the hollow opening to form the opening in the loop portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the hooks include a body with a pivot and a latch attached to the body via the pivot, further comprising rotating the latch about the pivot to form the opening in the loop portion.