Patent ID: 6569188
Filing Date: 2003-05-27
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61L

Abstract:
A headed bioabsorbable tissue anchor for attaching soft tissue to bone without using suture, the tissue anchor, comprising:a body formed of a bioabsorbable material, the body having a distal end and a proximal end; a continuous thread disposed in a spiral around the body and having an inner diameter, an outer diameter and a surface area, the surface area of the thread increasing from the proximal end to the distal end of the body; a disk-shaped head disposed on the proximal end of the body for engaging soft tissue and holding the soft tissue against bone without using suture, the head having an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the thread for compressing soft tissue to bone; and a coupling arrangement for engaging a driver for turning the anchor, the coupling arrangement comprising: (i) at least one slot that extends completely through the head of the anchor without extending into the body of the anchor for engaging a corresponding projection on the driver; and (ii) a cannula extending completely through the body of the tissue anchor and being shaped for receiving and engaging a central, correspondingly shaped pin of the driver.