Method of loading tendons into the knee
AssigneeArthrex, Inc.
InventorJeffery M. Whelan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical method for loading ligament grafts into a joint. A longitudinal socket formed in a bone is intersected by a transverse pin. A flexible strand is drawn with the pin through the bone. A looped portion of the strand is diverted so as to protrude out of the entrance to the longitudinal socket. The ends of the strand remaining accessible on either side of the bone. The ligament graft is captured within the strand loop protruding from the entrance to the socket. The strand is retracted into the socket, drawing the graft into the socket by pulling on the accessible ends of the flexible strand. The graft is fixed in the socket using a transverse implant.
Claims15
A method of surgery, comprising the steps of:
- forming a socket in a bone, the socket having an entrance and a sidewall;
- introducing a flexible strand transversely into the socket through the sidewall of the socket;
- pulling a portion of the strand out through the socket entrance;
- engaging a graft with the portion of the strand pulled out of the socket entrance;
- and
- pulling the flexible strand and the graft engaged thereto into the socket.
A surgical method, comprising the steps of:
- forming a socket in bone, the socket having an entrance and a sidewall;
- introducing a hook having an eye into the socket;
- drilling a guide pin through the sidewall of the bone socket so as to transversely intersect the socket, the guide pin passing through the eye of the hook;
- pulling a flexible strand transversely through the bone socket using the guide pin;
- pulling a loop in the flexible strand out through the entrance of the socket using the hook;
- engaging a tendon graft with the loop in the flexible strand pulled out of the entrance of the socket;
- pulling the flexible strand in a direction transverse to the socket so as to draw the graft engaged therewith into the socket;
- and
- supporting the graft within the socket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.