Punch machine integrated suture anchor device

Abstract

A puncher integrated suture anchor device is disclosed. Specifically, when pressing and rotating an anchor driver, a guide hole can be formed in a bone and a suture anchor can be inserted and fixed into the formed guide hole at the same time. The puncher integrated suture anchor device includes: a suture anchor having a thread formed on its outer circumferential surface; and an anchor driver capable of pressing and rotating the suture anchor, wherein the anchor driver includes: a plurality of guide arms that are longer than the suture anchor and protrude forward by being spaced apart from each other relative to the central axis of the anchor driver; and a punching tip provided at the front end of each guide arm, the suture anchor including a plurality of female connection grooves formed to be recessed in the outer surface of the suture anchor in the longitudinal direction so that the suture anchor is coupled to the plurality of guide arms.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a puncher-integrated suture anchor device. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a puncher-integrated suture anchor device that forms a hole in a bone when an anchor driver is pressed and rotated, and simultaneously inserts and secures a suture anchor into the formed hole. Background Art

[0002] Due to degeneration or damage that occurs in the human body, tendon tissue ruptures at a portion of the bone to which the tendon tissue is attached, often requiring surgery to surgically fix and repair the ruptured tendon tissue. In most cases, the ruptured tendon tissue is fixed to its original position at the bone to which the tendon tissue was attached by using suture anchors during arthroscopic surgery.

[0003] Currently, suture anchors commonly used both domestically and internationally are configured with 2 to 3 sutures connected to an anchor body made of metal, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), a bioabsorbable material, or a biocomposite, and specifically, preference for suture anchors made of bioabsorbable materials or biocomposites among these materials is increasing.

[0004] Existing threaded suture anchor devices manufactured domestically and internationally and used in the medical market require the use of a perforating instrument such as a separate awl or tapper and are configured as a combination of a suture anchor and an anchor driver that rotates the suture anchor so that the suture anchor is inserted into the bone.

[0005] For the process of inserting and fixing this threaded suture anchor to the bone, first, the bone tissue is peeled off, then a hole is formed in the bone by using an awl or a tapper as a separate perforating instrument to insert the suture anchor, and the threaded suture anchor is inserted into the hole by adjusting the insertion of the combination of the suture anchor and the anchor driver to fit with the hole.

[0006] Specifically, in the case of inserting a suture anchor made of a bioabsorbable material or a biocomposite into bone tissue, when the suture anchor is inserted into the bone tissue without a process of forming a hole in the bone, due to the fragile material of the suture anchor, the body of the suture anchor is damaged or broken during the process of inserting the suture anchor into the bone, which causes the fixation of the suture anchor to the bone to fail.

[0007] Therefore, the process of forming a hole in bone tissue is a normal process necessary for stably inserting and fixing a threaded suture anchor to a bone. However, after forming a hole in the bone using a separate punch and removing the punch from the hole, the insertion position of the suture anchor needs to be adjusted to the hole formed by the punch so that the suture anchor is inserted into the hole, which increases the complexity of the surgical procedure and the troublesomeness of operating a separate punching instrument.

[0008] Specifically, in arthroscopic surgery, a suture anchor, an anchor driver, and surgical instruments such as an awl or a tapper for forming a hole to secure the anchor thereto are used through a cannula, so there are limitations in handling these instruments. Furthermore, there are often cases where visibility is difficult to ensure due to bleeding during surgery, and in such cases, after finding the perforation, it becomes more difficult to insert the suture anchor into the perforation by adjusting the position of the suture anchor and the perforation, which delays the surgery.

[0009] As a conventional technology, Korean Patent No. 10-1700666 (published on February 1, 2017) discloses a “CANNULA DRIVER AND SUTURE ANCHOR KIT”.

[0010] According to a conventional technique capable of fixing a suture anchor to a perforation during the process of forming a perforation for fixing soft tissue to bone, a cannula driver includes: a striker having a tapered tip provided at a distal end thereof so that the tip penetrates the perforation, the striker allowing a suture anchor to be connected thereto so that the tip is exposed to the outside; and a guide member allowing the striker to be inserted thereinto and press-fitting the suture anchor by moving the striker rearward.

[0011] However, in conventional cannula drivers, after a hole is formed in the bone using a striker having a perforating tip, the suture anchor is press-fitted into the bone as the striker is moved backward. Consequently, a guide member having a complex structure is required to move the striker forward and backward. The striker is configured to protrude through the suture anchor along its central axis, which presents structural problems because the diameter of the hole formed is necessarily much smaller than that of the suture anchor. Furthermore, while the suture anchor is exposed to the outside without a guide, the suture anchor may be damaged or broken during insertion. Summary of the Invention

[0012] Technical issues

[0013] The present disclosure has taken into account the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art and intends to propose a puncher-integrated suture anchor device that can form a hole in a bone without using a separate puncher and can simultaneously insert a suture anchor into the formed hole.

[0014] In addition, the present disclosure intends to provide a punch-integrated suture anchor device that can form a hole having a size that is the same as or smaller than the diameter of the suture anchor.

[0015] Furthermore, the present disclosure intends to provide a puncher-integrated suture anchor device, wherein during insertion of the suture anchor into the bone, a guide arm of the anchor driver can be connected to the outer surface of the suture anchor and support and protect the suture anchor to reduce the possibility of the suture anchor being damaged or destroyed by bone tissue.

[0016] Technical solutions

[0017] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, a puncher-integrated suture anchor device according to the present disclosure includes: a suture anchor having a thread formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof; and an anchor driver capable of pressing and rotating the suture anchor so that the suture anchor is inserted into a hole formed in a bone and fixed in the hole, wherein the anchor includes: a plurality of guide arms having a length longer than that of the suture anchor and protruding forward by being spaced apart from each other with respect to a rotation axis of the anchor driver; and a punch tip formed at a front end of each of the guide arms so that the punch tip forms a hole in the bone in contact therewith when pressed and rotated, and the suture anchor includes a plurality of female connecting grooves recessed on an outer surface of the suture anchor in a longitudinal direction thereof and connected to the plurality of guide arms so that the suture anchor is inserted and supported inside the plurality of guide arms along the longitudinal direction thereof and rotates integrally with the anchor driver.

[0018] Here, the outer diameter defined by the plurality of guide arms may have the same size as or smaller than the outer diameter size of each of the threads of the suture anchor.

[0019] Here, the guide arm may include two guide arms provided at positions opposite to each other with respect to the rotation axis, and the female connecting groove of the suture anchor may be configured as two female connecting grooves to correspond to the two guide arms.

[0020] Here, the suture anchor may have an eyelet formed in a side surface thereof to allow the suture to pass through the eyelet, the eyelet being formed in a direction crossing a direction of the two female connecting grooves.

[0021] Here, the suture anchor may have a through hole formed in a side surface thereof so that bone tissue is introduced into the suture anchor, the through hole being formed in a direction crossing a direction of the two female connecting grooves.

[0022] In addition, a puncher-integrated suture anchor device according to the present disclosure includes: a suture anchor having a thread formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof; a guide arm supporting the suture anchor so that the suture anchor and the guide arm rotate integrally on a rotation axis of the suture anchor; and an anchor driver, wherein when the anchor driver is pressed and rotated, a punching tip formed at a front end of each of the guide arms protruding to the front side of the suture anchor forms a hole in a bone, and simultaneously, the suture anchor is inserted into the hole and fixed in the hole, after which the anchor driver is moved rearward along a longitudinal direction thereof and removed from the suture anchor fixed in the hole.

[0023] Here, the suture anchor may be made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), a bioresorbable material, or a biocomposite.

[0024] Beneficial effects

[0025] Due to the configuration described above, the puncher-integrated suture anchor device according to the present disclosure can form a hole in a bone and simultaneously insert and fix the suture anchor in the hole without the need to readjust the insertion position of the suture anchor according to the position of the hole, so the surgical procedure can be simple and the surgical instruments can be simplified, thereby reducing the surgical time.

[0026] In addition, the puncher-integrated suture anchor device according to the present disclosure can form a hole having a size the same as or smaller than the diameter of the suture anchor by adjusting the thickness of the guide arm according to user needs.

[0027] Furthermore, in the punch-integrated suture anchor device according to the present disclosure, the guide arm can support the outer surface of the suture anchor, thereby reducing the failure rate of fixation of the suture anchor due to damage or breakage of the suture anchor body occurring during insertion of the suture anchor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a punch-integrated suture anchor device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 2 is a side view of a suture anchor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 3 is a front view of a suture anchor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 4 is a side view of the assembled main parts of a punch-integrated suture anchor device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the assembled main parts of a punch-integrated suture anchor device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Explanation of Figure Numbers

[0034] 10: suture anchor;

[0035] 10a: end;

[0036] 11: thread;

[0037] 12: eyelet;

[0038] 13: through hole;

[0039] 14: female connection groove;

[0040] 15: Anchor center hole;

[0041] 20: Anchor drive;

[0042] 21: drive head;

[0043] 22: axis;

[0044] 23: guide arm;

[0045] 24: piercing tip;

[0046] C: axis of rotation;

[0047] d1, d2: outer diameter;

[0048] H: Driver center hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Best Mode of the Invention

[0050] A puncher-integrated suture anchor device may include: a suture anchor having a thread formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof; and an anchor driver capable of pressing and rotating the suture anchor so that the suture anchor is inserted into a hole formed in a bone and fixed in the hole, wherein the anchor driver may include: a plurality of guide arms having a length longer than that of the suture anchor and protruding forward by being spaced apart from each other with respect to a rotation axis of the anchor driver; and a punching tip formed at a front end of each of the guide arms so that the punching tip forms a hole in the bone contacted therewith when pressed and rotated, and the suture anchor may include a plurality of female connecting grooves recessed on an outer surface of the suture anchor in a longitudinal direction thereof and connected to the plurality of guide arms so that the suture anchor is inserted and supported inside the plurality of guide arms along the longitudinal direction thereof and rotates integrally with the anchor driver.

[0051] Mode for the Invention

[0052] Hereinafter, the puncher-integrated suture anchor device according to the present disclosure will be described in further detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a punch-integrated suture anchor device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0054] Figure 2 is a side view of a suture anchor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3 is a front view of a suture anchor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and Figure 4 and Figure 5 1 and 2 are side and perspective views, respectively, of the combined main parts of a puncher-integrated suture anchor device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] refer to Figures 1 to 5 The puncher-integrated suture anchor device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a suture anchor 10 and an anchor driver 20 .

[0056] The suture anchor 10 can be configured to be inserted into a hole formed in a bone and fixed in the hole. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the suture anchor 10 can be configured as a cylindrical body having a predetermined length and can have a thread 11, an eyelet 12, a through hole 13, a female connecting groove 14, and an anchor center hole 15 formed in the cylindrical body.

[0057] Each of the threads 11 may be configured by protruding a predetermined height from the outer circumferential surface of the suture anchor 10 such that the thread has a predetermined outer diameter d2.

[0058] Due to the configuration of the threads 11 , when the suture anchor 10 is pressed forward and rotated by the anchor driver 20 , the protruding threads may penetrate the inner surface of the hole formed in the bone, and thus the suture anchor 10 may be inserted into the hole and fixed therein.

[0059] Each of the eyelets 12 may be a component allowing a suture to be fixed to the suture anchor 10 , and may be formed at a side surface of the suture anchor 10 to allow the suture to pass through the eyelet.

[0060] The suture thread passed through the eyelet 12 of the suture anchor 10 can pass through the anchor center hole 15 of the suture anchor 10 and can be withdrawn to the rear end of the suture anchor 10. Figure 1 As shown in FIG, the suture thread drawn out to the rear end of the suture anchor 10 can pass through the driver center hole H formed through the anchor driver 20 in its longitudinal direction along the rotation axis C of the anchor driver and can be drawn out to the outside of the rear end of the driver head 21.

[0061] Each of the through holes 13 can allow bone tissue to be introduced into the anchor central hole 15 to promote engagement of the bone tissue with the material of the suture anchor 10, and can be configured to facilitate installation of the suture anchor 10 to the bone. The through holes 13 can be formed on the side surface of the suture anchor 10 at a location where the through holes 13 do not overlap with the eyelets 12.

[0062] The female connecting groove 14 may include a plurality of female connecting grooves 14 that are recessed on the outer surface of the suture anchor in its longitudinal direction and connected to a plurality of guide arms, so that the suture anchor is inserted and supported inside a plurality of guide arms 23 to be described later along its longitudinal direction and rotates integrally with the anchor driver 20.

[0063] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the female connecting groove 14 may include two female connecting grooves to correspond to the guide arms 23 to be described later, and the eyelet 12 may be formed in a direction intersecting with the direction of the two female connecting grooves 14, so that the female connecting groove 14 and the eyelet 12 may be configured so as not to interfere with each other.

[0064] It may be advantageous for the suture anchor 10 to be placed in the bone if the suture anchor 10 has a pointed end 10a so that the suture anchor 10 contacts the bone and is easily inserted into the bone. However, the shape of the end 10a of the suture anchor 10 may not be limited thereto but may be changed to a different shape.

[0065] The anchor driver 20 may be configured to form a hole in a bone by using pressing and rotating forces while inserting and securing the suture anchor 10 in the hole, and in an embodiment of the present disclosure, may include a driver head 21 , a shaft 22 , a plurality of guide arms 23 , and a perforating tip 24 .

[0066] The driver head 21 may be configured to be pressed and rotated by an external force, and in an embodiment of the present disclosure, may be configured to have a shape of a handle that a user can easily press and rotate by grasping the handle with one hand of the user.

[0067] The shaft 22 may have a predetermined length so as to support the suture anchor 10 at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the driver head 21 , and may be configured to be connected to the driver head 21 on its rotation axis C so that the shaft 22 rotates integrally with the driver head 21 .

[0068] Each of the plurality of guide arms 23 may have a length longer than that of the suture anchor 10 , and may be configured by protruding from a front end of the shaft 22 and being spaced apart from each other with respect to the rotation axis C.

[0069] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the guide arm 23 may include two guide arms at positions opposite to each other with respect to the rotation axis C, wherein the two guide arms 23 may be arranged parallel to each other.

[0070] The female connecting groove 14 of the suture anchor 10 can be connected to the plurality of guide arms 23, so that the suture anchor 10 can be pressed and rotated integrally with the anchor driver 20. Therefore, a portion of the thread 11 of the suture anchor 10 can penetrate the inner surface of the hole formed in the bone, so that the suture anchor 10 can be inserted into the hole formed by the guide arms 23 and the perforating tip 24 and fixed in the hole.

[0071] Furthermore, the plurality of guide arms 23 can support the outer surface of the suture anchor 10 , and the possibility of the suture anchor being damaged or destroyed by bone tissue during the insertion of the suture anchor 10 into the hole can be significantly reduced.

[0072] Therefore, although the suture anchor 10 is made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), a bioabsorbable material, or a biocomposite that is more easily damaged than metal, the outer surface of the suture anchor 10 can be sufficiently supported by the guide arm 23 having the configuration described above, so the suture anchor 10 can be inserted into the hole and fixed in the hole without being easily damaged.

[0073] Meanwhile, when the anchor driver 20 is withdrawn along the longitudinal direction thereof with the suture anchor 10 inserted into and fixed in the hole, the plurality of guide arms 23 can slide along the longitudinal direction of the female connecting groove 14 of the suture anchor 10 and can be easily removed from the suture anchor 10 inserted into and fixed in the hole.

[0074] The punch tip 24 may be a component for forming a hole in a bone, and in an embodiment of the present disclosure, may be formed at the front end of the guide arm 23 so that the punch tip 24 is integrally configured with the anchor driver 20 without providing a separate punch.

[0075] That is, when the user pushes forward and rotates the driver head 21 exposed to the outside of the anchor driver 20, the guide arm 23 and the perforating tip 24 can rotate integrally with each other. Therefore, due to the pressing and rotating perforating tip 24, a hole can be formed in the bone that the perforating tip 24 contacts.

[0076] The guide arm 23 may have a length longer than that of the suture anchor 10, and a perforating tip 24 may be formed at the front end of the guide arm 23, so that when the user presses and rotates the anchor driver 20, the perforating tip 24 may first form a hole in the bone while pressing and rotating in contact with the bone. Then, the suture anchor 10 located at the back of the perforating tip 24 may be rotated by being guided by the guide arm 23 and may be inserted into the hole formed by the perforating tip 24 and fixed in the hole.

[0077] Here, the outer diameter d1 defined by the plurality of guide arms 23 may be considered to correspond to the diameter of the hole formed by the perforating tip 24 and may be the same size as or smaller than the outer diameter d2 of the thread 11 of the suture anchor 10 as needed.

[0078] Since the outer diameter d1 defined by the plurality of guide arms 23 becomes smaller than the outer diameter d2 of the thread 11 of the suture anchor 10, the diameter of the formed hole can be smaller than the outer diameter d2, and thus the tightening force of the suture anchor 10 inserted into and fixed in the hole can be increased. However, since more force may be required to insert the suture anchor 10, and each of the guide arms 23 may need to be manufactured to have a thinner thickness, sufficient rigidity of the guide arms 23 may not be ensured.

[0079] Therefore, the size of the outer diameter d1 defined by the plurality of guide arms 23 may need to be determined in consideration of these various possibilities.

[0080] As described above, in the puncher-integrated suture anchor device according to the present disclosure, the suture anchor 10 can be inserted into and fixed in the hole formed by the anchor driver 20 without requiring a process of adjusting the insertion position of the suture anchor 10 due to the organic connection relationship between the suture anchor 10 and the anchor driver 20, and only the anchor driver 20 can be moved rearward along the longitudinal direction thereof, so that the anchor driver 20 can be removed from the suture anchor 10 fixed in the hole.

[0081] The punch-integrated suture anchor device described above and shown in the accompanying drawings is merely one embodiment of the punch-integrated suture anchor device for implementing the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the technical spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of protection of the present disclosure is solely determined by the contents described in the appended claims. Improvements and modifications that do not depart from the gist of the present disclosure are considered to fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure, as long as such embodiments are obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

[0082] Industrial Applicability

[0083] The punch-integrated suture anchor device disclosed herein can be used to surgically fix and repair a torn tendon tissue at a portion of the bone to which it is attached due to degeneration or damage in the human body. In this case, the suture anchor can be used to fix the torn tendon tissue to its original position on the bone to which it was attached, either through arthroscopic or open surgery.

Claims

1. A puncher integrated suture anchor device, comprising: a suture anchor having threads formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof; as well as an anchor driver capable of pressing and rotating the suture anchor so that the suture anchor is inserted into a hole formed in a bone and fixed in the hole, wherein the anchor driver comprises: a plurality of guide arms having a length longer than that of the suture anchor and projecting forward by being spaced apart from each other relative to a rotation axis of the anchor driver; and a perforating tip formed at a front end of each of the plurality of guide arms so that the perforating tip forms a hole in a bone in contact therewith when pressed and rotated, The suture anchor includes a plurality of female connection grooves which are recessed on an outer surface of the suture anchor in a longitudinal direction thereof and connected to the plurality of guide arms so that the suture anchor is inserted and supported inside the plurality of guide arms along the longitudinal direction thereof and rotates integrally with the anchor driver. an outer diameter defined by the plurality of guide arms has a size that is the same as or smaller than an outer diameter size of each of the threads of the suture anchor, so that an inner diameter of the hole perforated by the perforating tip corresponds to the outer diameter of each of the threads, and When the anchor driver is pressed and rotated, the perforating tip protruding from the front side of the suture anchor forms the hole in the bone, and the suture anchor is inserted into the hole formed by the perforating tip and the plurality of guide arms, so that the suture anchor is inserted and fixed to the bone while the hole is formed.

2. The puncher integrated suture anchor device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of guide arms include two guide arms disposed at positions opposite to each other relative to the rotation axis, and the plurality of female connecting grooves of the suture anchor are configured as two female connecting grooves to correspond to the two guide arms.

3. The puncher integrated suture anchor device according to claim 2, wherein the suture anchor has an eyelet formed through a side surface thereof to allow a suture to pass through the eyelet, the eyelet being formed in a direction crossing a direction of the two female connecting grooves.

4. The puncher integrated suture anchor device according to claim 2, wherein the suture anchor has a through hole formed in a side surface thereof so that bone tissue is introduced into the suture anchor, the through hole being formed in a direction crossing a direction of the two female connecting grooves.

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