Apparatus and method for use in positioning an anchor
An apparatus for use in positioning an anchor includes a tubular outer member and an inner or pusher member. During use of the apparatus, a slot facilitates visualization of the position of the anchor relative to body tissue. An anchor retainer may be provided at one end of the tubular outer member to grip the anchor and hold the anchor in place during assembly. The anchor retainer also holds the anchor during movement of the apparatus from an assembly location to an operating room or other location where the apparatus is to be used. Indicia may be provided on the inner member to indicate the position of the anchor relative to body tissue. The tubular outer member may be utilized to guide a drill during formation of an opening in body tissue and may be subsequently utilized to guide movement of an anchor into the opening in the body tissue.
1 . A method of positioning a suture anchor connected with a suture relative to body tissue with a suture anchor inserter assembly, said method comprising the steps of positioning a leading end portion of an inserter member forming part of the inserter assembly in an opening in the suture anchor, pushing the suture anchor into body tissue under the influence of force transmitted through the inserter assembly to the suture anchor, and sliding the leading end portion of the inserter member along an inner side surface of the opening in the suture anchor while the suture anchor is disposed in the body tissue to thereby change the orientation of at least a portion of the suture anchor relative to the leading end portion of the inserter member, the change in orientation inhibiting pull out of the anchor from the body tissue.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the body tissue is cancellous bone tissue.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the inserter assembly includes a handle having a configuration suitable for manual grasping by an operator.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the inserter assembly includes a tubular member, the inserter member at least partially disposed in a passage in the tubular member.
5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the inserter member has a longitudinal length longer than a longitudinal length of the tubular member.
6 . The method of claim 5 wherein the suture anchor has a groove through which the suture extends.
7 . The method of claim 6 wherein the groove includes an arcuate edge along which the suture extends.
8 . The method of claim 7 wherein at least a distal portion of the tubular member includes a slit.
9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the inserter member and the tubular member are movable relative to each other.
10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the tubular member has a leading pusher surface that engages a trailing surface of the suture anchor.
11 . The method of claim 4 wherein at least a distal portion of the tubular member includes a slit.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the inserter member and the tubular member are movable relative to each other.
13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the tubular member has a leading pusher surface that engages a trailing surface of the suture anchor.
14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the inserter member has a longitudinal length longer than a longitudinal length of the tubular member.
15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the opening in the suture anchor is an aperture for a passage extending through the suture anchor from a leading end to a trailing end.
16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the suture anchor has a cylindrical shape.
17 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of guiding movement of a drill relative to the body tissue by moving the drill along a passage in an outer tubular member during formation of an opening in the body tissue with the drill, removing the drill from the body tissue and the outer tubular member, inserting the suture anchor into the passage in the outer tubular member, and moving the suture anchor along the passage in the outer tubular member into the opening in the body tissue.
18 . The method of claim 17 further including the steps of maintaining the outer tubular member in a first orientation relative to the body tissue during movement of the drill along the passage in the outer tubular member, and maintaining the outer tubular member in the first orientation relative to the body tissue during movement of the suture anchor along the passage in the outer tubular member into the opening in the body tissue.
19 . The method of claim 17 further including the step of moving a thin elongated member into the body tissue, said step of guiding movement of the drill relative to the body tissue includes inserting the thin elongated member into a passage in the drill and moving the drill along the thin elongated member simultaneously with movement of the drill along the passage in the outer tubular member.
20 . The method of claim 17 wherein said step of moving the drill along a passage in an outer tubular member includes moving indicia on the drill relative to the outer tubular member and interrupting movement of the drill along the passage in the outer tubular member when the indicia is in a predetermined position relative to the outer tubular member.