Suture anchor assembly packaging system

A method for packaging a suture anchor assembly of the sort comprising suture anchor, a length of suture and a pair of curved needles, said needles being attached at the non-pointed ends thereof to opposite ends of said suture, and said suture threadingly engaging one end of said anchor, said method comprising:

• (1) providing a tubular element and an envelope,
• said tubular element being formed out of a flexible material and sized so that the pointed ends of said needles may be inserted into the opposite ends of said tubular element so as to removably retain at least said pointed ends of said needles within said tubular element;
• said envelope comprising first and second substantially rectangular side panels, and first, second, third, fourth and fifth flap panels, each of said side panels and said flap panels having a front surface, a back surface, and upper, lower, left and right side edges;
• said first and second side panels being identical to one another in size, and said right side edge of said first side panel being hingedly attached to said left side edge of said second side panel;
• said first flap panel having its right side edge hingedly attached to said left side edge of said first side panel, said second flap panel having its upper side edge hingedly attached to said lower side edge of said first side panel, said third flap panel having its lower side edge hingedly attached to said upper side edge of said second side panel, said fourth flap panel having its left side edge hingedly attached to said right side edge of said second side panel, and said fifth flap panel having its upper side edge hingedly attached to said lower side edge of said second side panel;
• said first side panel including anchor retention means for holding said suture anchor on said back surface of said first side panel adjacent said upper side edge of said first side panel, suture retention means adjacent said upper side edge thereof, and first flap retention means adjacent said lower side edge thereof;
• said second side panel including second flap retention means adjacent said left side edge thereof;
• (2) inserting said pointed ends of said needles into said opposite ends of said tubular element;
• (3) engaging said suture anchor with said anchor retention means and engaging the suture extending from said suture anchor with said suture retention means;
• (4) coiling the suture extending between said suture retention means and said needles;
• (5) locating said coiled suture on said front surface of said first side panel and locating said needles joined by said tubular element on said front surface of said second side panel;
• and
• (6) forming said envelope around said coiled suture and said needles by:
• (i) locating the front surface of said second and fourth flap panels against the front surface of said first and second side panels, respectively, with the suture coil and said needles located respectively therebetween;
• (ii) locating the front surface of said fifth flap panel against the back surface of said fourth flap panel;
• (iii) locating the back surface of said second flap panel against the back surface of said fifth flap panel;
• (iv) locating the front surface of said first flap panel against the back surface of said second side panel, and then releasably engaging said first flap panel with said second flap retention means;
• and
• (v) locating the front surface of said third flap panel against the back surface of said first side panel, and then releasably engaging said third flap panel with said first flap retention means.