Ligament attachment method and apparatus
US4772286A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 17, 1987 |
| Grant date | Sep 20, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 17, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61F2210/0004
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention provides a system for surgically implanting an allograft or prosthetic ligament as a replacement for a patient's cruciate ligaments. In a practice of the system, as a replacement for an anterior cruciate ligament, the patient's leg is bent and maintained at approximately a ninety degree (90.degree.) angle, a single incision is made medial to the tibial tuberosity. From this incision, under fluoroscopic and arthroscopic contol, a guidewire is driven through the tibia and across the cruciate ligament junctions with the proximal tibia and distal femur ends and into the femur cortex. Succesively larger drills are then turned along the guidewire to form a ligament tunnel, with, as a last step in the tunnel formation process, the preparation of the femur cortex end of the tunnel to receive a femoral connector of the implanted ligament, which connector is arranged in one embodiment to be outwardly flared and in another embodiment to be turned into the appropriately prepared femur end of the ligament tunnel to lock therein. The invention, in addition to the embodiments of the ligament femur end connectors, further includes a tibial surface ligament tibial end connector for bo…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.