Medical implement for manipulating sutures particularly useful in arthroscopic surgery

A kit comprising:

• a medical implement a handle comprising:
• a proximal portion configured for manual gripping by a user,
• a distal portion,
• an internal passageway for a suture shuttle, extending between a proximal end and a distal end of said handle;
• an intermediate portion formed with a thumb depression facing a first direction;
• said proximal portion comprising a slot extending from said internal passageway to a lateral face of said handle for enabling side-loading of a suture shuttle into a proximal portion of said internal passageway, said slot facing a second direction;
• said slot extending longitudinally from a proximal end of said handle to an intersection with said thumb depression, wherein at said intersection said slot is exposed in said first direction;
• a roller rotatably mounted at said thumb depression, the roller being mounted such that when a suture shuttle is loaded into said internal passageway, the thumb of a user gripping the handle at said depression may press an exposed portion of said suture shuttle against the roller;
• and
• a suture shuttle comprising a suture-receiving element at a distal end of said shuttle.

A method of transporting a suture shuttle using a medical implement comprising:

• a handle comprising:
• a proximal portion configured for manual gripping by a user,
• a distal portion,
• an internal passageway for a suture shuttle, extending between a proximal end and a distal end of said handle;
• an intermediate portion formed with a thumb depression facing a first direction;
• said proximal portion comprising a slot extending from said internal passageway to a lateral face of said handle for enabling side-loading of a suture shuttle into a proximal portion of said internal passageway, said slot facing a second direction;
• said slot extending longitudinally from a proximal end of said handle to an intersection with said thumb depression, wherein at said intersection said slot is exposed in said first direction;
• a roller rotatably mounted at said thumb depression;
• said method comprising:
• inserting a distal end of said suture shuttle into said internal passageway at said thumb depression to overlie said roller;
• thumb pressing said suture shuttle against said roller and moving the thumb to advance said wire into a distal portion of said internal passageway;
• pressing said suture shuttle against said roller to temporarily immobilize said shuttle while side-loading a proximal portion of said shuttle onto said proximal portion of said handle through said slot;
• moving said roller to transport said suture shuttle axially to advance or retract a suture-receiving element of said suture shuttle.