Suture anchor
OwnerPeter M. Bonuttiinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved suture anchor is formed from body tissue. The body tissue is shaped to a desired configuration for the anchor and defines a passage through the anchor. A suture is inserted into the passage in the body tissue of the anchor. The anchor is then positioned in a patient's body with a suture extending into the passage in the anchor. The anchor may be formed of osseous body tissue, hard compact bone, dense connective body tissue, or other body tissue. The body tissue may be dried so that it absorbs fluid and expands upon being inserted into a patient's body.
Claims59
A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising removing fluid from a piece of dense connective body tissue by compressing the piece of dense connective tissue, forming the piece of dense connective body tissue to have first and second end portions, an outer side surface extending between said first and second end portions, and a passage extending through the piece of dense connective body tissue, inserting a suture into the passage in the piece of dense connective body tissue, and inserting the piece of dense connective body tissue into a patient's body with the first end portion of the piece of dense connective body tissue leading and with the suture extending from the passage in the piece of dense connective body tissue, said step of inserting the piece of dense connective body tissue into the patient's body includes applying force against the second end portion of the piece of dense connective body tissue.
A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising forming a piece of dried body tissue to have a passage extending through the piece of dried body tissue, inserting a suture into the passage in the piece of dried body tissue, and inserting the piece of dried body tissue into a patient's body at a location where the piece of dried body tissue is exposed to fluid in the patient's body to enable the piece of dried body tissue to expand by absorbing fluid from the patient's body wherein said step of forming the piece of dried body tissue includes compressing body tissue to remove fluid from the body tissue.
A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising forming a piece of dried material to have a passage extending through the piece of dried material, inserting a suture into the passage in the piece of dried material, and inserting the piece of dried material into a patient's body at a location where the piece of dried material is exposed to fluid in the patient's body to enable the piece of dried material to expand by absorbing fluid from the patient's body wherein said step of forming the piece of dried material includes compressing material to remove fluid from the material.
A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising compressing a piece of body tissue to remove fluid from the piece of body tissue, forming an anchor of the piece of body tissue which is capable of absorbing fluid, said step of forming an anchor of the piece of body tissue capable of absorbing fluid includes forming the anchor with a passage which extends through the anchor, inserting a suture into the passage in the anchor, inserting the anchor into a patient's body at a location where the anchor is exposed to fluid in the patient's body, and expanding the anchor under the influence of fluid absorbed from the patient's body to retain the anchor against movement relative to the patient's body.
A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising forming a piece of connective body tissue to have first and second end portions, an outer side surface extending between said first and second end portions, and a passage extending through the piece of connective body tissue, said step of forming a piece of connective body tissue includes at least partially drying the connective body tissue, inserting a suture into the passage in the piece of dried connective body tissue, and inserting the dried piece of connective body tissue into a patient's body with the suture extending from the passage in the dried piece of connective body tissue, said step of inserting the dried piece of connective body tissue into the patient's body includes positioning the dried piece of connective body tissue in the patient's body at a location where the dried piece of connective body tissue is exposed to body fluid to enable the dried piece of connective body tissue to absorb body fluid wherein said step of forming the piece of connective body tissue includes compressing the piece of connective body tissue, and said step of drying the piece of connective body tissue includes removing liquid from the piece of connective body tissue while compressing the piece of connective body tissue.
A method of anchoring a suture, said method comprising forming a piece of body tissue to have a passage extending through the piece of body tissue, said step of forming a piece of body tissue includes removing liquid from the body tissue, inserting a suture into the passage in the piece of body tissue, and thereafter, inserting the piece of body tissue into a patient's body with the suture extending from the passage in the piece of body tissue, said step of inserting the piece of body tissue into the patient's body includes positioning the piece of body tissue in the patient's body at a location where the piece of body tissue is exposed to body liquid to enable the piece of body tissue to absorb body liquid wherein said step of forming the piece of body tissue includes compressing the piece of body tissue, said step of removing liquid from the piece of body tissue is performed while compressing the piece of body tissue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.