Patent ID: 7601167

Claim:
A method of implanting an anchor in a patient's body, said method comprising the steps of: positioning a cannula relative to a bone in a patient's body; moving an anchor having a plurality of helical spikes extending from a surface on a head end portion of the anchor along a path extending through the cannula with pointed end portions of the helical spikes leading and the head end portion trailing; forming a plurality of holes in the bone; engaging the bone with the pointed end portions of the helical spikes while moving the anchor along the path extending through the cannula; rotating the anchor about a central axis of the anchor after engaging the bone with the pointed end portions of the helical spikes including moving the pointed end portion of each helical spike in the plurality of helical spikes into one of the plurality of holes in the bone; penetrating the bone with the helical spikes as the anchor is rotated about its central axis; and moving the surface on the head end portion of the anchor into engagement with the bone at a location between the helical spikes.