Method for anchoring suture to bone

A method for anchoring one end of a piece of suture in bone, said method comprising the steps of:

• (1) providing a suture anchor comprising (a) a coupling member, (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight configuration, and (c) attachment means for attaching one end of a suture to said suture anchor;
• (2) deforming said barb to a substantially straight configuration and retaining said barb in its deformed condition, and attaching a suture having a first end and a second end to said attachment means at said first end of said suture so that said second end of said suture is free for use in attaching objects to a bone when said suture anchor is anchored in said bone, and forming a hole in a bone which is to have said object attached thereto;
• (3) inserting said suture anchor with deformed barb into said hole in said bone;
• and
• (4) releasing said barb from its deformed condition while said suture anchor is disposed in said hole, whereby said barb will restore itself to its normal curved state so as to fix said suture anchor and said first end of said suture to said bone.