Claims
- 1. A driver for securing an interference device against a suture, the driver comprising:
a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; an interference device preloaded on the driver and disposed coaxially with the shaft; and an aperture provided at the distal end of the driver.
- 2. The driver of claim 1, wherein the interference device is a screw.
- 3. The driver of claim 1, wherein the interference device is a plug.
- 4. The driver of claim 1, wherein the aperture is contained in an implant which is separable from the driver and matingly insertable into a cannula of the interference device.
- 5. The driver of claim 1, wherein the aperture is provided in the shape of a horseshoe.
- 6. The driver of claim 4, wherein the aperture of the implant has an eyelet configuration.
- 7. The driver of claim 6, wherein the implant is detachable from the driver.
- 8. The driver of claim 5, wherein the horseshoe-shaped aperture is contained in an implant which is separable from the driver and matingly insertable in a cannula of the interference device.
- 9. The driver of claim 8, wherein the implant is detachable from the driver.
- 10. The driver of claim 8, wherein the implant is affixed to the driver.
- 11. The driver of claim 1, wherein the aperture is provided within a tubing integral to the distal end of the driver.
- 12. A method of soft tissue repair, comprising the steps of:
providing a hole in a bone at a location at which a soft tissue graft is to be affixed; attaching at least one suture to the soft tissue graft to be affixed; preloading an interference device on a driver; capturing the suture attached to the graft with an aperture provided at a distal end of the driver; inserting the suture into the hole using the driver; and inserting the interference device into the hole to secure the suture in the hole.
- 13. The method of soft tissue repair according to claim 12, wherein the interference device is a screw.
- 14. The method of soft tissue repair according to claim 12, wherein the interference device is a plug.
- 15. The method of soft tissue repair according to claim 12, wherein the aperture is contained in an implant, and the step of capturing the suture attached to the graft comprises the step of passing the suture through the aperture of the implant.
- 16. The method of soft tissue repair according to claim 15, wherein the aperture has an eyelet configuration.
- 17. The method of soft tissue repair according to claim 16, wherein the implant is detachable from the distal end of the driver.
- 18. The method of soft tissue repair according to claim 15, wherein the aperture has a horseshoe-shaped configuration.
- 19. The method of soft tissue repair according to claim 18, wherein the implant is detachable from the distal end of the driver.
- 20. The method of soft tissue repair according to claim 15, wherein the aperture is provided with at least one protuberance at its distal end.
- 21. The method of soft tissue repair according to claim 12, wherein the aperture is contained in an implant and the steps of capturing and inserting the suture attached to the graft includes:
inserting the suture attached to the graft into the aperture of the implant provided at the distal end of the driver; feeding the suture through the aperture of the implant; drawing the graft towards the distal end of the driver by pulling on the suture inserted through the aperture of the implant; and inserting the distal end of the driver into the hole.
- 22. The method of soft tissue repair according to claim 21, wherein the driver includes an outer shaft disposed around an inner shaft and movable between a proximal position and a distal position along the inner shaft, and wherein the interference device is loaded onto the inner shaft by inserting the inner shaft through a cannula of the interference device with the outer shaft retracted to the proximal position so that the proximal end of the loaded interference device abuts the distal end of the outer shaft.
- 23. The method of soft tissue repair according to claim 22, wherein the interference device is a screw having a hex-shaped cannula and at least a portion of the implant at the distal end of the driver is hex-shaped to be matingly insertable into the hex-shaped interference screw cannula.
- 24. The method of soft tissue repair according to claim 22, wherein the interference device is a plug having a cannula and at least a portion of the implant at the distal end of the driver is matingly insertable into the cannula of the plug.
- 25. A method of graft repair, comprising the steps of:
forming a socket in a bone at a location at which a soft tissue graft is to be affixed; providing a driver having a proximal end and a distal end; preloading a cannulated plug on the driver; providing an implant at the distal end of the driver; feeding a suture attached to the soft tissue graft through an aperture of the implant; tightening the suture from the distal end of the driver; inserting the implant into the hole to secure the suture in the hole; using the driver to matingly engage the implant with the cannulated plug; and installing the plug into the hole.
- 26. The method of graft repair according to claim 25, wherein the implant is detachable from the distal end of the driver.
- 27. The method of graft repair according to claim 25, wherein the aperture of the implant has an eyelet configuration.
- 28. The method of graft repair according to claim 25, wherein the aperture of the implant has a horseshoe-shaped configuration.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/886,280, filed Jun. 22, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,281, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/213,263 filed Jun. 22, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60213263 |
Jun 2000 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09886280 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
Child |
10405707 |
Apr 2003 |
US |