Suture anchors and methods of use
An anchor system for securing suture tissue to bone. The system includes an anchor and an inserter. The anchor is printed from a polymer by selective laser sintering in accordance with a CAD file having a geometric description of the anchor. A socket at the proximal region of the anchor has cross-section that has a width in a first dimension D 1 . The system includes an inserter having a protrusion being configured to matingly engage with the socket. The protrusion defines a cross-section that decreases progressively in width in the dimension D 1 along the protrusion length distally from the base of the protrusion toward the distal tip of the protrusion.
1. An anchor system for securing suture tissue to bone, comprising,
an anchor having an elongated body comprising a polyaryletherketone (PAEK) polymer selectively sintered in accordance with a CAD file having a geometric description of the anchor, the elongated body extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal region terminating in a proximal end and a distal region terminating in a distal end configured for insertion into a hole in the bone, an outer surface of the elongated body having a roughness of at least 500 Ra (μ-in),
a socket at the proximal region of the elongated body, the socket having a socket length extending along the longitudinal axis from an opening at the proximal region, the socket defining a cross-section that has a width in a first dimension D 1 ,
an inserter extending along an axis and having a protrusion at a distal region thereof, the protrusion having a protrusion length extending along the axis from a base of the protrusion toward a distal tip of the protrusion, the protrusion being configured to matingly engage with the socket, the protrusion defining a cross-section that decreases progressively in width in the dimension D 1 along the protrusion length distally from the base of the protrusion toward the distal tip of the protrusion.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion cross-section becomes smaller progressively in width in a second dimension D 2 along the protrusion length distally from the base of the protrusion toward the distal tip of the protrusion.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein a width of the protrusion in the dimension D 1 at the base of the protrusion is less than a width of the opening of the socket in the dimension D 1 as specified by the CAD file.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein a width of the protrusion in the dimension D 2 at the base of the protrusion is less than a width of the opening of the socket in a dimension as specified by the CAD file.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein D 1 is perpendicular to D 2 , and wherein D 1 and D 2 are both perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated body.
6. The system for claim 5 , wherein the socket cross-section as specified by the CAD file remains substantially constant in the width in the dimension D 1 distally from the opening of the socket along the socket length and the socket cross-section as specified by the CAD file remains substantially constant in a width in the second dimension D 2 distally from the opening of the socket along the socket length.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the width of the protrusion in the dimension D 1 at the base of the protrusion is less than the width of the opening of the socket in the dimension D 1 as specified by the CAD file by at least a dimensional tolerance factor associated with the selective laser sintering process of the PAEK polymer to form the anchor, and
wherein the width of the protrusion in the dimension D 2 at the base of the protrusion is less than the width of the opening of the socket in the second dimension D 2 as specified by the CAD file by at least the dimensional tolerance factor associated with the selective laser sintering process of the PAEK material to form the anchor.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the cross-section of the opening defines an equilateral quadrilateral.
9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising barbs disposed on an outer surface of the body and an eyelet for receiving suture extending transversely through the body.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the inserter defines a shoulder at the base of the protrusion, and wherein the shoulder abuts a proximal area of the anchor body when the protrusion is matingly engaged with the socket.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the protrusion is configured so that a distal tip of the protrusion abuts a bottom of the socket when the protrusion is matingly engaged with the socket.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the width of the protrusion in the dimension D 1 at the base of the protrusion is less than the width of the opening of the socket in the dimension D 1 as specified by the CAD file by at least 0.25 mm, and
wherein the width of the protrusion in the dimension D 2 at the base of the protrusion is less than the width of the opening of the socket in the dimension D 2 as specified by the CAD file by at least 0.25 mm.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the width of the protrusion in the dimension D 1 at the base of the protrusion is less than the width of the opening of the socket in the dimension D 1 as specified by the CAD file by at least 0.50 mm, and
wherein the width of the protrusion in the dimension D 2 at the base of the protrusion is less than the width of the opening of the socket in the dimension D 2 as specified by the CAD file by at least 0.50 mm.
14. An anchor system for securing suture tissue to bone, comprising,
an anchor having an elongated body comprising a polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) polymer selectively sintered in accordance with a CAD file having a geometric description of the anchor, the elongated body extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal region terminating in a proximal end and a distal region terminating in a distal end configured for insertion into a hole in the bone, an outer surface of the elongated body have a roughness of at least 500 Ra (μ-in);
a socket at the proximal region of the elongated body, the socket having a socket length extending along the longitudinal axis from an opening at the proximal region, the socket defining a cross-section having a width in a first dimension D 1 ;
an inserter extending along an axis and having a protrusion at a distal region thereof, the protrusion having a protrusion length extending along the axis from a base of the protrusion toward a distal tip of the protrusion, the protrusion being configured to matingly engage with the socket, the protrusion defining a cross-section that decreases progressively in width in the dimension D 1 along the protrusion length distally from the base of the protrusion toward the distal tip of the protrusion.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the cross-section of the opening defines an equilateral quadrilateral.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein a width of the protrusion in the dimension D 1 at the base of the protrusion is less than a width of the opening of the socket in the dimension D 1 as specified by the CAD file.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the width of the protrusion in the dimension D 1 at the base of the protrusion is less than the width of the opening of the socket in the dimension D 1 as specified by the CAD file by at least a dimensional tolerance factor associated with the selective laser sintering process of the PEKK polymer.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the width of the protrusion in the dimension D 1 at the base of the protrusion is less than the width of the opening of the socket in the dimension D 1 as specified by the CAD file by at least 0.50 mm.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the socket cross-section remains substantially constant in a width in the dimension D 1 distally from the opening of the socket along the socket length.