Knotless suture anchor

1. A knotless suture anchor for securing suture material beneath a cortical layer of a bone, comprising:

an outer member comprising an outer axial lumen comprising a cylindrical inner suture surface extending along and encircling a longitudinal axis; and

an elongated inner member movable within the outer axial lumen between a suture-unlocked position and a suture-locked position;

a distal portion of the elongated inner member comprising an outer suture surface extending coaxially with said inner suture surface and an inner axial lumen being defined by an inner surface of the distal portion of the elongated inner member, the inner surface of the distal portion of the elongated inner member comprising a frangible portion configured to engage a mandrel, the mandrel configured to exert a force required to move the elongated inner member from the suture-unlocked position to the suture-locked position;

a proximal portion of the elongated inner member extending away from the distal portion of the elongated inner member, the proximal portion comprising a proximal end having an outer dimension that increases in relation to the longitudinal axis when the elongated inner member is moved from the suture-unlocked position to the suture-locked position; and

a filament extending along a path extending through the outer axial lumen and between the inner suture surface and the outer suture surface, in said suture-unlocked position the outer suture surface is positioned distal said inner suture surface and in said suture-locked position the filament is compressed between the outer suture surface and the inner suture surface locking the filament.

2. A knotless suture anchor according to claim 1 , where the frangible portion comprises a material disengagement portion configured to disengage from the elongated inner member when the elongated inner member is positioned in the suture-locked position.

3. A knotless suture anchor according to claim 2 , wherein the material engagement portion comprises a plurality of threads that engage the mandrel.

4. A knotless suture anchor according to claim 3 , wherein one or more of the threads disengages from the elongated inner member when the elongated inner member is positioned in the suture-locked position.

5. A knotless suture anchor according to claim 1 , wherein the proximal portion comprises at least one projection that terminates at the proximal end.

6. A knotless suture anchor according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one projection comprises a distal facing shoulder that engages a portion of the outer member in the suture-locked position.

7. A knotless suture anchor according to claim 6 , wherein each projection is passed through an aperture in the outer member when the elongated inner member is in the suture-locked position.

8. A suture anchor, comprising:

an outer member comprising an outer axial lumen comprising an inner suture surface extending along a longitudinal axis; and

an elongated inner member adapted to be movable along the longitudinal axis between at least two positions within the outer axial lumen, two of the positions being a suture-unlocked position and a suture-locked position;

a distal portion of the elongated inner member comprising an outer suture surface, and an inner axial lumen defined by an inner surface of the distal portion of the elongated inner member, the inner surface of the distal portion of the elongated inner member comprising a frangible portion, the frangible portion comprising a plurality of threads; and

at least one longitudinal projection extending from the distal portion of the elongated inner member along the longitudinal axis and terminating at a proximal end of the elongated inner member, the proximal end having an outer dimension that increases relative to the longitudinal axis when the elongated inner member is moved from the suture-unlocked position to the suture-locked position;

wherein the plurality of threads are configured to engage a mandrel that effectuates the movement between the suture-unlocked position and the suture-locked position in a manner that engages a suture material between the outer suture surface and the inner suture surface in the suture-locked position, and

wherein the at least one longitudinal projection comprises a first distal facing shoulder on an external surface of the elongated inner member and the outer member further comprises a first proximal facing shoulder, the first distal facing shoulder engaging with the first proximal facing shoulder in said suture-locked position.

9. A suture anchor according to claim 8 , wherein the outer suture surface and the inner suture surface engage and compress at least about 2 mm of a filament in the suture-locked position.

10. A suture anchor according to claim 8 , wherein the outer suture surface comprises a plurality of suture compression projections extending radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis.

11. A suture anchor according to claim 8 , wherein the outer member comprises an aperture having a ramped surface that engages each of the at least one longitudinal projection in the suture-locked position in a manner that increases the outer dimension relative to the longitudinal axis.

12. A suture anchor according to claim 11 , wherein the increase in the outer dimension between the suture-unlocked position and the suture-locked position is at least about 2 mm.

13. A suture anchor according to claim 11 , wherein the elongated inner member further comprises a proximal facing shoulder positioned at a distal end of the inner suture surface, the proximal facing shoulder being urged against a distal end of the outer member when the elongated inner member is moved into the suture-locked position.

14. An anchoring system, comprising:

an inserter comprising a distal end having a mandrel and a proximal end having an actuator device, the actuator device being coupled to the mandrel in a manner that is configured to move the mandrel from a suture-unlocked position to a suture-locked position; and

a knotless suture anchor coupled to the mandrel, the knotless suture anchor comprising an elongated inner member and an outer member in surrounding relation to the elongated inner member,

the outer member comprising an outer axial lumen receiving the elongated inner member and allowing the elongated inner member to be movable between at least two positions, two of the positions being the suture-unlocked position and the suture-locked position,

a cylindrical inner suture surface of the outer member extending along and encircling a longitudinal axis of the knotless suture anchor,

a distal portion of the elongated inner member comprising an outer suture surface extending coaxially with said inner suture surface and an inner axial lumen defined by an inner surface of the distal portion of the elongated inner member, the inner surface of the distal portion of the elongated inner member comprising a frangible portion configured to engage the mandrel, the mandrel configured to exert a force required to move the elongated inner member from the suture-unlocked position to the suture-locked position, a suture material being engaged between the inner suture surface and the outer suture surface when the elongated inner member is in the suture-locked position,

a proximal portion of the elongated inner member extending away from the distal portion of the elongated inner member, the proximal portion comprising a proximal end having an outer dimension that increases in relation to the longitudinal axis when the elongated inner member is moved from the suture-unlocked position to the suture-locked position, and

a suture loading mechanism coupled to the inserter, the suture loading mechanism including filaments extending through the outer axial lumen and between the inner suture surface and the outer suture surface.

15. An anchoring system according to claim 14 , wherein the actuator device comprises a trigger, and a drive mechanism actuated by the trigger so as to change the mandrel from the suture-unlocked position to the suture-locked position.

16. An anchoring system according to claim 15 , wherein the actuator device further comprises a handle that includes the trigger and a detent coupled to the trigger so as to prevent premature movement of the mandrel.

17. An anchoring system according to claim 14 , wherein the frangible connection comprises a material disengagement portion configured to disengage from the elongated inner member when the elongated inner member is positioned in the suture-locked position.

18. An anchoring system according to claim 14 , wherein the elongated inner member further comprises a proximal facing shoulder positioned at a distal end of the inner suture surface, the proximal facing shoulder being urged against a distal end of the outer member when the elongated inner member is moved into the suture-locked position.