Wedge shaped suture anchor and method of implantation

A suture anchor for disposition in a bore in a bone, the anchor comprising:

• a substantially wedge-shaped body having a smaller distal end and a larger proximal end, said body defining a hole therethrough for retaining a suture, and said body having means thereon for releasable connection to an inserter shaft;
• said body having first and second opposite and parallel planar sides;
• said hole extending from said first side to said second side;
• each of said sides being provided with a rounded entryway leading to said hole, such that said hole is devoid of edges against which the suture can impinge.

A suture anchor for disposition in a bore in a bone, the anchor comprising:

• a substantially wedge-shaped body having a smaller distal end and larger proximal end, means thereon for retaining a suture, and means thereon for releasable connection to an inserter shaft;
• said body distal end being of rounded configuration;
• a plow surface of said body being of rounded configuration in plan view;
• an abutment surface of said body opposite from said plow surface being of rounded configuration in plan view;
• and
• said abutment surface and a boundary surface of said body intersecting to form, in side elevational view, a rounded configuration;
• said rounded configurations being operable to guide entry of said body into the bore in the bone and to center said body in the bore.

A suture anchor for disposition in a bore in a bone, the anchor comprising:

• a substantially wedge-shaped body having a smaller distal end and a larger proximal end, said body defining a hole therethrough for retaining a suture, and said body having means thereon for releasable connection to an inserter shaft;
• said body having first and second opposite sides;
• said hole extending from said first side to said second side;
• each of said sides being provided with a pathway extending from said hole to a boundary surface of said body, said pathway extending into the side of said body further than the diameter of the suture, such that the suture in said hole extends through said pathways and is disposed in said pathways removed from outer surfaces of said body first and second sides.

An installation tool for placing a suture anchor and a suture attached thereto in a bore in a bone, the tool comprising:

• an elongated shroud having therein an internal opening;
• an inserter shaft slidably disposed in said internal opening;
• the suture anchor being releasably connected to a distal end of said inserter shaft;
• said shroud being of elastomeric material and configured to form first and second channels on opposite sides of said internal opening and adapted each to retain a portion of the suture attached to said anchor and extending proximally therefrom;
• each of said channels being formed such that a first portion of said channel at an outer surface of said shroud is narrower than a second portion of said channel spaced from said shroud outer surface;
• said suture portions being removable from said channel second portions by passing through said channel first portions, said elastomeric material deforming to allow said passage through said channel first portion.

A bone anchor system comprising:

• a suture anchor comprising a substantially wedge-shaped body having a smaller distal end and a larger proximal end, means thereon for retaining a suture, and a boundary surface having means thereon for releasable connection to an inserter shaft;
• a suture connected to said anchor by said suture retaining means;
• and
• an inserter shaft connected to said anchor by said boundary surface inserter shaft connection means, said inserter shaft comprising an elongated rod having a handle at a proximal end thereof and said anchor disposed at a distal end thereof, said handle being generally of a “T” configuration in which the head of the “T” is angled 5°-45° off normal to the axis of said rod, said handle being configured such that the head of the “T” fits a palm of an operator's hand and a portion of said head of the “T” extending outwardly and distally from said rod proximal end is adapted to receive a thumb of the hand of the operator.

A bone anchor system comprising:

• a plurality of suture anchors, each comprising a substantially wedge-shaped body having a smaller distal end and a larger proximal end, means thereon for retaining a suture, and means thereon for releasable connection thereof to an inserter shaft;
• an inserter shaft connected to each said anchor by said releasable connection means;
• and
• a suture connected to each of said anchors by said suture retaining means, said sutures each being visually distinguishable from the remainder of said sutures, such that appropriate pairs of strands of said sutures may be visually identified by an operator.

A bone anchor system comprising:

• a suture anchor comprising a substantially wedge-shaped body having a smaller distal end and a larger proximal end, means thereon for retaining a plurality of sutures, and means thereon for releasable connection thereof to an inserter shaft;
• an inserter shaft connected to said anchor by said releasable connection means;
• and
• a plurality of suture strands connected to said anchor by said suture retaining means, said suture strands being visually distinguishable from each other, such that appropriate pairs of strands of said sutures may be visually identified by an operator.

A bone anchor system comprising:

• a bone anchor having means thereon for retaining a suture;
• and
• the suture retained by said bone anchor;
• said suture being identifiable by color such that said suture can be distinguished from other sutures of other colors.

A method for disposing a suture anchor in a bore in a bone, comprising the steps of:

• providing a suture anchor having thereon means for connecting a suture thereto, means for releasably connecting an inserter shaft thereto, a biting edge thereon, and a rounded cam surface on an opposite side of said anchor from said biting edge, said inserter connecting means being offset from a center of said anchor;
• and providing an inserter shaft comprising an elongated rod having a handle at a proximal end thereof and at a distal end thereof connected to said anchor by said releasable connecting means;
• and connecting a suture to said anchor by way of said means for connecting a suture to said anchor;
• by manipulation of said inserter shaft, inserting said anchor in said bone with said biting edge adjacent a first wall portion of the bore in the bone and said rounded cam surface adjacent an opposite second wall portion of the bore;
• pulling said inserter shaft so as to cause said rounded cam portion to move along said second wall portion and said anchor to rotate in said bore with said anchor biting edge biting into said first wall portion of the bore, whereby to lock said anchor in said bore with said suture extending from said bore;
• and
• disengaging said inserter shaft from said anchor.