Graft ligament strand tensioner

A ligament strand tensioner comprising:

• a frame member for slidingly retaining loops of suture strands extending from ligament strands, and having a collar portion;
• a cylindrically-shaped tube on which the collar portion is mounted;
• a base member fixed on said tube;
• a handle connected to said tube, a tubular core portion of said handle being slidingly disposed on said tube;
• the collar portion being tiltingly movable on said base member when manipulation of said handle, to pull the suture strands on said frame member taut, causes said base member to engage the collar portion;
• wherein
• proximal axial movement of said frame member effects application of the tension on the strands;
• and
• the sliding retention of the suture strands and the tilting movement of the collar portion provide substantial equalization of tension in the ligament strands;
• and
• wherein said tensioner further comprises a spring biasing said handle against proximal movement of said handle on the tube.

A ligament strand tensioner comprising:

• a frame member for slidingly retaining loops of suture strands extending from ligament strands, and having a collar portion;
• a cylindrically-shaped tube on which the collar portion is mounted;
• a base member fixed on said tube;
• and
• a handle connected to said tube;
• the collar portion being tiltingly movable on said base member when manipulation of said handle, to pull the suture strands on said frame member taut, causes said base member to engage the collar portion;
• wherein
• proximal axial movement of said frame member effects application of the tension on the strands;
• and
• the sliding retention of the suture strands and the tilting movement of the collar portion provide substantial equalization of tension in the ligament strands;
• and
• wherein said ligament strand tensioner further comprises an opening for passing instruments through the ligament strand tensioner to engage the ligament strands.

A ligament strand tensioner comprising:

• a unitary frame member for slidingly retaining loops of suture strands extending from ligament strands, said frame member comprising a collar portion, opposed struts extending outwardly from said collar portion and a rail at an outer end of each strut, said collar portion, struts and rails forming an integral one-piece single member;
• and
• a handle connected to said frame member for manipulation of said frame member to apply tension to the suture strands and thereby to the ligament strands;
• said frame member being pivotally moveable, such that sliding movement of the sutures on said frame member, and pivotal movement of said frame member provide substantial equalization of tension in the ligament strands.

A ligament strand tensioner comprising:

• a frame member for slidingly retaining loops of suture strands extending from ligament strands, and having a collar portion;
• a handle having a core portion on which the collar portion is mounted for axial movement, and a grip portion;
• and
• an abutment member connected to said handle and having rounded surfaces facing the collar portion;
• the collar portion being tiltingly movable on the abutment member rounded surfaces when manipulation of said handle, to pull suture strands on said frame member taut, causes said abutment member to engage the collar portion;
• wherein the sliding retention of the suture strands and the tilting movement of the collar portion provide substantial equalization of tension in the ligament strands.

A method for reconstructing a ligament, comprising:

• attaching sutures S1 and S2 to ligament grafts G1 and G2, attaching sutures S3 and S4 to ligament grafts G3 and G4, fixing portions of ligament grafts G1, G2, G3 and G4 to a first bone in the body, and drawing sutures S1, S2, S3 and S4 through a hole in a second bone in a body;
• providing a ligament strand tensioner comprising:
• a frame member for slidingly retaining loops of suture strands extending from ligament strands, and having a collar portion, a handle having a core portion on which the collar portion is disposed for axial movement, and a grip portion, and a spherical member connected to said handle and having rounded surfaces facing the collar portion, the collar portion being tiltingly movable on the spherical member rounded surfaces when manipulation of said handle, to pull suture strands on said frame member taut, causes the spherical member rounded surfaces to engage said collar portion, wherein the sliding retention of the suture strands and the tilting movement of the collar portion provide substantial equalization of tension in the ligament strands;
• tying together sutures S1 and S2, and tying together sutures S3 and S4, and positioning said sutures on said rounded surfaces;
• pulling said handle axially so as to pull said sutures taught;
• and
• securing said ligament grafts G1, G2, G3 and G4 to said second bone.