Knotless suture locking bone plate

Abstract

A syndesmosis system includes a bone plate and an anchor. The bone plate includes a body extending between first and second surfaces. The body defines a strand-locking hole extending from the first surface to the second surface. A first locking element and a second locking element each extend from a first side wall of the strand-locking hole to a second side wall of the strand-locking hole. Each of the first anchor and the second anchor extend transverse to a central axis of the anchor hole. The anchor includes a body defining a first wing and a second wing. The first and second wings are coupled at a distal end and are biased away from a longitudinal axis of the body. The first and second wings are configured to maintain the anchor in a fixed position when inserted into a hole formed in a bone.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of syndesmosis, comprising:
 forming a bone tunnel through a first bone and a second bone;   passing at least one flexible strand through the bone tunnel from a first side to a second side, wherein the at least one flexible strand is coupled to an anchor including a body defining a first wing and a second wing, wherein the first and second wings are coupled at a distal end and biased away from a longitudinal axis of the body, and wherein the body is sized and configured for insertion into a first side of the bone tunnel;   passing the at least one flexible strand through a locking hole formed in a bone plate, wherein the bone plate is configured to abut a surface of the second bone defining the second side of the bone tunnel;   positioning the first bone and the second bone at a predetermined spacing by applying a tensioning force to the at least one flexible strand; and   locking the at least one flexible strand at a predetermined length, wherein the at least one flexible strand is locked by a first locking element and a second locking element positioned within the locking hole formed in the bone plate.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein insertion of the anchor into the first side of the bone tunnel comprises compressing the first wing and the second wing towards the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein passing the at least one flexible strand through a locking formed in the bone plate comprises passing the at least one flexible strand beneath the second locking element, between the first locking element and the second locking element, and above the first locking element. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one flexible strand is coupled to the anchor by passing the at least one flexible strand through a hole formed in a coupling portion of the anchor and forming a knot in the at least one flexible strand. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one flexible strand is locked at the predetermined length by transitioning the second locking element from a first position to a second position, wherein the second locking element compresses the at least one flexible strand in the second position. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the second locking element transitions from the first position to the second position when a predetermined force is applied to the second locking element by the at least one flexible strand. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , coupling the bone plate to the second bone by inserting one or more fasteners through one or more fastener holes formed through the bone plate, wherein the bone plate is coupled to the second bone prior to positioning the first and second bone at a predetermined spacing. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the one or more fasteners is a locking fastener and wherein at least one of the one or more fastener holes is a locking hole.