Implantation tool for bone anchors with sliding inner tube

A method of implanting a bone anchor of a bone anchor array, the method comprising:

• using an implantation tool having a housing with a handle and a trigger, an anchor tube having an anchor tube proximal end and an anchor tube distal end, the anchor tube proximal end attached to the housing, an upper slide moveably positioned in the housing, wherein the upper slide is moveable relative to the housing between a retracted position and a delivery position, the upper slide including a cartridge opening for receiving a cartridge containing an anchor of the bone anchor array, and an inner tube having an inner tube distal end and an inner tube proximal end, the inner tube proximal end attached to the upper slide, the inner tube passing into and extending within the anchor tube, and a bone punch, as follows:
• a) advancing the bone punch through the upper slide and into the inner tube while the upper slide is in the retracted position and the inner tube distal end is within the anchor tube;
• and
• b) continuing to advance the bone punch to interact with the upper slide and push the upper slide to the delivery position, thereby causing a distal tip of the bone punch to advance beyond the inner tube distal end and form a bone hole, and also causing the inner tube distal end to extend beyond the anchor tube and into the bone hole;
• c) actuating the trigger to retract the bone punch without retracting the inner tube, leaving the upper slide in the delivery position;
• and
• d) inserting a cartridge carrying an anchor into the cartridge opening of the upper slide.