Patent ID: 8052753

Claim:
A prosthetic anchor adapted for attachment to a natural or prosthetic structure of a human or animal, comprising: a central layer including a wafer-like structure and a plurality of embedded fiber bundles, each of the plurality of embedded fiber bundles having a medial portion, the medial portions being situated concentrically with respect to one another within the wafer-like structure to substantially define a generally horseshoe-shaped pattern that shares a flattened orientation with the wafer-like structure, the central layer further having: (i) opposing first and second surfaces on either side of the wafer-like structure, wherein the opposing first and second surfaces together sandwich the wafer-like structure and the medial portions of the plurality of embedded fiber bundles, the opposing first surface being adapted to interface with the natural or prosthetic structure and the opposing second surface being adapted to interface with a tissue; and (ii) first and second spaced apart openings, each positioned in between the first and second surfaces and positioned proximate at least one edge of the wafer-like structure to allow opposing ends of the plurality of embedded fiber bundles to exit the central layer.