Bone anchor insertion system having inserter coupling and decoupling
Inventors
Wedam, Brandon • Cox, Travis • Horst, Steven P. • Sommers, Tristan
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12232950-B2
Publication Date
2025-02-25
Expiration Date
Abstract
Bone anchors and bone anchor insertion systems are provided that enable smaller bone holes for inserting a bone anchor by eliminating the need for a cannula. Smaller bone holes may help reduce patient recovery times. The provided bone anchor includes two flexible wings extending from a base portion that splay away from the base portion's central axis at rest, though may be bent towards or away from the central axis in response to an applied force. The bone anchor includes a drive feature that enables an inserter to couple and decouple to the bone anchor. A surgeon may drive the bone anchor through a bone hole via the coupled inserter while the bone hole maintains the bone anchor in a compressed state, and may decouple the inserter when the bone anchor is properly positioned, thereby eliminating the need for a cannula.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a bone anchor insertion system that eliminates the use of a cannula by coupling an inserter to a bone anchor without translating the insertion tip relative to the bone anchor along the central axis. The system includes an inserter having a rod with an insertion tip and first and second recesses adjacent to the insertion tip, where the insertion tip is coupled to the bone anchor by engagement between wing protrusions and the recesses when the bone anchor is at rest to prevent translation of the inserter away from the bone anchor along the central axis.
The bone anchor has a planar base portion with a proximal end, a distal end ending in a tip, and a transverse opening sized and configured to receive a suture, where a suture is positioned through the opening such that the suture is coupled to the bone anchor. The bone anchor includes first and second elongated wings extending from the base portion and configured to bend towards and away from a central axis of the base portion in the same plane as the wings and central axis.
Each wing includes a protrusion directed at least partially toward the central axis, and the distance between the protrusions increases when the wings are bent away from the central axis. The bone anchor is constructed of a shape memory material so that bending the first and second elongated wings towards the central axis increases a coupling strength of the bone anchor to the inserter, and bending the wings away from the central axis a threshold amount enables the insertion tip to decouple from the bone anchor.
Claims Coverage
Independent claim 1 defines one inventive feature set for a bone anchor insertion system with a shape-memory bone anchor having two bendable, winged protrusions that couple an inserter insertion tip via recess engagement, with coupling strength increasing when wings bend toward a central axis and decoupling enabled after bending wings away by at least a threshold amount.
Winged shape-memory bone anchor coupled to an inserter insertion tip via recess engagement
A bone anchor insertion system comprising an inserter including a rod having an insertion tip and a first recess and a second recess adjacent to the insertion tip, and a bone anchor including a planar base portion with first and second elongated wings configured to bend towards and away from a central axis, where each wing includes a protrusion directed at least partially towards the central axis so that the protrusions couple the insertion tip to the bone anchor and engage the first recess and the second recess of the inserter when the bone anchor is at rest to prevent translation of the inserter away from the bone anchor along the central axis.
Increased coupling strength by bending wings toward the central axis
Bending the first and second elongated wings towards the central axis increases a coupling strength of the bone anchor to the inserter.
Decoupling by bending wings away from the central axis by a threshold amount
The bone anchor is configured such that bending the wings away from the central axis a threshold amount enables the insertion tip to decouple from the bone anchor.
Shape-memory material bone anchor
The bone anchor is constructed of a shape memory material.
Suture-coupled planar base portion with transverse opening
A planar base portion comprising a distal end ending in a tip, a proximal end, and a transverse opening sized and configured to receive a suture therein, wherein a suture is positioned through the opening of the base portion such that the suture is coupled to the bone anchor.
Wing geometry in same plane with central axis and splayed rest position
The first and second elongated wings, the base portion, and the central axis are all in the same plane, where the first free end and the second free end are splayed away from the central axis of the base portion at a rest position and the protrusions of the first and second wings are disposed at proximal portions of the first and second wings, respectively.
The claim coverage centers on a shape-memory bone anchor with two elongated wings having protrusions that engage recesses on an inserter insertion tip. The independent claim ties wing bending direction to coupling strength and decoupling, and also includes a suture-coupled planar base portion.
Stated Advantages
Eliminates the use of a cannula for driving the bone anchor through a bone canal via the inserter without using a cannula.
Documented Applications
Driving a bone anchor through a bone canal using the inserter without using a cannula.
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