Methods and devices for suture anchor delivery

Abstract

A method for impacting a suture anchor into bone comprises providing an implantable suture anchor and providing an impactor device for impacting the suture anchor into the bone. The suture anchor is coupled to a distal portion of the impactor device. Positioning the suture anchor engages the anchor with the bone at an implantation site, and powering the impactor device impacts the suture anchor thereby implanting the suture anchor into the bone. The frequency of impaction is less than 20 KHz. The impactor device is then decoupled from the suture anchor, and the impactor device may be removed from the implantation site.

1 . A method for impacting a suture anchor into bone, said method comprising:
 providing an implantable suture anchor;   providing an impactor device for impacting the suture anchor into the bone, wherein the suture anchor is coupled to a distal portion of the impactor device;   positioning the suture anchor into engagement with the bone at an implantation site;   powering the impactor device to impact the suture anchor thereby implanting the suture anchor into the bone, wherein the frequency of impaction is less than 20 KHz;   decoupling the impactor device from the suture anchor; and   removing the impactor device from the implantation site.   
   
   
       2 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the suture anchor passes through adjacent musculoskeletal tissues. 
   
   
       3 . The method in  claim 2 , wherein the suture anchor attaches the adjacent musculoskeletal tissues to the bone. 
   
   
       4 . The method in  claim 3 , wherein the adjacent musculoskeletal tissues comprise bony tissue. 
   
   
       5 . The method in  claim 3 , wherein the adjacent musculoskeletal tissues comprise soft tissue. 
   
   
       6 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the suture anchor attaches soft tissue to the bone. 
   
   
       7 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the suture anchor comprises one or more lengths of suture. 
   
   
       8 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the powering comprises pneumatically actuating the impactor device. 
   
   
       9 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the powering comprises electrically actuating the impactor device. 
   
   
       10 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the powering comprises magnetically actuating the impactor device. 
   
   
       11 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the powering comprises mechanically actuating the impactor device. 
   
   
       12 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the powering impacts the anchor so as to linearly and rotatably drive the suture anchor into the bone. 
   
   
       13 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the frequency of impaction is less than 1 KHz. 
   
   
       14 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the impaction has an amplitude of 1000 micrometers or less per impact. 
   
   
       15 . The method in  claim 1 , further comprising expanding a portion of the suture anchor radially outward so as to firmly engage the suture anchor with the bone. 
   
   
       16 . The method in  claim 15 , wherein the suture anchor comprises a plurality of fingers, and wherein the expanding comprises releasing a constraint from the fingers so as to allow the fingers to radially expand outward. 
   
   
       17 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the impactor comprises an elongate tubular shaft and the decoupling comprises advancing the suture anchor axially away from a distal portion thereof. 
   
   
       18 . The method in  claim 1 , further comprising cooling the suture anchor or the implantation site with a fluid. 
   
   
       19 . A suture anchor delivery system comprising:
 an implantable suture anchor having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of fingers circumferentially disposed therearound, the fingers having a constrained configuration and an unconstrained configuration, wherein in the constrained configuration the fingers are substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis, and wherein in the unconstrained configuration, the fingers expand radially outward; and   an impactor device for impacting the suture anchor into bone, wherein the suture anchor is releasably coupled to a distal portion of the impactor device.   
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the suture anchor comprises a textured outer surface to allow for bone ingrowth. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a length of suture coupled to the suture anchor. 
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the impactor device impacts the suture anchor at a frequency of less than 20 KHz. 
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the impactor device comprises an actuation mechanism for impacting the suture anchor that is pneumatically actuated. 
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the impactor device comprises an actuation mechanism for impacting the suture anchor that is electrically actuated. 
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the impactor device comprises an actuation mechanism for impacting the suture anchor that is magnetically actuated. 
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the impactor device comprises an actuation mechanism for impacting the suture anchor that is mechanically actuated. 
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the impactor device impacts the suture anchor so as to linearly and rotatably drive the suture anchor into the bone. 
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the impactor device impacts the suture anchor at a frequency of less than 1 KHz. 
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the impactor device impacts the suture anchor with an impaction having an amplitude of 1000 micrometers or less per impact. 
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a cooling system for cooling the impactor device and the suture anchor during impaction. 
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the cooling system comprises a cooling fluid.