Ligament anchor system

Abstract

An anchor system that is preferably for use in an arthoscopic cruciate ligament replacement procedure for securing a ligament (37) or (50), or ligament type device, with or without a stint (38), within a prepared ligament tunnel (33). The system includes a pair of threaded footings (11) for turning in opposite tapped ligament tunnel cortex ends (34) and (35) and studs (10), each having an eyelet end (18) or, for a prosthetic ligament (50) is secured to the ligament end, the studs each having a cylindrical body (17) and flared end (12). The stud flared end terminates in a lip (15) wherefrom a lock wall (16) extends at an angle to the vertical to the cylindrical body, which flared end is cross-cut at (19) and (20), forming sections. The stud flared end (12) sections to close together to fit through the threaded footing (11) and flex outwardly beyond that footing end (24), the lip lock wall (16) to flex over that footing end locking the stud therein. In practice, the ligament (37) with or without the stint (38) is formed into a loop for sliding along the stud (10), slot (20) into the eyelet (18), or the studs are attached to a prosthetic ligament ends in its manufacture, the pair of studs and connected ligament and stint for manipulation through an arthoscopic port (36) formed into the patient's knee, each stud for seating into a threaded footing, the studs each locking therein with the ligament stretched across the knee intra articular joint. Whereafter, tension on the ligament can be adjusted by individually turning the threaded footings appropriately into or out of the cortex threads.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.