US5993458A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method of ultrasonically embedding bone anchors
Assignee: Ethicon Inc
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Filing: 1998-06-25
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Granted: 1999-11-30
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Expires: 2018-06-25
Abstract
Abstract Bone anchors, after insertion into bone, are designed to remain in place and provide a platform for holding tissue. A method of ultrasonically embedding bone anchors into bone without pre-drilling an anchor receiving hole into the bone has been developed. Also described is an improved bone anchor embedding method utilizing ultrasonic energy to reduce insertion force, whereby the bone anchor and embedding device can be formed very small, (e.g. on the order of 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter). In an embodiment of the present invention, a method of bone anchor embedding utilizing ultrasonic energy is used to insert a bone anchor into a pre-drilled hole, wherein the hole in the bone may be smaller in diameter than the diameter of the bone anchor.
Inventors
- 👤 Jeffrey J. Vaitekunas
- 👤 Mary E. Mootoo
- 👤 Narinderjit S. Sambi
- 👤 Navneet T. Sharma
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:38
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/04; A61B17/0401; A61B2017/0409; A61B2017/044; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S606/00; Y10S606/916
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
A method of ultrasonically embedding bone anchors into bone, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a bone anchor, wherein said bone anchor comprises: a proximal end including a coupling element; a distal end; an outer surface, including at least one protrusion on said outer surface of said body; a central portion between said distal end and said proximal end, said central portion having a length, wherein said protrusion is a thread, said thread having a thread pitch less than one turn per said bone anchor central portion length; b) providing an ultrasonic bone anchor embedding device, wherein said bone anchor is attachable to said bone anchor embedding device and wherein said bone anchor embedding device is adapted to transmit ultrasonic energy therethrough; c) placing said bone anchor against a bone; d) energizing said bone anchor embedding device causing said bone anchor embedding device to vibrate ultrasonically; e) embedding said bone anchor into said bone; and f) removing said bone anchor embedding device from said bone anchor.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
168 words
A method of ultrasonically embedding bone anchors into bone, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a bone anchor, wherein said bone anchor comprises: a proximal end including a coupling element; a distal end; an outer surface, including at least one protrusion on said outer surface of said body; a central portion between said distal end and said proximal end, said central portion having a length, wherein said protrusion is a thread, said thread having a thread pitch less than one turn per said bone anchor central portion length; b) providing an ultrasonic bone anchor embedding device, wherein said bone anchor is attachable to said bone anchor embedding device and wherein said bone anchor embedding device is adapted to transmit ultrasonic energy therethrough; c) placing said bone anchor against a bone; d) energizing said bone anchor embedding device causing said bone anchor embedding device to vibrate ultrasonically; e) embedding said bone anchor into said bone; and f) removing said bone anchor embedding device from said bone anchor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method of embedding bone anchors into bone according to claim 1, wherein said bone anchor coupling element includes screw threads.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method of embedding bone anchors into bone according to claim 2, comprising removing said bone anchor embedding device from said bone anchor with a counter clockwise rotation of said bone anchor embedding device.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
164 words
A method of embedding bone anchors into bone, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a bone anchor, wherein said bone anchor comprises: a body having a bone anchor body length and an outer surface; a proximal end including a bone anchor coupling element; and at least one engagement thread on said outer surface of said bone anchor wherein said engagement thread is formed as a left-handed thread, said engagement thread having a thread pitch less than one turn per said bone anchor body length; b) providing an ultrasonic bone anchor embedding device, wherein said bone anchor is attachable to said bone anchor embedding device and wherein said bone anchor embedding device is adapted to transmit ultrasonic energy therethrough; c) placing said bone anchor against a bone; d) energizing said bone anchor embedding device causing said bone anchor embedding device to vibrate ultrasonically; e) embedding said bone anchor into said bone; and f) removing said bone anchor embedding device from said bone anchor.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
164 words
A method of embedding bone anchors into bone, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a bone anchor, wherein said bone anchor comprises: a body having a bone anchor body length and an outer surface; a proximal end including a bone anchor coupling element; and at least one engagement thread on said outer surface of said bone anchor wherein said engagement thread is formed as a left-handed thread, said engagement thread having a thread pitch less than one turn per said bone anchor body length; b) providing an ultrasonic bone anchor embedding device, wherein said bone anchor is attachable to said bone anchor embedding device and wherein said bone anchor embedding device is adapted to transmit ultrasonic energy therethrough; c) placing said bone anchor against a bone; d) energizing said bone anchor embedding device causing said bone anchor embedding device to vibrate ultrasonically; e) embedding said bone anchor into said bone; and f) removing said bone anchor embedding device from said bone anchor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method of embedding bone anchors into bone according to claim 4 wherein said thread has a thread pitch of approximately one quarter turn per said bone anchor body length.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
169 words
A method of embedding bone anchors into bone, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a bone anchor, wherein said bone anchor comprises: a body including an outer surface; a proximal end including a bone anchor coupling element; and engagement threads on said outer surface of said bone anchor wherein said engagement threads are formed as left-handed threads; b) providing a bone anchor embedding device wherein said bone anchor is attachable to said bone anchor embedding device and wherein said bone anchor embedding device is adapted to transmit ultrasonic energy therethrough; c) drilling a pilot hole in a bone, said pilot hole having a hole diameter, wherein said hole diameter is less than or equal to said bone anchor diameter; d) placing said bone anchor in contact with said pilot hole; e) energizing said bone anchor embedding device causing said bone anchor embedding device to vibrate ultrasonically; f) embedding said bone anchor into said pilot hole; and g) removing said bone anchor embedding device from said bone anchor.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
169 words
A method of embedding bone anchors into bone, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a bone anchor, wherein said bone anchor comprises: a body including an outer surface; a proximal end including a bone anchor coupling element; and engagement threads on said outer surface of said bone anchor wherein said engagement threads are formed as left-handed threads; b) providing a bone anchor embedding device wherein said bone anchor is attachable to said bone anchor embedding device and wherein said bone anchor embedding device is adapted to transmit ultrasonic energy therethrough; c) drilling a pilot hole in a bone, said pilot hole having a hole diameter, wherein said hole diameter is less than or equal to said bone anchor diameter; d) placing said bone anchor in contact with said pilot hole; e) energizing said bone anchor embedding device causing said bone anchor embedding device to vibrate ultrasonically; f) embedding said bone anchor into said pilot hole; and g) removing said bone anchor embedding device from said bone anchor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method of embedding bone anchors into bone according to claim 6, wherein said bone anchor coupling element includes screw threads formed as right-handed threads.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method of embedding bone anchors into bone according to claim 7, comprising removing said bone anchor embedding device from said bone anchor with a counter clockwise rotation of said bone anchor embedding device.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
217 words
A method of embedding bone anchors into bone, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a bone anchor, wherein said bone anchor comprises: a body having a bone anchor body length and an outer surface; a proximal end including a bone anchor coupling element; and at least one engagement thread on said outer surface of said bone anchor wherein said engagement thread is formed as a left-handed thread, said engagement thread having a thread pitch less than one turn per said bone anchor body length; b) providing a bone anchor embedding device wherein said bone anchor is attachable to said bone anchor embedding device and wherein said bone anchor embedding device is adapted to transmit ultrasonic energy therethrough; c) drilling a pilot hole in a bone, said pilot hole having a hole diameter, wherein said hole diameter is less than or equal to said bone anchor diameter; d) placing said bone anchor in contact with said pilot hole; e) energizing said bone anchor embedding device causing said bone anchor embedding device to vibrate ultrasonically; f) embedding said bone anchor into said pilot hole; and g) removing said bone anchor embedding device from said bone anchor, wherein said step of removing said bone anchor embedding device from said bone anchor sets said bone anchor into said bone.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
217 words
A method of embedding bone anchors into bone, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a bone anchor, wherein said bone anchor comprises: a body having a bone anchor body length and an outer surface; a proximal end including a bone anchor coupling element; and at least one engagement thread on said outer surface of said bone anchor wherein said engagement thread is formed as a left-handed thread, said engagement thread having a thread pitch less than one turn per said bone anchor body length; b) providing a bone anchor embedding device wherein said bone anchor is attachable to said bone anchor embedding device and wherein said bone anchor embedding device is adapted to transmit ultrasonic energy therethrough; c) drilling a pilot hole in a bone, said pilot hole having a hole diameter, wherein said hole diameter is less than or equal to said bone anchor diameter; d) placing said bone anchor in contact with said pilot hole; e) energizing said bone anchor embedding device causing said bone anchor embedding device to vibrate ultrasonically; f) embedding said bone anchor into said pilot hole; and g) removing said bone anchor embedding device from said bone anchor, wherein said step of removing said bone anchor embedding device from said bone anchor sets said bone anchor into said bone.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method of embedding bone anchors into bone according to claim 9 wherein said thread has a thread pitch of about one quarter turn per said bone anchor body length.
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