Patent ID: 8597328

Claim:
An apparatus for anchoring tissue to bone, comprising: a suture anchor having an inner lumen extending between proximal and distal ends thereof, the distal end including opposed cut-outs formed in opposed sidewalls thereof and a suture-engaging member positioned in the inner lumen, extending between the opposed sidewalls at an immovably fixed longitudinal position with respect to the opposed cut-outs, and adjacent to the opposed cut-outs such that a suture can extend around the suture-engaging member and trailing ends of the suture can extend through the inner lumen of the suture anchor, wherein the suture-engaging member does not extend distally beyond a distal-most end of the suture anchor; and a driver having an elongate shaft and a distal end adapted to be advanced distally into the inner lumen of the suture anchor through the proximal end thereof to be received within and to engage a proximal portion of the inner lumen of the suture anchor, wherein, when the distal end of the driver is being advanced distally within the inner lumen of the suture anchor, the distal end of the driver cannot extend distally beyond the distal-most end of the suture anchor; and wherein, when the distal end of the driver engages the proximal portion of the inner lumen of the suture anchor, the driver is adapted to be rotated so as to rotate the suture anchor relative to bone so as to drive the suture anchor into the bone.