Bone plug insertion instrument

A method of operating a bone plug insertion instrument for inserting a bone plug into a target bone tunnel, the bone plug insertion instrument comprising:

• an elongated housing defining a first central axis, and comprising an at least partially tube-shaped insertion portion, and a handling portion, the at least partially tube-shaped insertion portion defining, substantially orthogonally to the first central axis, an inner cross-sectional area at least partially surrounded by a bone contacting end surface of the at least partially tube-shaped insertion portion;
• and
• an elongated plunger comprising an actuating portion and a bone plug driving portion with a bone plug contacting end surface having a contact area of 10% to 90% of the inner cross-sectional area, the elongated plunger being configured to move relative to the elongated housing between a first position and a second, different position,
• wherein in the first position the bone plug insertion instrument forms an open configuration, in which the bone contacting end surface and the bone plug contacting end surface are separated by a first distance, thereby allowing the bone plug to be received in a space within the at least partially tube-shaped insertion portion between the bone contacting end surface and the bone plug contacting end surface, wherein in the second position, the bone plug insertion instrument forms a substantially closed configuration, in which a second distance between the bone contacting end surface and the bone plug contacting end surface is smaller than the first distance, and wherein in the second position, the bone plug contacting end surface is adjacent to the bone contacting end surface,
• the method comprising:
• retrieving the bone plug using a bone grafting instrument;
• inserting the bone plug with an attached tendon into the space inside the at least partially tube-shaped insertion portion between the bone contacting end surface and the bone plug contacting end surface;
• pressing the bone plug contacting end surface against the bone plug while the bone plug is within the space;
• aligning the bone plug with the target bone tunnel by using the bone plug insertion instrument;
• and
• inserting the bone plug into the target bone tunnel by moving the elongated plunger towards the bone contacting end surface to thereby remove the bone plug from the space.