Self-cinching soft anchors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9320512-B2
Application number	US-201313953953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2013
Priority date	Aug 17, 2012
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

Suture constructs and methods for soft tissue to bone repairs. The suture construct is a soft anchor which is self-cinching and has the ability to compress from a first, extended, uncompressed position to a second, folded or compressed position. The soft anchor may have a tubular/sleeve/sheath shape and may be formed essentially of a flexible, soft material such as suture, for example, a loosely braided UHMWPE sheath having a tubular configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An anchor for surgical repairs consisting essentially of:
a tubular sleeve formed of flexible material, the tubular sleeve being adapted to be compressed from a first, non-compressed position to a second, compressed position, the tubular sleeve having a first length, a cannulation, and two open ends;
a flexible strand attached to the tubular sleeve, the flexible strand extending along the first length of the tubular sleeve and with ends exiting a same open end of the tubular sleeve so that, when the ends of the flexible strand are pulled, the tubular sleeve bunches up and achieves a second length which is smaller than the first length, and wherein the flexible strand is attached to one of the two open ends of the tubular sleeve by passing one end of the flexible strand through different points spaced apart a length of the tubular sleeve beginning with a first point at the one of the two open ends, and then passing the flexible strand around the tubular sleeve and circling back the other end of the flexible strand at a position adjacent the first point at the one of the two open ends, to reenter the tubular sleeve near the first point where the flexible strand first entered and to form a loop within the tubular sleeve at the one of the two open ends, and wherein the flexible strand is a sliding suture which freely slides within the tubular sleeve even when the tubular sleeve bunches up within a bone tunnel or socket; and
another flexible strand attached to another of the two open ends of the tubular sleeve for allowing the tubular sleeve to be handled with an inserter.

2. The anchor of claim 1 , wherein the flexible strand, when pulled, is designed to compress the tubular sleeve from the first, non-compressed position to the second, compressed position.

3. The anchor of claim 1 , wherein, when the two ends of the flexible strand are pulled, the loop collapses and compresses the tubular sleeve from the first, non-compressed position to the second, compressed position.

4. The anchor of claim 1 , wherein the flexible material is a suture, suture tape or suture chain.

5. The anchor of claim 1 , wherein the flexible material is a braided sheath formed of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene.

6. The anchor of claim 1 , wherein the flexible strand is a suture.

Assignees

• Arthrex Inc

Inventors

• Dooney Jr Thomas

Classifications

• A61B2017/042

  plastically deformed during insertion · CPC title

• A61B2017/0403

  Dowels · CPC title

• A61F2/0811

  Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments · CPC title

• A61B17/0401 Primary

  Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors (A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811) · CPC title

• A61B2017/0409

  Instruments for applying suture anchors · CPC title