Apparatus and method for reconstructing ligaments

Apparatus for removing portions of a bone, said apparatus comprising:

• a guidewire;
• and
• a router assembly;
• said router assembly comprising a cutting head fixed to a shaft rotatably disposed in a hole through a body portion of a shield assembly, and a hood portion of said shield assembly extending from said body portion of said shield assembly and covering a first portion of said cutting head while leaving exposed a second portion of said cutting head;
• said guidewire extending through a bore in said shaft, a bore in said cutting head, and a hole in said shield assembly hood portion, such that said router assembly is movable along said guidewire and said shaft is rotatable in said shield assembly body portion, such that said second portion of said cutting head is engageable with the bone and is operative to remove portions of the bone.

Apparatus for marking bone portions for subsequent removal, the apparatus comprising:

• a marker assembly comprising:
• a marker head fixed to a shaft and adapted to hold and release a dye;
• said shaft and said marker head having bores therethrough;
• and said apparatus further comprising:
• a guidewire for passing through said shaft bore and said marker head bore to support said marker assembly which is movable on said guidewire to engage bone portions proximate said guidewire and mark said bone portions for said subsequent removal.

A method for removing portions of a bone, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing (i) a guidewire, and (ii) a router assembly comprising a cutting head fixed to a shaft rotatably disposed in a hole through a body portion of a shield assembly, and a hood portion of said shield assembly extending from said body portion of said shield assembly and covering a first portion of said cutting head while leaving exposed a second portion of said cutting head, said shaft and said cutting head having bores therethrough, and said shield assembly hood portion having a hole therein;
• anchoring said guidewire in the bone;
• mounting said router assembly on said guidewire such that said guidewire extends through said shaft bore, said cutting head bore, and said hood portion hole, and moving said router assembly along said guidewire to proximate the bone;
• positioning said router assembly such that said second portion of said cutting head is directed toward the bone portion to be removed, and rotating said shaft, to rotate said cutting head, to remove portions from the bone, while the shield assembly hood portion separates said cutting head from other anatomical structures.

A method for reconstructing an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of a patient using a graft ACL, said method comprising the steps of:

• extending the patient's knee at an angle of approximately 90°;
• forming a bone tunnel in the patient's tibia;
• passing a guidewire through said tibial bone tunnel and into the patient's femur, said guidewire being positioned so as to extend along the length where the graft ACL will thereafter reside;
• positioning a cannulated router device onto said guidewire;
• performing notchplasty on said femur using said cannulated router device as said cannulated router device is mounted on said guidewire and as said knee is moved through a range of natural motions;
• and
• dismounting said cannulated router device from said guidewire.