Abstract: An anchoring method of anchoring an anchoring element in a construction object is provided, where a surface of which object has at least one of pores in a surface, structures in a surface (such as an arrangement of ridges with undercut), a inhomogeneous characteristic with makes the penetration of a surface by a liquid under pressure possible, thereby creating pores filed by the liquid underneath the surface, and of a cavity. The method includes the steps of: providing a first element and a second element, the first element comprising a thermoplastic material; positioning the first element in a vicinity of said surface and/or of said cavity, respectively, and positioning the second element in contact with the first element; and causing a third element to vibrate while loading the first element with a force, thereby applying mechanical vibrations to the first element, and simultaneously loading the first element with a counter-force by the second element.

Abstract: An anchorage in tissue is produced by holding a vibrating element and a counter element against each other such that their contact faces are in contact with each other, wherein at least one of the contact faces includes a thermoplastic material which is liquefiable by mechanical vibration. While holding and then moving the two elements against each other, the vibrating element is vibrated and due to the vibration the thermoplastic material is liquefied between the contact faces, and due to the relative movement is made to flow from between the contact faces and to penetrate tissue located adjacent to outer edges of the contact faces. For liquefaction of the thermoplastic material and for displacing it from between the contact faces, no force needs to act on the tissue surface which is to be penetrated by the liquefied material.

Abstract: A screw for fixation of, for example, a fracture having a hollow shaft, a first outer thread and radial openings at its distal end, and a second outer thread and an inner engagement portion at its proximal end. The second outer thread is adapted to engage with a tissue protection sleeve. The inner engagement portion is adapted to fit to a driving end of a driving tool. By way of this, forces in axial or radial direction may be applied to the screw by the sleeve, and forces in rotational direction may be applied by the driving tool. Therefore, the screw can be installed accurately at the intended site in an object.

Abstract: A method for locating a material having thermoplastic properties in pores of bone tissue includes providing a pin having the material having thermoplastic properties and a core, wherein the material having thermoplastic properties is arranged on the circumferential surface of the core constituting an outer region of the pin. An opening is provided in the bone tissue, and the pin is positioned at least partly in the opening. The outer region of the pin is then impinged with mechanical vibration energy for a time sufficient for liquefying at least part of the material having thermoplastic properties, and, in a liquefied state, pressing it into the pores of the bone tissue surrounding the opening. The vibration energy is stopped for a time sufficient for re-solidification of the liquefied material, and then the core is removed.

Abstract: In a human or animal patient, two bone portions separated by a cut or fracture are stabilized in a desired position relative to each other by bringing the two bone portions into this desired position, by pulling them against each other, by providing an opening having a mouth on a bone surface and reaching across the cut or fracture and walls in both bone portions, by inserting an implant into the opening and anchoring the implant in the walls of the opening with the aid of a material having thermoplastic properties and energy transmitted into the implant for in situ liquefaction of at least part of the material having thermoplastic properties. One exemplary application of the stabilizing procedure concerns the two tibial bone portions separated by tibial plateau leveling osteotomy in a canine patient suffering from cranial cruciate ligament damage or rupture in a stifle joint.

Abstract: A handling device for handling an augmentation implant is proposed, comprising an elongated housing having an axial through-bore for accommodating a sonotrode of an ultrasound applicator, and a lateral opening for inserting a pin magazine with an augmentation pin, wherein the axial through-bore and the lateral opening are connected to each other. The handling device further comprises a distal implant portion for fastening a proximal end of the augmentation implant at the housing, and a proximal tool portion for driving and/or augmenting the augmentation implant.

Abstract: A device for the anchoring of a suture in tissue includes a guide sleeve, a sonotrode, an anchor and the suture. The guide sleeve has a distal part with a smaller cross section and a proximal part with a larger cross section. The sonotrode extends through the lumen of the guide sleeve and has a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end being designed for coupling the sonotrode to a vibration source (e.g. an ultrasonic device). The anchor is arranged at the distal end of the device and includes an anchor foot and an anchoring sleeve sitting on a shoulder of the anchor foot. The anchoring sleeve consists of a material which is liquefiable through mechanical vibrations. A middle portion of the suture runs through the anchor foot and two end portions of the suture are attached to the guide sleeve.

Abstract: An implant suitable for being anchored with the aid of mechanical vibration in an opening provided in bone tissue. The implant is compressible in the direction of a compression axis under local enlargement of a distance between a peripheral implant surface and the compression axis. The implant includes a coupling-in face which serves for coupling a compressing force and the mechanical vibrations into the implant, which coupling-in face is not parallel to the compression axis. The implant also includes a thermoplastic material which, in areas of the local distance enlargement, forms at least a part of the peripheral surface of the implant.

Abstract: A second object, which includes a thermoplastic material, is bonded to a first object, which includes a first object material having an at least partially cross-linked polymer not miscible with the thermoplastic material. The method includes the steps of pressing the second object against the first object and coupling energy into the second object until the thermoplastic material is at least partially liquefied and the first object material in a vicinity of an interface to the thermoplastic material is above its glass transition temperature, and until the thermoplastic material is caused to penetrate into at least one of cracks, pores and deformations of the first object material, and letting the thermoplastic material re-solidify.

Abstract: A method of connecting parts relative to one another includes the steps of providing a first part, the first part having an opening; providing a second part, the second part having thermoplastic material in a solid state; arranging the first part and the second part relative to one another, so that the second part reaches into the opening, while a volume with an undercut is defined in the opening; causing a mechanical pressure and mechanical energy to act on the second part until at least a part of the thermoplastic material is caused to liquefy and to fill the volume; and causing the thermoplastic material to re-solidify, thereby anchoring the second part in the first part.

Abstract: A method for producing an implant including the following steps is provided: —providing a core element having a first material; —providing a negative mold of the implant; —inserting the core element and at least one anchoring element made of a second material into the negative mold, wherein the second material is thermoplastic, —closing the negative mold and applying an elevated deformation temperature, wherein at the deformation temperature the second material is plastically deformable, viscous, or liquid and the first material is solid, —cooling the negative mold together with the core element and the anchoring element, and—removing the resulting implant from the core element and the anchoring element from the negative mold.

Abstract: A device for deflecting mechanical oscillations, at an oscillation receiver location may be set into oscillation along a first axis, and transmits such an oscillation into an oscillation along a second axis at an oscillation output location, wherein the first and the second axis form an angle to one another. The device includes an elongate, bent oscillation element, on whose one end a coupling-in point and at whose other end a coupling-out point is arranged, wherein the device is designed such that the oscillation element oscillates transversally at the coupling-in point and at the coupling-out point, when the oscillation receiver location is subjected to an oscillation.

Abstract: A device and method for fixation of bone fractures has a bone screw comprising a shank with a threaded end portion, on the outer surface. The screw has a through bore with two bore portions differing in diameter. A step in the diameter is formed between these bore portions and is located within the end of the screw having the thread. This step in diameter can support a metal insert which in turn supports a polymer pin when the latter if pressurized with a sonotrode in the bone screw. Together with an applied ultrasonic vibration the pressure fluidizes the polymer pin and presses the material through holes configured in the wall of the bone screw and into surrounding bone.

Abstract: An implant designed e.g. as a replacement for an articulating surface of a human or animal joint is secured to the bone tissue with the aid of a plurality of fasteners (3). The implant (2) comprises a bone side to be brought into contact with the bone tissue, which bone side is equipped with a plurality of fastening structures restricted to this bone side. The fasteners (3) comprise a distal and a proximal side, wherein the distal side is equipped for being anchored in bone tissue and the proximal side is equipped for being connected with one of the fastening structures of the implant (2). The distal sides of the fasteners (3) are anchored in the bone tissue of the appropriately prepared bone and the implant (2) is then attached to the anchored fasteners (3) by connecting the fastening structures with the proximal sides of the fasteners (3), wherein the implant (2) is pressed against the proximal sides of the anchored fasteners (3).

Abstract: A perforated sheath is anchored in a tissue opening with the aid of a tool, wherein the anchorage is achieved with the aid of mechanical vibration and a material which is liquefiable by the vibration. The tool includes a vibrating element and a counter element. Distal portions of both elements are introduced into the sheath to be in contact with each other at an interface. The vibrating element is connected to a vibration source and the vibrating element and the counter element are held against each other for effecting liquefaction of the liquefiable material at the interface. Under the effect of the force applied to the vibrating and counter element for holding them against each other, the liquefied material flows from the interface through the sheath perforation and penetrates the tissue.

Abstract: A method for locating a material having thermoplastic properties in pores of bone tissue includes providing a pin having the material having thermoplastic properties and a core, wherein the material having thermoplastic properties is arranged on the circumferential surface of the core constituting an outer region of the pin. An opening is provided in the bone tissue, and the pin is positioned at least partly in the opening. The outer region of the pin is then impinged with mechanical vibration energy for a time sufficient for liquefying at least part of the material having thermoplastic properties, and, in a liquefied state, pressing it into the pores of the bone tissue surrounding the opening. The vibration energy is stopped for a time sufficient for re-solidification of the liquefied material, and then the core is removed.

Abstract: Objects are fastened to object surfaces of a porous or fibrous material, in particular made of wood or a wood-like material, with the aid of a thermoplastic fastening film. For this, the object, which is separate from, or integrated in the fastening film, is positioned on the object surface and, with the aid of a vibrating fastening tool having a distally arranged, for example closed, perimetric profile element, which is positioned on the fastening film, is anchored in the object surface along a perimeter, and optionally also punched out. The fastening is suitable in particular for fastening identification carriers to wooden objects such as pallets or tree trunks, wherein the identification carriers are equipped, for example, with an antenna and an RFID chip or with a bar code.

Abstract: A lightweight component is equipped with two cover layers, which are made of a wood material, and a filling disposed in between the layers after cutting everything to size, having an edge support including thermoplastic material. The edge support is anchored in both the first and second cover layers starting from the narrow side. Anchoring is achieved by bringing the edge support into contact with the respective cover layer and coupling mechanical vibrations into the edge support by a sonotrode engaging from the narrow side. The edge support at the same time is pressed against the cover layer such that, in the region of a transition between the thermoplastic material and the wood material of the cover layer, part of the thermoplastic material is liquefied and pushed into the cover layer material, thereby producing a positively engaged anchoring after hardening.

Abstract: System for inserting an augmentation pin into an augmentation screw, comprising a pin inserter with an axial through-bore and a lateral opening, a pin-magazine with a pin-retainer for an augmentation pin, wherein the pin-magazine may be placed in the lateral opening of the pin-inserter and an augmentation pin in the pin-retainer may be aligned with the axial through-bore. The augmentation pin may be pushed by means of a pusher from the pin-magazine into an augmentation screw, when the augmentation screw is arranged in front of the pin-inserter.

Abstract: A device for the anchoring of a suture in tissue includes a guide sleeve, a sonotrode, an anchor and the suture. The guide sleeve has a distal part with a smaller cross section and a proximal part with a larger cross section. The sonotrode extends through the lumen of the guide sleeve and has a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end being designed for coupling the sonotrode to a vibration source (e.g. an ultrasonic device). The anchor is arranged at the distal end of the device and includes an anchor foot and an anchoring sleeve sitting on a shoulder of the anchor foot. The anchoring sleeve consists of a material which is liquefiable through mechanical vibrations. A middle portion of the suture runs through the anchor foot and two end portions of the suture are attached to the guide sleeve.