Suture anchor assembly and methods

A suture anchoring device to affix a suture in a bone, comprising:

• an anchoring element for engagement with a hole drilled in a bone, the element having opposed proximal and distal ends connected by way of a central longitudinal axis, the element having defined therein an axial channel extending from the proximal to the distal end thereof, the element having inner and outer peripheral surfaces forming a wall therebetween, wherein the wall has defined in it a plurality of axially-oriented slots beginning at the proximal end of the anchoring element and extending distally, the slots in communication with the axial channel;
• and a plurality of flexible wall sections further defined between the axially-oriented slots, wherein a proximal surface of a wall section comprises a first camming surface for mating with a second camming surface on an expander element, the first camming surface arranged to cam over the second camming surface so that, when the anchoring element is disposed in the bone hole and moved proximally against the expander element, the flexible wall sections expand into the bone.

A suture anchor comprising:

• an insertion stem
• an expander element disposed on the insertion stem, and
• an anchoring element disposed on the insertion stem for movement within a bone hole from a first position to a second position so that the anchoring element cams over the expander element, forcing at least a portion of the anchoring element into a wall of the bone hole.

A suture anchoring device to affix a suture in a bone, comprising:

• an anchoring element for engagement with a hole drilled in a bone, the anchoring element having an axial channel extending therethrough from a proximal end to a distal end the anchoring element having inner and outer peripheral surfaces forming a wall therebetween, wherein the wall has defined in it a plurality of axially-oriented slots defining a plurality of flexible wall sections, wherein a surface of a flexible wall section comprises a first camming surface for mating with a second camming surface on an expander element, the first camming surface arranged to cam over the second camming surface so that, when the anchoring element is disposed in the bone hole and moved against the expander element, the flexible wall sections expand into the bone.

A suture anchoring device to affix a suture in a bone, comprising:

• a tubular anchoring element for engagement with a hole drilled in a bone, the element having an axial channel extending therethrough from a proximal end to a distal end,
• the anchoring element having an inner peripheral surface defined by the axial channel and an outer peripheral surface, the inner and outer peripheral surfaces forming a wall between, wherein the wall comprises a plurality of flexible sections for movement from a first position, where the flexible wall sections are arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the anchoring element parallel to the axial channel, to a second position, where proximal ends of the flexible wall sections are forced to expand into a wall of the bone hole, and
• a suture retainer engaged with the anchoring element.

A method of anchoring an object to bone, comprising:

• placing into a hole in the bone an assembly including an expander element and an anchoring element disposed on an insertion stem,
• applying force to the insertion stem to move the anchoring element within the bone hole so that at least a portion of the anchoring element cams over the expander element and is forced into a wall of the bone hole, and to break a frangible section of the insertion element to release at least a portion of the insertion stem from the assembly.

A method of anchoring a suture to bone, comprising:

• placing into a hole in the bone an assembly including an expander element and an anchoring element disposed on an insertion stem, where the anchoring element is in engagement with a suture retainer, applying force to the insertion stem to
• move the anchoring element within the bone hole so that at least a portion of the anchoring element cams over the expander element and is forced into a wall of the bone hole, and
• break a frangible section of the insertion element to release at least a portion of the insertion stem from the assembly.