Granted Patent B2

US 7,749,226 · App. 11/526,173 · Granted Jul 6, 2010

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A method for forming a tunnel in a bone comprising:

forming a first tunnel in the bone, forming a second tunnel parallel to and alongside the first tunnel, the second tunnel communicating with the first tunnel, the first and second tunnels defining a single elongated opening in the bone;

inserting a drill guide into the elongated opening, the drill guide having first and second conical portions with corresponding first and second distal tips, the drill guide having an elongated cross-section having an eight-like shape;

drilling along the drill guide, wherein drilling along the drill guide comprises supporting a tunnel-forming device on the drill guide, the tunnel-forming device offset from the drill guide; and

forming a third tunnel communicating with and alongside the elongated opening.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the second tunnel comprises elongating a cross-section of the first tunnel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drill guide includes a guiding bore and a portion of the tunnel-forming device is partially received in the guiding bore.

4. A method for forming a tunnel in a bone comprising:

forming a first tunnel in the bone, the first tunnel having a longitudinal axis;

inserting a first drill guide into the first tunnel;

supporting a first tunnel-forming device on the first drill guide along an axis defining a first offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the first tunnel;

forming a second tunnel alongside the first tunnel with the first tunnel-forming device, the second tunnel communicating with the first tunnel and defining a single elongated opening;

removing the first drill guide and the first tunnel-forming device;

inserting a second drill guide into the elongated opening, the second drill guide having first and second conical portions with corresponding first and second distal tips, the second drill guide having an elongated cross-section conforming to the cross-section of the elongated opening, the elongated cross-section having an eight-like shape;

supporting a second tunnel-forming device on the second drill guide at a second offset relative to the second drill guide; and

forming with the second tunnel-forming device a third tunnel communicating with and alongside the elongated opening at the second offset.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first and second offsets are unequal.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first and second offsets are oriented in different directions.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first and second offsets are oriented in opposite directions.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first and second offsets are oriented in substantially the same direction.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first and second tunnel-forming devices have different diameters.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first and second drill guides and at least one of the first and second tunnel-forming devices have unequal diameters.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first and second drill guides and at least one of the first and second tunnel-forming devices have substantially equal diameters.

12. A method for forming a tunnel in a bone comprising:

inserting a guide pin in the bone;

positioning a cannulated tunnel-forming device over the guide pin;

drilling with the cannulated tunnel-forming device a first tunnel in the bone, the first tunnel having a longitudinal axis;

removing the guide pin and the cannulated tunnel-forming device;

inserting into the first tunnel a first drill guide having a guiding bore with a longitudinal axis defining a first offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the first tunnel;

supporting a first tunnel-forming device on the first drill guide such that a longitudinal drill axis of the first tunnel-forming device coincides with the axis of the guiding bore and the first tunnel-forming device has a cross-section that extends at least partially outside the first tunnel in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the first tunnel;

keeping the longitudinal drill axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first drill guide and drilling with the first tunnel-forming device a second tunnel parallel to and communicating with the first tunnel along the longitudinal direction, wherein the first and second tunnels define an elongated opening, the elongated opening being elongated in the direction of the first offset;

removing the first drill guide and the first tunnel-forming device;

inserting a second drill guide into the elongated opening, the second drill guide having first and second conical portions and an elongated cross-section having an eight-like shape;

supporting a second tunnel-forming device on the second drill guide at a second offset relative to the second drill guide; and

drilling with the second tunnel-forming device a third tunnel communicating with and alongside the elongated opening.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first and second offsets are unequal.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first and second offsets are oriented in different directions.

Assignments (9)