IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,578,844
Granted Patent B2
US 7,578,844 · App. 11/184,554 · Granted Aug 25, 2009

Graft ligament anchor and method for attaching a graft ligament to a bone

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,578,844
App. No.
11/184,554
Granted
Aug 25, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A graft ligament anchor comprises a ligament engagement member in the form of an expandable elastomeric sleeve of substantially cylindrical shape for disposition in an opening in a bone alongside of a portion of a ligament, and a locking member for disposition in the engagement member . Movement of the locking member in the engagement member causes the locking member to expand the engagement member and thereby urge, the ligament toward a wall of the opening so as to secure the ligament to the wall. A method for attaching a graft ligament to a bone comprises providing an opening in the bone, inserting the ligament and a ligament engagement member in the opening, with the ligament disposed alongside the engagement member, inserting a locking member in the engagement member and moving the locking member to engage the engagement member to urge the engagement member, and the ligament, toward a wall of the opening to secure the ligament to the wall.

Claims (9)

1. A method for attaching a graft ligament to a bone, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an opening in the bone;

inserting the graft ligament and a graft ligament engagement means into the opening, with the graft ligament engagement means comprising a radially expandable sleeve provided with a substantially cylindrical shape that is made of an elastomeric material, has exterior and interior surfaces, and is fully free of discontinuities in a circumferential direction along substantially the entire length of the sleeve, and at least a portion of the graft ligament disposed alongside at least a portion of said exterior surface of the sleeve;

inserting a locking means within the sleeve, the locking means being separated from the graft ligament by the sleeve; and

moving the locking means axially within the sleeve so as to cause at least a portion thereof engaged with said interior surface to expand the sleeve radially so as to urge the graft ligament toward and into tight engagement with a wall of the opening to secure the graft ligament to the wall of the opening.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the locking means comprises an expansion plug.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the graft ligament engagement means is in engagement with a discrete second graft ligament disposed alongside the sleeve.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the graft ligament engagement means is engaged with two graft ligaments on substantially opposite diametric sides of the sleeve in an opening in a bone.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the locking means comprises an expansion plug.