Suture anchor system with tension relief mechanism
View Patent ↗Methods and devices are provided for attaching soft tissue to bone. In general, a deployment device, insertion assembly, and suture anchor are provided. The insertion assembly is coupled between the deployment device and the suture anchor to allow the deployment device to deploy the suture anchor into bone. Each of the various components disclosed herein can be used alone, in combination with one another, or in combination with various other devices.
1. A method for deploying a suture anchor, comprising:
inserting into a bone tunnel a suture anchor having a generally cylindrical inner component and a tubular outer component disposed coaxially with the inner component and which outer component is coupled to a distal end of a deployment device;
coupling suture between the inner component of the suture anchor and a suture retaining element located on a housing of the deployment device; and
actuating a handle assembly to draw the outer component of the suture anchor over the inner component of the suture anchor while maintaining the inner component in a fixed position within the bone tunnel thereby locking the suture between the inner and outer components, and wherein tension applied to the suture extending between the inner component and the housing remains substantially fixed, and expanding at least a portion of the outer component to engage the bone tunnel and lock the outer component within the bone tunnel.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the handle assembly slides proximally relative to the housing when the handle assembly is actuated.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein actuating the handle assembly comprises pivoting a trigger coupled to the handle assembly.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the suture retaining element comprises a suture tensioning assembly, and the method further comprises actuating the suture tensioning assembly to tension the suture between the suture tensioning assembly and the inner component of the suture anchor.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the housing is located at a proximal end of the deployment device, and coupling the suture comprises coupling the suture between the inner component and the suture retaining member located at the proximal end of the deployment device.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the suture anchor into the bone tunnel comprises inserting the outer component of the suture anchor into the bone tunnel at a location in the bone tunnel distal to the inner component of the suture anchor.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer component slides proximally relative to the housing when the handle assembly is actuated.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the handle assembly and the outer component slidably move relative to the housing when the handle assembly is actuated.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the inner component is held in the fixed position within the bone tunnel via an abutment adjacent the distal end of the deployment device which remains a fixed distance from the housing during the step of actuating the handle assembly.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the inner component has a tubular outer surface and the outer component has a tubular inner surface and wherein the step of locking the suture between the inner and outer components comprises compressing the suture between the inner component outer surface and the outer component inner surface.
11. A method for deploying a suture anchor, comprising:
inserting a suture anchor coupled to a distal end of a deployment device into a bone tunnel;
tensioning a suture coupled to a tubular first component of the suture anchor; and
actuating a handle assembly to slide the handle assembly relative to a housing of the deployment device, thereby mating a tubular second component of the suture anchor with the first component of the suture anchor to lock the suture between the first and second components while maintaining the position of the first component relative to the bone tunnel and maintaining substantially fixed tension in the suture, and expanding at least a portion of the second component to engage the bone tunnel.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second component is pulled over the first component when the handle assembly is actuated.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein tensioning the suture comprises coupling the suture between the first component of the suture anchor and a suture retaining element located on a housing of the deployment device.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the suture retaining element, first component, and suture remain in a substantially fixed position as the handle assembly is slid relative to the housing.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the suture retaining element comprises a suture tensioning assembly and wherein the method further comprises tensioning the suture between the first component of the suture anchor and the suture tensioning assembly.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the suture retaining element comprises a wheel rotatably coupled to the housing, and tensioning the suture comprises rotating the wheel.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the housing is located at a proximal end of the deployment device, and tensioning the suture comprises tensioning the suture between the first component and the housing.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein tensioning the suture comprises tensioning the suture between the first component and a proximal end of the deployment device.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the handle assembly and the second component slide proximally relative to the housing when the handle assembly is actuated.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second component slidably moves relative to the housing when the handle assembly is actuated.
21. The method of claim 11 , wherein inserting the suture anchor into the bone tunnel comprises inserting the second component of the suture anchor into the bone tunnel before inserting the first component of the suture anchor into the bone tunnel.
22. The method of claim 11 , further comprises actuating a release mechanism coupled to the housing to release tension applied to the suture after the suture is locked between the first and second components.