Bone anchor, insertion tool and surgical kit employing same

An anchor-insertion tool for laparoscopically inserting and securing an anchor within a bore created in bone, said anchor having at least one suture extending therefrom, said anchor-insertion tool comprising an elongate, rigid member having

• (a) an anchor-receiving tip, said tip capable of matingly engaging an anchor;
• (b) a cylindrical hollow intermediate portion having one end adjacent said anchor-receiving tip, said intermediate portion having a diameter greater than the diameter of said anchor-receiving tip;
• (c) a handle attached to said intermediate portion at the end opposite said anchor-receiving tip;
• and
• (d) a passageway providing communication between the interior of said intermediate portion and the exterior of said tool, such that a suture extending from an anchor portioned on said anchor-receiving tip may pass from said anchor-receiving tip, through at least a portion of said intermediate portion, and through said passageway;
• further comprising at least one notch for holding a suture, wherein a suture may be wedged within said notch for tensioning the suture between an anchor positioned on said anchor-receiving tip and said notch, and further wherein said notch is sized such that the suture may slide within said notch as the anchor-receiving tip is moved away from an anchor to which the suture is attached.

A loaded anchor-insertion tool comprising, in combination, an anchor-insertion tool, an anchor and a suture, said anchor-insertion tool comprising an elongate, rigid member having:

• (a) an anchor-receiving tip, said tip capable of matingly engaging an anchor;
• (b) a cylindrical, hollow intermediate portion having one end adjacent said anchor-receiving tip, said intermediate portion having a diameter greater than the diameter of said anchor-receiving tip;
• (c) a handle attached to said intermediate portion at the end opposite said anchor-receiving tip;
• (d) a passageway providing communication between the interior of said intermediate portion and the exterior of said tool, such that a suture extending from an anchor portioned on said anchor-receiving tip may pass from said anchor-receiving tip, through at least a portion of said intermediate portion, and through said passageway;
• and
• (e) at least one notch for holding said suture;
• said anchor matingly and releasably engaged with said anchor-receiving tip, said suture extending from said anchor through the interior of said intermediate portion and through said passageway, and said suture slidably wedged within said notch and tensioned between said anchor and said notch, and further wherein said notch is sized such that the suture may slide within said notch as the anchor-receiving tip is moved away from the anchor.

A loaded anchor-insertion tool comprising, in combination, an anchor a suture, and an anchor-insertion tool for laparoscopically inserting and securing said anchor within a bore created in bone, said anchor comprising:

• (a) a body having a longitudinal axis, and proximal and distal ends;
• (b) at least three wing members extending outwardly from, and secured to said body, each of said wing members capable of being elastically flexed from a normal deployed position to a compressed position, each of said wing members further having an external end positioned away from said body, at least a portion of said external ends of each of said wing members substantially aligned along a first imaginary plane extending through said body at an angle to a transverse cross-section through said body, said transverse cross-section perpendicular to said longitudinal axis;
• and
• (c) an aperture positioned adjacent said proximal end of said body;
• said anchor-insertion tool comprising an elongate, rigid member having:
• an anchor-receiving tip matingly and releasably engaged with said anchor;
• an intermediate portion having one end adjacent said anchor-receiving tip, said intermediate portion having a diameter greater than the diameter of said anchor-receiving tip;
• and
• a handle attached to said intermediate portion at the end opposite said anchor-receiving tip
• wherein said suture extends from said aperture of said anchor.

A surgical kit for performing laparoscopic urethropexy, said kit comprising a pair of loaded anchor-insertion tools each of said anchor-insertion tools comprising an elongate, rigid member having:

• (a) an anchor-receiving tip, said tip capable of matingly engaging an anchor;
• (b) a cylindrical, hollow intermediate portion having one end adjacent said anchor-receiving tip, said intermediate portion having a diameter greater than the diameter of said anchor-receiving tip;
• (c) a handle attached to said intermediate portion at the end opposite said anchor-receiving tip;
• (d) a passageway providing communication between the interior of said intermediate portion and the exterior of said tool, such that a suture extending from an anchor portioned on said anchor-receiving tip may pass from said anchor-receiving tip, through at least a portion of said intermediate portion, and through said passageway;
• and
• (e) at least one notch for holding said suture;
• said anchor matingly and releasably engaged with said anchor-receiving tip, said suture extending from said anchor through the interior of said intermediate portion and through said passageway, and said suture slidably wedged within said notch and tensioned between said anchor and said notch, and further wherein said notch is sized such that the suture may slide within said notch as the anchor-receiving tip is moved away from the anchor.