Abstract

A method for anchoring suture to bone, wherein the method comprises the steps of (1) providing a suture anchor of the sort comprising (a) a coupling member, (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight configuration, and (c) attachment means for attaching the suture to the suture anchor, (2) deforming the barb to a substantially straight configuration and retaining the barb in its deformed condition, and attaching a suture to the suture anchor, and forming a hole in a bone to which the suture is to be anchored, (3) inserting the suture anchor with its deformed barb into the hole in the bone, and (4) releasing the barb from its deformed condition while the suture anchor is disposed in the hole, whereby the barb will restore itself to its normal curved state so as to fix the suture anchor and hence the suture to the bone.