Surgical fixation apparatus
OwnerRichard P. Jobeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fixation apparatus including a body portion and a plurality of leg portions extending from the body portion. The body portion is resiliently deformable between an initial orientation and an insertion orientation upon application of a force to the body portion. The leg portions are oriented at an angle relative to the opposite leg portion when the body portion is in the initial orientation and the leg portions are substantially parallel when the body portion is moved to the insertion orientation for insertion of the leg portions into tissue. The leg portions at least partially return to the initial orientation when the force applied to the body portion is released such that the leg portions anchor the fixation apparatus to the tissue.
Claims14
A fixation apparatus comprising:
- a body portion,
- a plurality of leg portions unitary with said body portion, and extending from said body portion at an angle relative to the opposite leg portion in an initial orientation;
- said body portion being deformable about a middle portion between said leg portions to move said leg portions from the initial orientation to an insertion orientation in which said leg portions are substantially parallel for insertion of said leg portions into tissue or bone, said leg portions at least partially returning to the initial orientation when the force applied to said body portion is released such that said leg portions anchor said fixation apparatus to the tissue or bone.
A method of attaching tissue to tissue comprising the steps of:
- providing a fixation apparatus having an body portion and leg portions unitary with said body portion, and extending from said body portion in an initial orientation with said leg portions oriented at an angle relative to the opposite leg portion;
- applying a force to said body portion to resiliently deform said body portion to move said leg portions from the initial orientation to an insertion orientation with said leg portions being substantially parallel;
- after said body portion has been resiliently deformed to the insertion orientation, inserting said leg portions into the tissue;
- after insertion of said leg portions into the tissue, releasing said body portion so that said leg portions at least partially return to the initial orientation to anchor said fixation apparatus to the tissue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.