Abstract

A suture anchor system that includes a drill for turning into a bone mass with sissoring blades pivotally connected in a longitudinal drill shaft slot proximate to a cutting end thereof, the blade ends to sissor to extend cutting edges outwardly therefrom, which sissoring occurs at a certain depth of penetration into the bone mass, cutting a flared or skirted hole therein, to receive a suture anchor whereto a suture is secured. The suture anchor consists of a suture rivet and slotted ring and is formed by moving the suture rivet into the slotted ring, that ring breaking at spaced apart slots formed therein and flaring into a skirt, the anchor rivet and slotted ring thereby locked together as the suture anchor, which suture anchor has approximately the same shape but a slightly lessor diameter than the hole formed in the bone mass. The suture rivet and slotted ring are mounted on an applicator for fitting into the bone mass hole, the applicator consisting of a grip and trigger pivotally coupled thereto, such that, with trigger movement towards that grip a plunger attached thereto will be moved also, which plunger is releasably secured to a head of a mandrel that is telescoped through an ejector that is for releasable mounting in the applicator, which mandrel slides in the ejector and connects on its distal end to the suture rivet. Plunger travel therefor, responsive to trigger depression, moves the mandrel to pull the suture anchor into the slotted ring and the mandrel thereafter separates from the suture anchor allowing the applicator to be removed from the seated suture anchor and expose the suture attached thereto.