# US 2014/0194937 A1 · Fastener > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194937 A1 - Document ID: US20140194937A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/146,347 - Filed: 2014-01-02 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-04 - Assignees: The General Hospital Corporation dba Massachusetts General Hospital; The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research - Inventors: Stanley E. Asnis; Peter D. Asnis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194937A1 ## CPC - A61B 17/863: {with thread interrupted or changing its form along shank, other than constant taper} - A61B 17/8645: {Headless screws, e.g. ligament interference screws} - A61F 2/0811: {Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments} - A61B 17/8625: {Shanks, i.e. parts contacting bone tissue} - A61B 17/8685: {comprising multiple separate parts} - A61F 2002/0852: {Fixation of a loop or U-turn, e.g. eyelets, anchor having multiple holes} - A61F 2002/0882: {Anchor in or on top of a bone tunnel, i.e. a hole running through the entire bone} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract A fastener includes an elongate fastener body defining a longitudinal axis substantially central thereto. The fastener body has a continuous outer fastener shell laterally surrounding the longitudinal axis. The fastener shell longitudinally separates a fastener head end and a fastener tip end. A tool-engaging feature is provided on the fastener head end. A plurality of teeth are located on the fastener shell and extend substantially laterally outward from the longitudinally axis. The fastener shell is comprised of at least one undulate face and at least one substantially flat face. The plurality of teeth are located only on the undulate faces. Each tooth is longitudinally separated from adjacent teeth along an undulate face. A method of installing the fastener into a receiving structure is also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fastener, comprising: an elongate fastener body defining a longitudinal axis substantially central thereto, the fastener body having a continuous outer fastener shell laterally surrounding the longitudinal axis, the fastener shell longitudinally separating a fastener head end and a fastener tip end; a tool-engaging feature on the fastener head end; and a plurality of teeth located on the fastener shell and extending substantially laterally outward from the longitudinally axis; wherein the fastener shell is comprised of at least one undulate face and at least one substantially flat face, the plurality of teeth being located only on the undulate faces, each tooth being longitudinally separated from adjacent teeth along an undulate face. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fastener of claim 1, wherein each tooth of a selected undulate face includes a leading edge apex defined by a concave feature in a laterally oriented profile of the selected undulate face, the leading edge apex causing the tooth to be asymmetrical along the laterally oriented profile, the leading edge apex being located on a portion of the selected undulate face that leads engagement of the tooth with an ambient material when the fastener is being rotated about the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fastener of claim 1, wherein each tooth of a second undulate face, other than the selected undulate face, is symmetrical along a laterally oriented profile of the second undulate face. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fastener of claim 1, wherein the tool-engaging feature is a tool-accepting void recessed into the fastener head end. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fastener of claim 1, wherein the tool-engaging feature is a tool-engaging lug protruding from the fastener head end. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The fastener of claim 5, wherein the tool-engaging lug includes an anchor feature connected to a structure being anchored by the fastener. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fastener of claim 1, wherein the fastener shell is comprised of at least two undulate faces, each undulate face being laterally separated from the other undulate faces around a laterally-oriented perimeter of the fastener shell by a flat face. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fastener of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the fastener shell includes an ingrowth encouragement feature. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A fastening method for substantially securing an inserted structure within a receiving structure, the fastening method comprising: inserting at least a portion of the fastener of claim 1 into a receiving aperture of the receiving structure; inserting at least a portion of the inserted structure into the receiving aperture, laterally adjacent to the fastener; rotating the fastener substantially a quarter turn about a longitudinal axis thereof; penetrating at least one tooth of the fastener laterally into a wall of the receiving aperture; and concurrently with penetration of the at least one tooth into the wall of the receiving aperture, penetrating at least one other tooth of the fastener laterally into the inserted structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The fastening method of claim 9, wherein the inserted structure includes a bone block and the receiving structure is a graft tunnel. ### Claim 11 A method of installing a fastener into a receiving structure, the method comprising the steps of: providing a fastener, the fastener including: an elongate fastener body, having longitudinally spaced fastener head and fastener tip ends, the fastener body defining a longitudinal axis, two elongate flat faces, each flat face extending substantially parallel to, and laterally spaced from, the longitudinal axis, the two flat faces being located laterally opposite one another on the fastener body, and two elongate undulate faces, each undulate face having a plurality of longitudinally spaced teeth arranged thereupon, each undulate face extending substantially parallel to, and laterally spaced from, the longitudinal axis, the two undulate faces being located laterally opposite one another on the fastener body, and the two undulate faces being laterally separated from one another by interposed flat faces, wherein a fastener perimeter is defined in a lateral plane by the two flat faces and the two undulate faces, the fastener perimeter entirely laterally surrounding the longitudinal axis; providing a longitudinally oriented receiving aperture in the receiving structure; inserting the fastener tip end into the receiving aperture; penetrating the receiving aperture with the fastener body to a predetermined depth; maintaining the fastener in the receiving aperture in a first alignment; rotating the fastener about the longitudinal axis within the receiving aperture into a second alignment; driving at least one tooth laterally into the receiving structure from the receiving aperture due to rotation of the fastener into the second alignment; and with the at least one tooth driven laterally into the substrate, maintaining the fastener in the receiving aperture in the second alignment to resist longitudinal movement of the fastener with respect to the receiving aperture. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the step of rotating the fastener about the longitudinal axis within the receiving aperture into a second alignment includes the step of rotating the fastener substantially ninety degrees about the longitudinal axis within the receiving aperture into the second alignment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, including the steps of: providing an anchored structure within the receiving aperture, laterally adjacent to the fastener in the first alignment; and driving at least one tooth laterally into the anchored structure due to rotation of the fastener into the second alignment, the at least one tooth driven laterally into the anchored structure being arranged upon a different undulate face than the at least one tooth driven laterally into the receiving structure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the step of providing an anchored structure within the receiving aperture includes the steps of: providing a bone block, the bone block dimensioned for insertion into the receiving aperture; providing an elongate graft ligament having first and second graft ends; directly connecting the first graft end to the bone block; and inserting at least a portion of the bone block, as an anchored structure, into the receiving aperture. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the step of providing a longitudinally oriented receiving aperture in the receiving structure includes the step of providing a rotationally asymmetrical receiving aperture in the receiving structure, the rotationally asymmetrical receiving aperture having a structure-receiving portion laterally adjacent to a fastener-receiving portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the step of providing a rotationally asymmetrical receiving aperture in the receiving structure includes the steps of: drilling a substantially cylindrical receiving aperture in the receiving structure; inserting at least a portion of an elongate guiding rod longitudinally into the cylindrical receiving aperture; mating a guided chisel with the guiding rod when the guiding rod is at least partially located in the cylindrical receiving aperture; guiding the guided chisel into the receiving structure laterally adjacent to the cylindrical receiving aperture through sliding engagement between the guided chisel and the guiding rod; and excavating the receiving structure laterally adjacent to the cylindrical receiving aperture to create the rotationally asymmetrical receiving aperture. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, including the steps of: providing each tooth of a selected undulate face with a leading edge apex defined by a concave feature in a laterally oriented profile of the selected undulate face; and locating the leading edge apex on a portion of the selected undulate face that leads engagement of the tooth with an ambient material when the fastener is being rotated about the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, including the step of transmitting rotary force from a manipulation tool to the fastener body via a tool-engaging feature on the fastener head end. ### Claim 19 A fastener, comprising: an elongate fastener body, having longitudinally spaced fastener head and fastener tip ends, the fastener body defining a longitudinal axis; two elongate flat faces, each flat face extending substantially parallel to, and laterally spaced from, the longitudinal axis, the two flat faces being located laterally opposite one another on the fastener body; and two elongate undulate faces, each undulate face having a plurality of longitudinally spaced teeth arranged thereupon, each undulate face extending substantially parallel to, and laterally spaced from, the longitudinal axis, the two undulate faces being located laterally opposite one another on the fastener body, and the two undulate faces being laterally separated from one another by interposed flat faces; wherein a fastener perimeter is defined in a lateral plane by the two flat faces and the two undulate faces, the fastener perimeter entirely laterally surrounding the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The fastener of claim 19, wherein each tooth of a selected undulate face includes a leading edge apex defined by a concave feature in a laterally oriented profile of the selected undulate face, the leading edge apex being located on a portion of the selected undulate face that leads engagement of the tooth with an ambient material when the fastener is being rotated about the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The fastener of claim 19, wherein the fastener head end includes a tool-engaging feature configured to transmit rotary force from a manipulation tool to the fastener body. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The fastener of claim 19, wherein the fastener has a smaller lateral footprint size at the fastener tip end than a corresponding lateral footprint of the fastener at the fastener head end.