Method and apparatus for attaching tissue to bone, including the provision and use of a novel knotless suture anchor system

#This invention relates to surgical methods and apparatus in general, and more particularly to surgical methods and apparatus for treating a hip joint and other anatomy.

#The Hip Joint in General

#The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint which movably connects the leg to the torso. The hip joint is capable of a wide range of different motions, e.g., flexion and extension, abduction and adduction, medial and lateral rotation, etc. See FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D.

#These and other objects and features of the present invention will be more fully disclosed or rendered obvious by the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, which is to be considered together with the accompanying drawings wherein like numbers refer to like parts, and further wherein:

#FIGS. 1A-1D are schematic views showing various aspects of hip motion;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing bone structures in the region of the hip joint;

#Looking first at FIGS. 19 and 20, there is shown a novel knotless suture anchor system 5 formed in accordance with the present invention. Knotless suture anchor system 5 generally comprises a knotless suture anchor 10, an inserter 15 for inserting knotless suture anchor 10 in bone, and a suture threader 20 for threading a suture through knotless suture anchor 10 (and inserter 15) before the knotless suture anchor is deployed in bone.

#Looking next at FIGS. 21-25, knotless suture anchor 10 generally comprises a body 25, a locking element 30 for radially expanding the body and securing a suture (not shown in FIGS. 21-25) to the body, and a pull rod 35 for moving locking element 30 proximally relative to body 25, whereby to simultaneously (i) radially expand the body so as to secure knotless suture anchor 10 to bone, and (ii) secure a suture to the body so as to secure that suture to knotless suture anchor 10 (and hence to the bone within which the knotless suture anchor is secured).

#More particularly, and still looking now at FIGS. 21-25, body 25 comprises a distal end 40 terminating in a distal end surface 45, a proximal end 50 terminating in a proximal end surface 55, and a stepped bore 60 extending from distal end surface 45 to proximal end surface 55. Stepped bore 60 comprises a distal section 65 having a wider diameter, and a proximal section 70 having a narrower diameter. Distal section 65 preferably has a relatively smooth interior wall, and proximal section 70 preferably has a textured interior wall, e.g., threads 72. A shoulder 75 is formed at the intersection of distal section 65 and proximal section 70.