Z-shaped button for tissue repair

1. A method of positioning tissue within the body, comprising the steps of:

providing a suture loop/button construct having a Z-shaped button with at least one eyelet and a continuous suture loop attached to the at least one eyelet, wherein the Z-shaped button comprises a body with a longitudinal axis and two opposing parallel arms extending from opposite ends of the body, each arm disposed at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis;

providing the suture loop/button construct in the vicinity of tissue to be positioned;

attaching the tissue to be positioned to the suture loop/button construct;

inserting the suture loop/button construct and the attached tissue within a socket or a tunnel in a bone;

pulling the suture loop/button construct with the attached tissue through the socket or the tunnel in the bone until the Z-shaped button exits the socket or the tunnel in the bone and is outside the bone; and

flipping and securing the Z-shaped button on a surface of the bone, wherein the Z-shaped configuration of the button provides increased contact with the surface of the bone as compared to a straight oblong button.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of attaching the tissue further comprises folding the tissue over the continuous suture loop.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tissue to be positioned is biological or non-biological tissue.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tissue to be positioned is selected from the group consisting of ligament, tendon, bone and cartilage.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tissue to be positioned is soft tissue graft or BTB graft.

6. A method of conducting arthroscopic surgery, comprising the steps of:

forming a bone tunnel or socket;

providing a suture loop/button construct in the vicinity of the bone tunnel or socket, the suture loop/button construct comprising a Z-shaped button having at least one eyelet, and a continuous suture loop attached to the at least one eyelet, wherein the Z-shaped button comprises a body with a longitudinal axis and two opposing parallel arms extending from opposite ends of the body, each arm disposed at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis;

attaching a graft to the suture loop/button construct;

inserting the graft attached to the suture loop/button construct within the bone tunnel or socket and passing the suture loop/button construct through the bone tunnel or socket until the Z-shaped button exits the bone tunnel or socket and is outside the bone; and

subsequently securing the graft within the bone tunnel or socket by flipping and securing the Z-shaped button to a bone cortex abutting the bone tunnel or socket, wherein the Z-shaped configuration of the button provides increased contact with the bone cortex as compared to a straight oblong button.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the graft is soft tissue graft or BTB graft.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the bone tunnel or socket is a femoral or tibial bone tunnel or socket.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the Z-shaped button has a length of about 18.5 mm.

10. A method of tissue reconstruction, comprising:

providing a construct comprising an adjustable button/loop construct having a Z-shaped button and a flexible, adjustable loop connected to the button, the flexible loop having an adjustable length, wherein the Z-shaped button comprises a body with a longitudinal axis and two opposing parallel arms extending from opposite ends of the body, each arm disposed at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis; and a tissue connected to the flexible, adjustable loop;

inserting the construct within a first bone tunnel and a second bone tunnel;

advancing the construct through the first bone tunnel until the Z-shaped button exits the first bone, and then pivots and engages a cortical surface of the first bone, wherein the Z-shaped configuration of the button provides increased contact with the cortical surface of the first bone as compared to a straight oblong button; and

adjusting the length of the loop to secure the tissue within the first and second bone tunnels.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:

attaching the loop to the Z-shaped button by forming an eyesplice interconnection on the loop and positioning the Z-shaped button over the eyesplice interconnection;

passing the tissue through the loop and looping the tissue over the loop to form a double looped tissue; and

adjusting the length of the loop to position the double looped tissue within the first bone tunnel.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the tissue is soft tissue, graft, tendon, ligament, synthetic material, biological material, bone, or a combination of such materials.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the construct is formed by the steps of:

providing a suture strand having two ends;

attaching one end to a suture passing device;

passing the suture passing device through the center of the suture strand to form a first eyesplice with one of the two ends;

sliding the Z-shaped button over a non-spliced strand so that the Z-shaped button rests over the spliced strand; and

passing the suture passing device through the center of the first eyesplice to form a second eyesplice with the other of the two ends, wherein the first eyesplice is interconnected to the second eyesplice.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the suture passing device is a needle.