Flexible Tibial Sheath
First Claim
1. A method for fixing a ligament graft in a bone tunnel comprising the steps of:
- forming a bone tunnel through bone;
providing a ligament graft fixation system having an expandable sheath having proximal and distal ends with at least two sidewalls extending therebetween and defining a central lumen, each sidewall being at least partially separated by a longitudinally oriented slot extending from the proximal end and terminating at a position just proximal to the distal end of the expandable sheath;
suturing one end of a graft member to one or more ligaments extending through the bone tunnel;
inserting the expandable sheath into the bone tunnel while tensioning an opposed end of the graft member outside of the tunnel, such that the graft member is positioned between the expandable sheath and the bone tunnel;
inserting an expansion plug into the expandable sheath to expand the at least two sidewalls of the expandable sheath and thereby fix the graft member within the bone tunnel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A radially expandable sheath is provided having a substantially closed distal end with at least two sidewalls extending proximally therefrom and defining a central lumen. Each sidewall can have a substantially concave outer surface adapted to seat a graft member, and each side wall is at least partially separated by a longitudinally oriented slot that extends from a proximal end along a substantial length of each sidewall. The slot preferably terminates at a position just proximal to the distal end. The device can also include a sheath expander that is adapted to be disposed in the central lumen of the radially expandable sheath and that is configured to flex the sidewalls to radially expand the sheath so as to fix a graft member within a bone tunnel.
182 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for fixing a ligament graft in a bone tunnel comprising the steps of:
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forming a bone tunnel through bone; providing a ligament graft fixation system having an expandable sheath having proximal and distal ends with at least two sidewalls extending therebetween and defining a central lumen, each sidewall being at least partially separated by a longitudinally oriented slot extending from the proximal end and terminating at a position just proximal to the distal end of the expandable sheath; suturing one end of a graft member to one or more ligaments extending through the bone tunnel; inserting the expandable sheath into the bone tunnel while tensioning an opposed end of the graft member outside of the tunnel, such that the graft member is positioned between the expandable sheath and the bone tunnel; inserting an expansion plug into the expandable sheath to expand the at least two sidewalls of the expandable sheath and thereby fix the graft member within the bone tunnel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for fixing a ligament graft in a bone tunnel comprising the steps of:
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forming a bone tunnel in bone; suturing one end of a graft member to one or more ligaments extending through the bone tunnel; inserting an expandable sheath into the bone tunnel while tensioning an opposed end of the graft member outside of the tunnel and seating the graft member in a outer surface of a sidewall of the expandable sheath such that the graft member is positioned between the expandable sheath and the bone tunnel; and inserting an expansion plug into the expandable sheath to expand the expandable sheath and thereby compress the graft member against a wall of the bone tunnel. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification