System and method for attaching soft tissue to bone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9706984-B2
Application number	US-201313972652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2013
Priority date	Jan 30, 2009
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and devices for securing soft tissue to a rigid material such as bone. A bone anchor is described that comprises an anchor body with expandable tines and a spreader that expands the tines into bone. Also disclosed is a bone anchor that comprises a base and a top such that suture material may be attached to apertures in the anchor top or else compressed between surfaces on the base and top to secure the suture to the anchor. Also described is an inserter that can be used to insert the bone anchor into bone and move the spreader relative to the anchor body attach suture material. Also described is an inserter that can be used to insert the bone anchor into bone and move the anchor top relative to the anchor body or anchor base to attach to or clamp suture material there between. Methods are described that allow use of single bone anchor to secure tissue to bone or also to use more than one bone anchor to provide multiple lengths of suture material to compress a large area of soft tissue against bone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bone anchor inserter, comprising:
a handle portion extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising a terminal proximal surface extending along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis:
an outer tube coupled to, and extending distally from, the handle portion;
an inner tube or rod extending axially through the outer tube; and
an actuator, comprising a threaded actuator shaft, being axially moveable relative to the handle portion and coupled to a proximal portion of the inner tube or rod such that axial movement of the actuator relative to the handle portion moves the inner tube or rod axially relative to the outer tube, wherein a proximal portion of the actuator is positioned proximally to the plane, wherein the actuator is at least partially housed within the handle portion.

2. The inserter of claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable knob, wherein the actuator is proximally coupled to the knob and distally coupled to the inner tube or rod such that rotation of the knob axially moves the actuator and inner tube or rod as a unit.

3. The inserter of claim 1 , further comprising a set of brackets or braces disposed within the handle portion, the set of brackets or braces contacting the actuator such that rotational movement of the actuator relative to the handle portion is restricted.

4. The inserter of claim 1 , wherein a proximal end of the outer tube is affixed to a distal end of the handle portion.

5. The inserter of claim 1 , wherein the outer tube comprises a distal end having an abutment surface configured to contact a proximal end of an anchor body.

6. The inserter of claim 1 , wherein the inner tube or rod is configured to engage with a bone anchor spreader.

7. The inserter of claim 1 , further comprising threads disposed on an outer surface of the inner tube or rod configured to engage with threads disposed on an inner surface of a bone anchor spreader.

8. The inserter of claim 1 , wherein the inner tube or rod comprises an inner tube having an axial bore configured to house suture running a length of the inner tube.

9. The inserter of claim 8 , further comprising a first aperture in the actuator and a second aperture in the handle portion configured to allow suture to pass from the inner tube to outside of the handle portion.

10. A bone anchor and anchor inserter combination, comprising:
a bone anchor, comprising:
an anchor body defining an axial bore and comprising a plurality of distally-extending bone-engaging tines; and
a spreader positioned between the bone-engaging tines, wherein the spreader is configured to expand the tines outward upon axial movement of the spreader relative to the anchor body; and
an anchor inserter coupled to the bone anchor, the inserter comprising: a handle portion extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising a terminal proximal surface extending along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
an outer tube coupled to, and extending distally from, the handle portion;
an inner tube or rod extending axially through the outer tube; and
an actuator axially moveable relative to the handle portion and coupled to a proximal portion of the inner tube or rod such that axial movement of the actuator relative to the handle portion moves the inner tube or rod axially relative to the outer tube, wherein a proximal portion of the actuator is positioned proximally to the plane, wherein the actuator is at least partially housed within the handle portion.

11. The bone anchor and inserter combination of claim 10 , wherein the outer tube comprises a distal end having an abutment surface in contact with a proximal end of the anchor body, the abutment surface limiting axial movement of the anchor body relative to the outer tube.

12. The bone anchor and inserter combination of claim 10 , wherein a distal portion of the inner tube or rod extends at least partially through the axial bore and couples to the spreader such that axial movement of the actuator causes the spreader to move axially relative to the outer tube and anchor body when the spreader is not in locked engagement with the anchor body.

13. The bone anchor and inserter combination of claim 10 , wherein an inside surface of the anchor body and an outside surface of the spreader comprise engagement structures which couple together to secure the spreader into locked engagement with the anchor body and limit axial movement of the spreader relative to the anchor body.

14. The bone anchor and inserter combination of claim 10 , wherein the anchor inserter is configured to be broken off from the bone anchor after the spreader and anchor body have been moved into locked engagement.

15. The bone anchor and inserter combination of claim 10 , the inserter further comprising a rotatable portion coupled to the handle portion, wherein the actuator is proximally coupled to the rotatable portion and distally coupled to the inner tube or rod such that rotation of the rotatable portion moves the actuator and the inner tube or rod axially as a unit.

16. The bone anchor and inserter combination of claim 10 , further comprising at least one suture loop passing through the spreader, wherein suture forming said suture loop extends through the inner rod and passes through a first aperture in the actuator and a second aperture in the handle portion.

Assignees

• Kfx Medical Corp
• Conmed Corp

Inventors

• Heaven Malcolm
• Sirivong Mikxay
• Pretti Rudy
• Ko Michael
• Greelis John P

Classifications

• A61B2017/0424

  the separate member staying in the anchor after placement · 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