Soft anchors having increased engagement between deployment sutures and sleeve

Abstract

A soft anchor having a sleeve, being a circular braided suture defining a lumen, and defining a first terminus, having a first terminus opening and a second terminus having a second terminus opening. Also, a deployment suture is engaged to the sleeve by extending into the lumen through a first broach point, then out of the sleeve through the first terminus opening, then into the sleeve through a second broach point, on the bottom-side, and then out of the lumen though a third broach point, then into the lumen through the second terminus opening and out of the suture though a fourth broach point, thereby creating a first lateral trap, between the first broach point and the first terminus opening, a second lateral trap, between the second terminal opening and the fourth broach point, and a central trap, between the second and third broach points.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A soft anchor, comprising:
 a sleeve, being a circular braided suture defining a lumen and a diameter, and defining a first terminus, having a first terminus opening into said lumen and a second terminus having a second terminus opening into said lumen,   a first deployment suture, said first deployment suture is engaged to said sleeve by extending into said lumen through a first broach point, then out of said sleeve through said first terminus opening, then into said sleeve through a second broach point, and then out of said lumen though a third broach point, then into said lumen through said second terminus opening and out of said suture though a fourth broach point, thereby creating a first lateral trap between said first broach point and said first terminus opening, a second lateral trap between said second terminus opening and said fourth broach point, and a central trap between said second and third broach points.   
     
     
         2 . The soft anchor of  claim 1 , wherein the soft anchor further comprises a second deployment suture, said second deployment suture is engaged to said sleeve by extending into said lumen through a first broach point, then out of said sleeve through said first terminus opening, then into said sleeve through a second broach point, and then out of said lumen though a third broach point, then into said lumen through said second terminus opening and out of said suture though a fourth broach point, thereby creating a first lateral trap between said first broach point and said first terminus opening, a second lateral trap between said second terminus opening and said fourth broach point, and a central trap between said second and third broach points. 
     
     
         3 . The soft anchor of  claim 1 , wherein said first deployment suture comprises ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). 
     
     
         4 . The soft anchor of  claim 2 , wherein said first and second deployment suture comprises ultra-high weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). 
     
     
         5 . The soft anchor of  claim 1 , wherein said first deployment suture comprises a round suture or a suture tape. 
     
     
         6 . The soft anchor of  claim 2 , wherein said first and second deployment sutures comprise a round suture. 
     
     
         7 . The soft anchor of  claim 2 , wherein said first and second deployment sutures comprise a suture tape. 
     
     
         8 . The soft anchor of  claim 2 , wherein said first deployment suture comprises a round suture and said second deployment suture comprises a suture tape. 
     
     
         9 . The soft anchor of  claim 1 , wherein said sleeve comprises a braided polyester. 
     
     
         10 . The soft anchor of  claim 1 , wherein said sleeve comprises polyester and UHMWPE fibers. 
     
     
         11 . The soft anchor of  claim 1 , wherein said sleeve comprises braided UHMWPE. 
     
     
         12 . The soft anchor of  claim 1 , wherein said first deployment suture or second deployment suture comprises a smaller diameter than said sleeve. 
     
     
         13 . The soft anchor of  claim 1 , wherein said sleeve comprises a diameter of 1 mm to 1.4 mm. 
     
     
         14 . The soft anchor of  claim 1 , wherein said sleeve is less than 1 mm in diameter. 
     
     
         15 . A method of anchoring a suture to pilot hole in bone, comprising:
 creating a pilot hole in bone, the pilot hole comprising an inner diameter;   providing a soft anchor, the soft anchor comprises sleeve and a deployment suture, the deployment suture comprises a first end and a second end, at least a portion of the deployment suture extends through multiple broach points to create at least three traps;   providing an introducer tool sized to push said soft anchor into said inner diameter of said pilot hole; and   pulling on the first and second ends of said deployment suture, and thereby causing said soft anchor to deform from a first position to a second position, the second position, compressing the soft anchor in the vertical dimension to expand the soft anchor in a transverse dimension to be fixed in said pilot hole.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transverse dimension of the soft anchor comprises a dimension that meets or exceeds the inner diameter of the pilot hole. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve comprises polyester, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), or polyester and UHMWPE. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deployment suture comprises a round or flat suture. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deployment suture comprises a smaller diameter than the sleeve. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve comprises a sleeve diameter, the sleeve diameter comprises at least 30% or greater of the pilot hole.