Suture Anchors
Suture anchors are screwed into bone to act as insertion points for sutures used in reconstruction of ligaments, joint capsules and tendons.
For size reference only:
• 2.7mm anchors accept most brands of 40# nylon leader
• 4.0mm anchors accept most brands of 60# nylon leader
• 4.7mm anchors accept most brands of 80# nylon leader
Many other suture types and sizes are frequently used depending on the surgeon’s preference.
Surgeons using large diameter braided suture materials may find the application of bone wax to frayed ends will simplify passing suture material through the eyelet of a bone anchor.
While 2.7mm suture anchors will accept very large suture, these small implants are most commonly used with size 0 and #2 suture.
Pre-drilling is recommended in most applications. In very soft metaphyseal bone the surgeon may opt to only pre-drill a minimum depth just to penetrate the cortical bone shell.
4.0mm and 4.7mm suture anchors have a square drive-head (simplifies handling and application) approximately 2.0mm in height. The 2.7mm suture anchor’s drive-head is approximately 2.4mm in height and elliptical to fit a slotted driver design built for retaining suture prior to application.
