Apparatus and method for reconstructing a ligament
First Claim
1. Apparatus for use in reconstructing a ligament, said apparatus comprising:
- a graft ligament support block for supporting a graft ligament in a bone tunnel, said graft ligament support block comprising;
a body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis extending between said distal end and said proximal end;
a graft hole extending through said body transverse to said longitudinal axis and configured to receive a graft ligament therein; and
a transverse fixation pin hole extending through said body transverse to said longitudinal axis and configured to receive a transverse fixation pin therein.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for reconstructing a ligament using a graft ligament support block which comprises a body, and a graft hole and a transverse fixation pin hole extending through the body, with both the graft hole and the fixation pin hole preferably extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body. A graft ligament is looped through the graft hole, and the support block is advanced into the bone tunnel, with the two free ends of the looped graft ligament extending back out the bone tunnel. Next, a transverse tunnel is formed in the host bone, with the transverse tunnel being aligned with the fixation pin hole. Then the support block is secured in place by pinning the support block within the tunnel, i.e., by advancing a fixation pin along the transverse tunnel in the host bone and into the fixation pin hole in the support block.
338 Citations
29 Claims
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1. Apparatus for use in reconstructing a ligament, said apparatus comprising:
a graft ligament support block for supporting a graft ligament in a bone tunnel, said graft ligament support block comprising;
a body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis extending between said distal end and said proximal end;
a graft hole extending through said body transverse to said longitudinal axis and configured to receive a graft ligament therein; and
a transverse fixation pin hole extending through said body transverse to said longitudinal axis and configured to receive a transverse fixation pin therein. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for securing a graft ligament in a bone tunnel, comprising the steps of:
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looping a graft ligament through a graft hole in a graft ligament support block;
advancing the graft ligament support block into the bone tunnel;
forming a transverse tunnel in the host bone, with a transverse tunnel being aligned with a transverse fixation pin hole in the graft ligament support block; and
pinning the graft ligament support block within the bone tunnel by advancing a transverse fixation pin along the transverse tunnel in the host bone and into the transverse fixation pin hole in the graft ligament support block. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for securing a graft ligament in a bone tunnel, said method comprising the steps of:
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forming a transverse tunnel in the host bone;
looping a graft ligament through a graft hole in a graft ligament support block;
advancing the graft ligament support block into the bone tunnel so that a transverse fixation pin hole in the graft ligament support block is aligned with the transverse tunnel; and
pinning the graft ligament support block within the bone tunnel by advancing a transverse fixation pin along the transverse tunnel in the host bone and into the transverse fixation pin hole in the graft ligament support block. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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Specification