Flexible tibial sheath
AssigneeDePuy Mitek, LLC
InventorsLisa M. Donnelly, Nathan S. Cauldwell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A radially expandable sheath is provided having a substantially closed distal end with at least two sidewalls extending proximally therefrom and defining a central lumen. Each sidewall can have a substantially concave outer surface adapted to seat a graft member, and each side wall is at least partially separated by a longitudinally oriented slot that extends from a proximal end along a substantial length of each sidewall. The slot preferably terminates at a position just proximal to the distal end. The device can also include a sheath expander that is adapted to be disposed in the central lumen of the radially expandable sheath and that is configured to flex the sidewalls to radially expand the sheath so as to fix a graft member within a bone tunnel.
Claims24
A graft fixation device for fixing a graft member within a bone tunnel, the device comprising:
- an expandable sheath having an inner lumen extending between an open proximal end and a distal tip, the expandable sheath including a plurality of separate and distinct sidewalls that are coupled to one another at a distal end thereof, each sidewall having a substantially concave outer surface originating adjacent to the proximal end and terminating adjacent to the distal tip, the concave outer surface being configured to seat a graft therein, and the concave outer surface being configured to deform radially outward when a sheath expander is disposed within the inner lumen such that the concave outer surface assumes a substantially convex shape.
(canceled)
A graft fixation device for fixing a graft member within a bone tunnel, the device comprising:
- a bioabsorbable expandable sheath having an inner lumen extending between proximal and distal ends, the expandable sheath having at least two separate and distinct sidewalls extending between the proximal and distal ends of the expandable sheath, the sidewalls being coupled to one another at the distal end of the expandable sheath;
- wherein the bioabsorbable expandable sheath is formed from a polylactic acid and tricalcium phosphate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.