This invention relates to the field of surgical bone staples, and more specifically to staples for securing soft tissue to bone.
It often becomes necessary in the surgical art to reapply soft tissue (e.g., ligaments, muscles, cartilage and tendons) to the bone structure of a patient so as to cause adherence and growth of the soft tissue to the bone. Thus, for example, soft tissue torn loose from the underlying bone in an injury is so rejoined. In other operations, soft tissue is surgically separated from the underlying bone so that it can be shortened or moved, and is then rejoined to the bone. An example of such an operation is the well known surgical procedure in which the patellar tendon is translated medially to inhibit lateral subluxation of the patella in the femoral groove.
Surgical staples provided with soft-tissue retaining teeth on the underside on the transverse bridge member are known. An example of such a staple is the Richards fixation staple (Richards Manufacturing Co., Inc.; Memphis, Tenn.). Another example is the DePalma Staple (Howmedica, Inc.; Rutherford, N.J.). Also U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,091 discloses a combination bone staple and tissue retention element having a multiplicity of teeth on its underside. In all these staples, the bridge of the staple is either straight or curved slightly to conform generally to the expected arc of the bone, and the teeth are short. Therefore, when these prior art staples are used to secure tubular or elliptical shaped soft tissue to a bone, the tissue is squeezed flat between the bridge and bone surface. The pressure causing this distortion of tubular tissue can produce serious injury to that tissue and retard its desired healing and adherence to the bone.