Suture buttress

A method for attaching soft tissue to a bone comprising the steps of:

• forming a first hole at least through cortical bone tissue of the bone proximate to the soft tissue attachment site;
• forming a second hole at least through cortical bone tissue of the bone spaced a predetermined distance apart from the first hole;
• connecting the first hole and the second hole though subcortical bone tissue to form a tunnel in the bone;
• providing a suture buttress system comprising:
• a hollow tube having an outer wall, a central channel, a center line extending through the channel, a leading end for insertion into a bone tunnel and a trailing end;
• the hollow tube being bendable into a curved tube having an outer radius and an outer radial surface, the outer radial surface defining a plurality of slits formed in the outer wall and extending past the center line, the slits having a leading edge and a trailing edge corresponding to the leading end and trailing end of the tube;
• at least one projecting member extending outward from the outer wall, the at least one projecting member being sufficiently strong to form a friction fit within a bone tunnel;
• inserting the leading end of the suture buttress system into the bone tunnel and securing the buttress within the tunnel;
• attaching a suture to the soft tissue and passing the suture through the bone tunnel and through the channel in the buttress;
• and
• securing the suture to secure the soft tissue to the bone.