Adjustable anchor systems and methods

Abstract

An adjustable anchor system provides for securing tissue to bone and includes an anchor with a collapsible suture loop affixed thereto and a tissue suture connected to the collapsible suture loop. After the tissue suture is loaded into the tissue and the anchor implanted into the bone the collapsible loop is collapsed to tension the tissue suture.

1 . A surgical filament snare assembly, comprising:
 an anchor capable of being fixated in bone and having a filament engagement feature;   a first filament having a noose with first and second noose limbs connected to the filament engagement feature of the anchor and emerging from the anchor as first and second free filament limbs which are capable of being passed through tissue to be repaired and then passable through the noose to enable incremental tensioning of the tissue after the anchor is fixated in bone, the noose strangulating the free filament limbs when tension is applied to at least one of the free filament limbs and the noose; and   a flexible sleeve joining at least some portion of the first and second free filament limbs to facilitate passing of the free filament limbs through tissue and then the noose as a single unit.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sleeve is formed from a braided suture. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first filament is a braided suture and a section of one of the first and second free filament limbs serves as the sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 3  wherein the sleeve section has fewer picks per unit length than the picks per unit length for the remainder of the first filament. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sleeve is positioned over the entire portion of the first and second free filament limbs before implantation of the anchor in a patient. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 5  wherein the sleeve is further positioned beyond the filament engagement feature to cover at least some of the first and second noose limbs. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the noose is retractable toward the anchor. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the noose is formed from at least one half hitch. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 1  further including at least one tube capable of being removably inserted into the noose to provide a passage for the end of at least one of the free filament limbs. 
     
     
         10 . A method of surgically repairing tissue, comprising:
 selecting an anchor capable of being fixated in bone and having a filament engagement feature;   selecting a first filament having a noose with first and second noose limbs connected to the filament engagement feature of the anchor and emerging from the anchor as first and second free filament limbs which are capable of being passed through tissue to be repaired and then passable through the noose, and a flexible sleeve joining at least some portion of the first and second free filament limbs to facilitate passing of the free filament limbs at least through tissue as a single unit;   fixating the anchor in bone;   selecting at least the sleeve and passing it through the tissue to be repaired;   passing at least the free filament limbs through the noose;   tensioning the tissue as desired after the anchor is fixated in bone, the noose strangulating the free filament limbs when tension is applied to at least one of the free filament limbs and the noose; and   removing the sleeve from the patient.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the sleeve is formed from a braided suture. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the first filament is a braided suture and a section of one of the first and second free filament limbs serves as the sleeve. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the sleeve section has more than ten percent fewer picks per unit length than the picks per unit length for the remainder of the first filament. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the sleeve is positioned over the entire portion of the first and second free filament limbs before implantation of the anchor in a patient. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the sleeve is further positioned beyond the filament engagement feature to cover at least some of the first and second noose limbs. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10  wherein passing the free filament limbs through the noose includes passing them with the sleeve as a single unit. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the noose is retractable toward the anchor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the noose is formed from at least one half hitch. 
     
     
         19 . A surgical filament snare assembly, comprising:
 an anchor capable of being fixated in bone and having a filament engagement feature;   a first filament having a fixed-length loop, capable of being passed through tissue and capable of being formed into a noose, on a first portion of at least a first limb and having a second portion;   a second filament having a collapsible loop slidably attached to the second portion of the first filament, the collapsible loop being formed by a sliding knot with a tensioning limb, the tensioning limb and the sliding knot capable of being passed through the noose to enable incremental tensioning of the tissue after the anchor is fixated in bone, the noose strangulating the collapsible loop when tension is applied to at least one of the free suture limb and the noose; and   at least one of the first filament and the second filament slidably connected to the filament engagement feature of the anchor.   
     
     
         20 . The snare assembly of  claim 19  wherein the first filament is formed as a continuous loop. 
     
     
         21 - 37 . (canceled)