A knotless suture anchor. Design, function, and biomechanical testing

The development of a unique Knotless suture anchor for soft tissue repair to bone is described. This device allows for soft tissue repair to bone using a suture anchor without the need for knot tying. This provides a particular advantage for arthroscopic repairs, where knot tying can be difficult. The Knotless suture anchor has a short loop of suture secured to the tail end of the anchor. A channel located at the tip of the anchor functions to capture the loop of suture after it has been passed through the soft tissue. The soft tissue is tensioned as the anchor is inserted into bone to the appropriate depth. Biomechanical testing demonstrated increased suture strength in the Knotless suture anchor compared with standard suture anchors. This is because of the doubled-suture configuration that is created with the Knotless suture anchor loop. To the author's knowledge, this paper describes the first knotless suture anchor. A secure, low-profile repair can be created without knot tying.