Abstract: Suture anchors having specialized cortical and cancellous bone-engaging segments with optimized thread patterns to enhance mechanical fixation to cortical and cancellous bone tissue. This is accomplished by providing multiple (e.g., two) starts of fine helical threads in the cortical bone-engaging segment and coarse helical threads with fewer starts (e.g., one start), and greater spacing, height, and depth in the cancellous bone-engaging segment. The threaded anchor body includes a central bore, with a socket at a proximal opening and a suture-attachment structural member therein. The bore only extends through the cortical bone-engaging segment but not the cancellous bone-engaging segment. This permits the cancellous bone-engaging segment to have a substantially reduced root diameter, which substantially increases the height and depth, and therefore the mechanical bite, of the cancellous bone-engaging threads.

Abstract: Suture anchors having specialized cortical and cancellous bone-engaging segments with optimized thread patterns to enhance mechanical fixation to cortical and cancellous bone. The cortical bone-engaging segment includes fine helical threads and the cancellous bone-engaging segment includes coarse helical locking threads with greater spacing, height, and depth than the fine helical threads. The coarse helical locking threads include one or more of an undercut, concavity, convexity, or protrusion that interlock with adjacent bone to resist lateral movement and tipping and provide greater resistance to pullout. The threaded anchor body includes a central bore, with a socket at a proximal opening and a suture-attachment structure therein. The bore may extend through the cortical bone-engaging segment but not the cancellous bone-engaging segment.

Abstract: Driver apparatus and methods for adjusting suture tension while driving a suture anchor into a bone tunnel during connective tissue repair surgery, such as hip or shoulder repair. The driver apparatus includes a drive shaft, a driver tip at a distal end for engaging a suture anchor, and a driver handle at a proximal end that includes a manually actuatable suture brake associated or integrated with the handle. The driver apparatus can be used in a method for inserting a suture anchor into a bone tunnel while making adjustments to suture tension by selectively actuating or releasing the suture brake while the suture anchor is being driven into a bone tunnel. The driver apparatus can be adapted for use with single stage push anchors, two-stage push anchors, two-stage threaded anchors, and knotless suture anchors having internal locking means.

Abstract: Improved suture anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The suture anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. A rigid member is fixed within the bore of the anchor body and limits proximal movement of a suture loop positioned within the bore of the bone anchor. One or more sutures with free ends extending from the suture anchor are used for attachment of soft tissue. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body may including a non-threaded extension. The anchor body can be threaded to a periphery of a proximal face at the proximal end to engage hard bone tissue.

Abstract: Improved suture anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The suture anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. A rigid member is fixed within the bore of the anchor body and limits proximal movement of a suture loop positioned within the bore of the bone anchor. One or more sutures with free ends extending from the suture anchor are used for attachment of soft tissue. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body may including a non-threaded extension. The anchor body can be threaded to a periphery of a proximal face at the proximal end to engage hard bone tissue.

Abstract: Improved bone anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The bone anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal end and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. One or more pins are fixed within the bore of the anchor body. One or more sutures can be looped on the pins for anchoring soft tissue to bone. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body forms a non-threaded extension, which stabilizes the bone anchor, and helps prevent lateral movement during use. In one embodiment, the anchor body has coarse threads for engaging soft bone tissue and fine threads for engaging hard bone tissue.

Abstract: Improved bone anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The bone anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal end and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. One or more pins are fixed within the bore of the anchor body. One or more sutures can be looped on the pins for anchoring soft tissue to bone. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body forms a non-threaded extension, which stabilizes the bone anchor, and helps prevent lateral movement during use. In one embodiment, the anchor body has coarse threads for engaging soft bone tissue and fine threads for engaging hard bone tissue.

Abstract: Bone anchors useful in rotator cuff repair optimize the thread pattern for engaging different types of bone tissues, including harder cortical bone and softer cancellous bone. Bone anchors may include fine threads for engaging cortical bone and coarse threads for engaging cancellous bone. Threads can be made finer by increasing root diameter and surface angle of the threads. The pitches of the fine and coarse threads are kept the same, which allows fine threads to follow the impression created by coarse threads as the anchor is driven into a bone. Threads that engage cortical bone can be multi-fluted and include a first flute that follows the same thread pattern as coarse threads such that first flute follows the groove created by the coarse threads as the bone anchor is driven into a bone. Bone anchors can have a distal non-threaded stabilizing extension at the distal end.

Abstract: Electrosurgical instruments are configured to provide increased ablative capability without requiring increased current density at the electrode. The electrosurgical instrument includes an elongate probe having a handle portion and a distal end. An electrode is disposed at the distal end and is configured to ablate tissue. The instrument includes an aspiration lumen, e.g., that may open through the electrode, at the distal end to aspirate fluid, tissue debris, and gaseous bubbles through the aspiration lumen. The electrosurgical instrument includes a user operable control (e.g., button) on the handle portion for selectively placing the instrument in boosted ablation mode, which can be achieved by restricting aspiration of fluid through the aspiration lumen, reducing active cooling of the electrode, and causing increased ablative sparking density at the electrode (e.g., by at least 10%, 20%, 35%, or 50%).

Abstract: Electrosurgical instruments are configured to provide increased ablative capability without requiring increased current density at the electrode. The electrosurgical instrument includes an elongate probe having a handle portion and a distal end. An electrode is disposed at the distal end and is configured to ablate tissue. The instrument includes an aspiration lumen, e.g., that may open through the electrode, at the distal end to aspirate fluid, tissue debris, and gaseous bubbles through the aspiration lumen. The electrosurgical instrument includes a user operable control (e.g., button) on the handle portion for selectively placing the instrument in boosted ablation mode, which can be achieved by restricting aspiration of fluid through the aspiration lumen, reducing active cooling of the electrode, and causing increased ablative sparking density at the electrode (e.g., by at least 10%, 20%, 35%, or 50%).

Abstract: Bone anchors for attaching soft tissue to bone include an anchor body having a bore that opens at a proximal end and a suture attachment site in communication with the bore for slidably receiving a suture thereon. In one embodiment, three suture attachment sites are provided by two transverse pins placed within the bore. The bone anchors can be fully threaded and, in one embodiment, can have fine and coarse threads for engaging cortical and cancellous bone tissue, respectively.

Abstract: Improved bone anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The bone anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. One or more pins are fixed within the bore of the anchor body. One or more sutures can be looped on the pins for anchoring soft tissue to bone. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body forms a non-threaded extension, which stabilizes the bone anchor, and helps prevent lateral movement during use. In one embodiment, the anchor body has coarse threads for engaging soft bone tissue and fine threads for engaging hard bone tissue.

Abstract: Electrosurgical instruments are configured to selectively perform ablation or coagulation as desired. The electrosurgical instruments include at least two electrodes on the electrode probe that can be activated using an RF generator. The electrosurgical instruments are selectively switchable between an ablation mode and a coagulation mode by changing the amount of active electrode surface area. In particular, in the ablation mode, a relatively small electrode surface area is active. Thus, for a given power input, the current density is relatively high. In the coagulation mode, the active electrode surface area is increased, thereby reducing the current density in the coagulation mode for the given power input.

Abstract: The electrosurgical instrument is configured to selectively perform ablation or coagulation as desired. The electrosurgical instrument includes at least two electrodes on the electrode probe that can be activated using an RF generator. The electrosurgical instrument is selectively switchable between an ablation mode and a coagulation mode by changing the amount of active surface area. In particular, in the ablation mode, a relatively small surface area is active. Thus, for a given power input, the current density is relatively high. In the coagulation mode, the active surface area is increased, thereby reducing the current density in the coagulation mode for the given power input.

Abstract: Improved bone anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The bone anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. One or more pins are fixed within the bore of the anchor body. One or more sutures can be looped on the pins for anchoring soft tissue to bone. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body forms a non-threaded extension, which stabilizes the bone anchor, and helps prevent lateral movement during use. In one embodiment, the anchor body has coarse threads for engaging soft bone tissue and fine threads for engaging hard bone tissue.

Abstract: Bone anchors useful in rotator cuff repair optimize the thread pattern for engaging different types of bone tissues, including harder cortical bone and softer cancellous bone. Bone anchors may include fine threads for engaging cortical bone and coarse threads for engaging cancellous bone. Threads can be made finer by increasing root diameter and surface angle of the threads. The pitches of the fine and coarse threads are kept the same, which allows fine threads to follow the impression created by coarse threads as the anchor is driven into a bone. Threads that engage cortical bone can be multi-fluted and include a first flute that follows the same thread pattern as coarse threads such that first flute follows the groove created by the coarse threads as the bone anchor is driven into a bone. Bone anchors can have a distal non-threaded stabilizing extension at the distal end.

Abstract: Bone anchors are provided having three suture attachment sites disposed within a bore. The bone anchors are suitable for use in rotator cuff repair procedures. The bone anchors comprise an anchor body having a bore that opens at a proximal end of the anchor body. At least three attachment sites are positioned within the bore. Each attachment site is capable of slidably receiving a respective suture thereon. The three attachment sites are spaced apart and configured such that the portions of the respective sutures that are in contact with the three attachment sites are maintained separated during use. In one embodiment, the three suture attachment sites are provided by two transverse pins placed within the bore. In another embodiment, the bore opens at a distal end and a longitudinal pin is inserted into the opening at the distal end. The at least three attachment sites are provided by the longitudinal pin disposed within the bore.

Abstract: Bone anchors are provided having three suture attachment sites disposed within a bore. The bone anchors are suitable for use in rotator cuff repair procedures. The bone anchors comprise an anchor body having a bore that opens at a proximal end of the anchor body. At least three attachment sites are positioned within the bore. Each attachment site is capable of slidably receiving a respective suture thereon. The three attachment sites are spaced apart and configured such that the portions of the respective sutures that are in contact with the three attachment sites are maintained separated during use. In one embodiment, the three suture attachment sites are provided by two transverse pins placed within the bore. In another embodiment, the bore opens at a distal end and a longitudinal pin is inserted into the opening at the distal end. The at least three attachment sites are provided by the longitudinal pin disposed within the bore.

Abstract: An improved electrode for electrosurgery comprises at least one orifice in the active surface of the electrode connected to a lumen in the probe of larger cross-sectional area than the area of the orifice(s), the lumen being connected to a vacuum, such that a venturi is formed extending from the one or more orifices in the active surface of the electrode to the lumen, whereby flow of fluid, ablated tissue, and other debris in the vicinity of the surgical site is accelerated through the orifice(s), reducing clogging, whereby any particle passing through the orifice(s) is unlikely to become clogged downstream, and whereby the edges of the orifice(s) are ablative, tending to reduce any particles caught at the orifice(s) to a size small enough to pass therethrough.

Abstract: Electrosurgical instruments are configured to selectively perform ablation or coagulation as desired. The electrosurgical instruments include at least two electrodes on the electrode probe that can be activated using an RF generator. The electrosurgical instruments are selectively switchable between an ablation mode and a coagulation mode by changing the amount of active electrode surface area. In particular, in the ablation mode, a relatively small electrode surface area is active. Thus, for a given power input, the current density is relatively high. In the coagulation mode, the active electrode surface area is increased, thereby reducing the current density in the coagulation mode for the given power input.