Knotless suture or tissue anchor
AssigneeSmith & Nephew, Inc.
InventorsNehal N. Patel, Matthew E. Koski, Geoffrey I. Karasic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention include methods and devices for securing a suture, graft, or other material to tissue with an anchor. The anchor of some embodiments includes an eyelet through which the suture, graft, or other material may be passed and mechanisms for selectively engaging the suture, graft, or other material through the eyelet. The mechanisms of some embodiments may also reinforce the anchor to provide a strengthened anchor to withstand actions such as impacting the anchor during insertion or applying bending stress to the anchor.
Claims30
An anchor system comprising:
- an anchor with an opening through its proximal end and an eyelet through the anchor that is transverse with and intersects the opening;
- and
- an inserter comprising:
- an outer shaft configured to contact the anchor and to be used to push the anchor into tissue, and
- a rod configured to fit within the outer shaft and move within the outer shaft and to move within the anchor when the outer shaft is in position to push the anchor into tissue;
- wherein the rod is configured to go through the opening in the proximal end of the anchor and to occlude the eyelet when advanced distally within the anchor;
- and
- wherein the rod supports and improves the strength of the anchor system when advanced distally within the anchor.
A method of anchoring to tissue comprising:
- providing an anchor with an opening through its proximal end and an eyelet through the anchor that is transverse with and intersects the opening;
- providing an inserter that includes a rod configured to fit within the anchor;
- passing a suture through the eyelet;
- advancing the rod distally through the opening in the anchor far enough to occlude the eyelet;
- pushing the anchor into tissue at least as far as the proximal end of the anchor after the rod has been advanced distally through the opening in the anchor far enough to occlude the eyelet;
- and
- removing the rod proximally through the opening in the anchor.
A method of securing a suture to a bone comprising:
- passing a suture through an eyelet in an anchor;
- engaging an inserter with the anchor and the suture to positively hold the suture relative to the anchor;
- pushing the anchor into the bone with the inserter such that the suture is wedged between the anchor and the bone, thereby substantially preventing movement of the suture relative to the anchor;
- and
- removing the inserter from the anchor, leaving the anchor and the suture secured in the bone.
A method of securing a suture to a bone comprising:
- coupling the suture to an anchor system, the anchor system comprising:
- an anchor with an opening through its proximal end and an eyelet through the anchor that is transverse with and intersects the opening, and
- an inserter comprising an outer shaft configured to contact the anchor and to be used to push the anchor into tissue, and a rod housed within the outer shaft and the anchor, the rod extending through the opening in the proximal end of the anchor and configured to occlude the eyelet when advanced distally within the anchor,
- pushing the anchor into the bone with the inserter such that the suture is wedged between the anchor and the bone, thereby substantially preventing movement of the suture relative to the anchor;
- and
- removing the inserter from the anchor, leaving the anchor and the suture secured in the bone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.