# US 2025/0143686 A1 · Surgical anchors and surgical anchoring methods

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- Number: US 2025/0143686 A1
- Document ID: US20250143686A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/691,032
- Filed: 2023-01-11
- Published: 2025-05-08
- Earliest claimed: 2022-01-31
- Applicants: INTERNATIONAL LIFE SCIENCES, LLC d/b/a ARTELON
- Inventors: Lauren Chase Thornburg; Aaron Christopher Smith; Mark Elliot Wiltshire
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250143686A1

## CPC

- 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 17/06114: {Packages or dispensers for needles or sutures (packages for sharps A61B50/3001; for dental floss A61C15/043; packages for needles in general B65D85/24)}
- A61B 17/06166: {Sutures (suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M)}
- A61B 17/16: Instruments for performing osteoclasis; Drills or chisels for bones; Trepans {(arthroscopic bone cutters A61B17/320016)}
- A61B 2017/00831: {Material properties}
- A61B 2017/0406: {Pledgets}
- A61B 2017/0409: {Instruments for applying suture anchors}
- A61B 2017/0445: {cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument}
- A61B 2017/06057: {Double-armed sutures, i.e. sutures having a needle attached to each end}
- A61B 2017/0608: {J-shaped}
- A61B 2017/06142: {having needle- or suture- retaining members, e.g. holding tabs or needle parks}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

Surgical anchors and related systems and methods that utilize sutures or other flexible, elongated members to actively deploy a deformable anchor body in a manner that facilitates better deployment of the anchor in the bone, resulting in better fixation and resistance to pull out.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A surgical anchor, comprising:
(a) an anchor body, the anchor body deformable from an insertion configuration to an anchoring configuration; and
(b) a flexible, elongated member, the flexible, elongated member comprising:
(i) a looped section, the looped section including a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein at least part of the distal portion is engaged with the deformable anchor body; and
(ii) first and second tail sections, the first and second tail sections extending from a proximal portion of the looped section;
wherein the surgical anchor is configured such that tensioning the first and second tail sections causes the loop to narrow, causing the anchor body to deform to the anchoring configuration.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The surgical anchor of claim 1, wherein the first and second tail sections connect to the looped section at a proximal apex of the looped section.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The surgical anchor of claim 2, wherein the looped section is formed by two overlapping loops of the elongated member and wherein the looped section ends where the first and second tail sections connect to the looped section.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The surgical anchor of claim 2, wherein the looped section comprises more than one complete loop of the elongated member, wherein the elongated member, including the looped section and the two tail sections, is a single suture.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The surgical anchor of claim 2, wherein the surgical anchor is configured such that tensioning the first and second tail sections causes the loop to narrow and causes the connection between the looped section and the tail sections to move distally, causing the anchor body to deform to the anchoring configuration.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The surgical anchor of claim 1, wherein the first and second tail sections of the elongated member pierce the elongated member at the proximal portion of the looped section to connect the first and second tail sections to the looped section.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The surgical anchor of claim 6, wherein tensioning the first and second tail sections draw the tail sections further through the elongated member where the tail sections pierce the elongated member.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The surgical anchor of claim 7, wherein tensioning the first and second tail sections tightens the looped section.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The surgical anchor of claim 1, wherein the anchor body comprises a central body portion and two wings.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The surgical anchor of claim 9, wherein tensioning the first and second tail sections causes the central body to expand in size and causes the two wings to press outwardly.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The surgical anchor of claim 9, wherein the anchor body comprises a sleeve.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The surgical anchor of claim 11, wherein the looped section of the elongate member extends through a cavity of the sleeve.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The surgical anchor of claim 12, wherein the looped section extends out of the sleeve adjacent to the two wings.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The surgical anchor of claim 12, wherein the looped section of the elongate member pierces the sleeve adjacent to the two wings.

### Claim 15

A surgical anchor, comprising:
(a) an anchor body, the anchor body deformable from an insertion configuration to an anchoring configuration; and
(b) a single length of suture, the single length of suture comprising:
(i) a looped section, the looped section including more than one complete loops of the single length of suture; and
(ii) first and second tail sections, the first and section tail sections extending from the looped section;
wherein the surgical anchor is configured such that tensioning the first and second tail sections causes the looped section to narrow, causing the anchor body to deform to the anchoring configuration.

### Claim 16

A surgical anchoring method, the method comprising:
(a) using an inserter, inserting a surgical anchor into a bone cavity, the surgical anchor comprising:
(1) an anchor body, the anchor body deformable from an insertion configuration to an anchoring configuration; and
(2) a flexible, elongated member, the flexible, elongated member comprising:
(i) a looped section, the looped section including a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein at least part of the distal portion is engaged with the deformable anchor body; and
(ii) first and second tail sections, the first and second tail sections connected to the looped section at the proximal portion of the looped section;
(b) tensioning the first and second tail sections to cause the connection between the tail sections and the looped section to move distally, causing the anchor body to deform to the anchoring configuration, anchoring the surgical anchor in the bone cavity.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The surgical anchoring method of claim 16, wherein the bone cavity extends through cortical bone and into cancellous bone, wherein inserting the surgical anchor comprises inserting the surgical anchor into the cancellous bone such that the anchor body is spaced from and below the cortical bone.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The surgical anchoring method of claim 17, wherein the first and second tail sections are tensioned and the anchor body deformed to the anchoring configuration while the anchor body is spaced from and below the cortical bone.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The surgical anchoring method of claim 17, wherein the bone cavity is between about 1 mm and 2 mm in diameter, and wherein, after anchoring the surgical anchor in the bone cavity, the surgical anchor is configured to resist a pullout force of at least 150 N.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The surgical anchoring method of claim 16, wherein the first and second tail sections are tensioned and the anchor body deformed to the anchoring configuration without drawing the anchor body proximally in the bone cavity.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The surgical anchoring method of claim 16, wherein the anchor body is on a distal end of the surgical instrument, wherein the distal end of the surgical instrument remains stationary during deformation of the anchor body.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The surgical anchoring method of claim 16, wherein the inserter comprises an elongated shaft extending along an insertion axis, and, wherein during tensioning of the first and second tail sections, the tail sections extend from the connection between the tail sections and the looped section at non-parallel angles relative to the insertion axis.

### Claim 23 (depends on 16)

The surgical anchoring method of claim 16, wherein:
(i) the inserter comprises an elongated shaft and a tensioner;
(ii) the tensioner moveable relative to the elongated shaft between an un-tensioned position and a tensioned position;
(iii) the anchor body of the surgical anchor on a distal end of the elongated shaft; and
(iv) the first and second tail sections of the elongated member extending from the anchor body to the proximal tensioner;
wherein moving the tensioner from the un-tensioned position to the tensioned position causes the anchor body to deform to the anchoring configuration.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The surgical anchoring method of claim 23, wherein the inserter comprises positive stops at the un-tensioned and tensioned positions.