GRAFT PULLEY AND METHODS OF USE
First Claim
1. A graft pulley for positioning a ligament graft within a selected bone tunnel comprising:
- a pulley portion having an aperture, the aperture sized to receive at least one surgical suture; and
a bone anchoring portion operable to selectively advance into a bone tunnel blind end, so as to be disposed within the bone tunnel blind end and fixedly secure the graft pulley with the bone; and
wherein the graft pulley is sized to not violate the bone tunnel walls.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A placement assembly used for positioning and holding a ligament graft within a selected bone tunnel. The assembly includes a graft pulley, a surgical suture, and a graft pulley placement instrument. The graft pulley includes a pulley portion and a bone anchoring portion. The pulley portion is adapted to receive the surgical suture and for surgical suture to be drawn through it, to act as a pulley. The bone anchoring portion comprises a portion adapted to selectively fix the graft pulley within a bone tunnel. The graft instrument may be selectively attached to the graft pulley and includes a handle and elongate body, adapted to insert the graft pulley into the selected bone tunnel. Once the graft pulley is in place, the placement instrument may then be detached and withdrawn leaving the graft pulley firmly fixed within the bone tunnel and can then be used to position a ligament graft.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A graft pulley for positioning a ligament graft within a selected bone tunnel comprising:
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a pulley portion having an aperture, the aperture sized to receive at least one surgical suture; and a bone anchoring portion operable to selectively advance into a bone tunnel blind end, so as to be disposed within the bone tunnel blind end and fixedly secure the graft pulley with the bone; and wherein the graft pulley is sized to not violate the bone tunnel walls. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A tissue pulley for positioning a target tissue proximal to a selected bone tunnel comprising:
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a pulley portion having an aperture, the aperture sized to receive at least one surgical suture; and a bone anchoring portion, comprising a threaded surface, operable to selectively advance the tissue pulley beyond a bone tunnel blind end, so as to be disposed within the bone tunnel blind end to fixedly secure the tissue pulley with a bone tunnel; and wherein the tissue pulley is sized so as not to engage the bone tunnel walls. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method for placing a graft pulley into a bone tunnel blind end within a patient'"'"'s knee comprising:
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drilling a bone tunnel, so that the bone tunnel has a blind end and tunnel walls, the blind end substantially spaced from a femur capsule distal end; inserting a graft pulley into the bone tunnel, wherein the graft pulley is sized so to not violate the bone tunnel walls during insertion, and the graft pulley comprises a pulley portion and a bone anchoring portion; the pulley portion having an aperture with at least one surgical suture passed through the aperture; and the bone anchoring portion comprising a threaded self tapping tip; positioning the graft pulley anchoring portion up against the bone tunnel blind end; and rotating the graft pulley so that the anchoring portion advances into the tunnel blind end, so as to be disposed within the bone tunnel blind end to fixedly secure the graft pulley with the bone. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method for placing a graft pulley within a bone tunnel blind end comprising:
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drilling a bone tunnel, so that the bone tunnel has a blind end, the blind end spaced substantially from a bone capsule distal end; threading a surgical suture though a ligament, said suture having two suture ends; passing the two suture ends through a graft pulley aperture, wherein the aperture is sized to receive at least two surgical sutures; inserting a graft pulley into the bone tunnel using a pulley placement instrument, the graft pulley sized so as not to engage the tunnel walls and further comprising a bone anchoring portion having a threaded self tapping tip; positioning the bone anchoring portion up against the bone tunnel blind end; and rotating and advancing the graft pulley into the tunnel blind end, so that a portion of the bone anchoring portion is disposed within the bone tunnel blind end, to fixedly secure the graft pulley within the bone blind end. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification