Flush anchor method and apparatus

1. An apparatus for anchoring a tensile member to bone, comprising:

an anchor, comprising:

a housing extending along a central axis between open first and second ends, and having a hollow interior;

a collet disposed in the hollow interior of the housing, the collet having a peripheral wall defining a central bore for accepting a tensile member therethrough and an exterior surface, wherein the collet is configured to be swaged around and against the tensile member;

a sleeve having a peripheral wall defining opposed interior and exterior surfaces, the sleeve disposed in the hollow interior of the housing and positioned generally axially adjacent to the collet, so as to be movable parallel to the central axis between first and second positions; and

wherein at least one of the exterior surface of the collet and the interior surface of the sleeve is tapered and the sleeve and the collet are arranged such that movement of the sleeve from the first position to the second position will cause the interior surface of the sleeve to bear against the exterior surface of the collet, causing the collet to swage radially inwards around and against the tensile member without moving axially relative to the housing or tensile member; and

an insertion instrument including:

a stem having an anchor connection mechanism;

a hollow pushrod extending through the stem and slidably movable between retracted and extended positions; and

a driving mechanism operable to move the pushrod between the retracted and extended positions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a body and a flange extending radially outward from the body at the second end of the housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the flange includes chamfered surfaces which are configured to engage jaws of an insertion instrument.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the housing is generally cylindrical in shape, the body has an outer diameter of about 3 to 12 mm, and the flange has an outer diameter of about 5 to 20 mm.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an internal flange disposed at the first end configured to block axial movement of the collet in one direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the collet and the internal flange of the housing are further configured such that axial movement of the collet towards the first end of the housing will cause the internal flange to bear against the exterior surface of the collet, causing the collet to swage radially inwards around and against the tensile member.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the housing includes a transition section axially adjacent the internal flange configured to apply a radially inward force against the collet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising engagement means formed on the housing for connecting the housing to an insertion instrument.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing and the collet comprise one monolithic member.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing, the collet, and the sleeve comprise one monolithic member.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sleeve and the housing each include retention elements, the retention elements collectively configured to permit movement of the sleeve from the first position to the second position and to mutually engage each other so as to prevent the sleeve from moving out of the second position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 when the retention elements comprise predetermined dimensions of the sleeve and the housing effective to permit radial clearance between the sleeve and the housing in the first position and to define a radial interference between the sleeve and the housing and the second position.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the retention elements comprise locking tabs disposed on one of the housing and the sleeve, and an annular step disposed on the other of the housing and of the sleeve.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the collet is made from a material which has a lower effective elastic modulus than a material of the sleeve.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the collet is made from sintered material.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the collet incorporates areas of removed material so as to facilitate collapse of the collet.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the collet incorporates a shape on the first end so as to facilitate collapse of the collet.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the stem is flexible.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anchor connection mechanism comprises opposed jaws movable between open and closed positions in response to movement of the pushrod, the jaws being shaped to engage the anchor in the closed position.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising a generally U-shaped clip disposed between the jaws and axially movable between a first position which is free of the jaws and a second position which retains the jaws in the closed position.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising a lock sleeve disposed on the outside of the jaws and axially moveable between a first position which is free of the jaws and a second position which retains the jaws in the closed position.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the anchor connection mechanism is configured to be detached from the housing of the anchor without putting torsional force on the housing.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the anchor connection mechanism is a breakaway connection between the stem and the housing.