Orthopedic suture passer and method

1. A suture passer system for passing a suture through a bone, the suture passer system comprising:

a first suture retriever having a receiver and a guide aligned with the receiver along a guide axis, the receiver having an opening coaxial with the guide axis, the receiver and guide being spaced apart and defining a bone receiving space therebetween;

a suture assembly, the suture assembly comprising a suture and a plug connected to the suture, the guide being operable to guide the suture along the guide axis and the opening in the receiver being operable to receive the plug in axial translating relationship between a first proximal position spaced from the opening and a second distal position in which the plug is constrained from movement toward the first position, wherein the plug includes a first radially extending portion operable to engage the receiver and constrain proximal movement; and

further comprising a suture inserter, the suture inserter including an elongated tube having a proximal end and a distal end, the tube having an outer surface, the guide being operable to receive the outer surface of the tube in axial sliding relationship, and the plug further comprises a body sized to fit within the tube and a second radially extending portion formed proximal of the first radially extending portion, the second radially extending portion being operable to engage the distal end of the tube to limit proximal translation of the plug into the tube.

2. The suture passer system of claim 1 wherein the inserter includes a suture retainer operable to maintain tension on the suture when the second radially extending portion of the plug is engaged with the distal end of the tube.

3. The suture passer system of claim 1 wherein the first suture retriever and suture inserter comprise a depth stop mechanism operable to limit the distal translation of the inserter relative to the guide to a depth in which the first radially extending portion extends through the opening in the receiver.

4. A suture passer system for passing a suture through a bone, the suture passer system comprising:

a first suture retriever having a receiver and a guide aligned with the receiver along a guide axis, the receiver having an opening coaxial with the guide axis, the receiver and guide being spaced apart and defining a bone receiving space therebetween;

a suture assembly, the suture assembly comprising a suture and a plug connected to the suture, the guide being operable to guide the suture along the guide axis and the opening in the receiver being operable to receive the plug in axial translating relationship between a first proximal position spaced from the opening and a second distal position in which the plug is constrained from movement toward the first position; and

further comprising a cutter engageable with the guide, the guide being operable to guide the cutter along the guide axis to form a tunnel in a bone positioned in the space between the guide and receiver.

5. A suture passer system for passing a suture through a bone, the suture passer system comprising:

a first suture retriever having a receiver and a guide aligned with the receiver along a guide axis, the receiver having an opening coaxial with the guide axis, the receiver and guide being spaced apart and defining a bone receiving space therebetween;

a suture assembly, the suture assembly comprising a suture and a plug connected to the suture, the guide being operable to guide the suture along the guide axis and the opening in the receiver being operable to receive the plug in axial translating relationship between a first proximal position spaced from the opening and a second distal position in which the plug is constrained from movement toward the first position, wherein the first suture retriever further comprises a clamping mechanism operable to clamp a bone between the guide and receiver, and wherein the clamping mechanism is resiliently biased distally.

6. The suture passer system of claim 5 wherein the clamping mechanism comprises a clamp handle being operable to overcome the distal bias and move the clamping mechanism from a closed position toward an open position.

7. The suture passer system of claim 6 wherein the first suture retriever has a proximal end and the clamp handle is moveable axially relative to the proximal end of the first suture retriever, the first suture retriever further comprising a fixed handle, the fixed handle being spaced a fixed distance from the proximal end of the first suture retriever.

8. A suture passer system for passing a suture through a bone, the suture passer system comprising:

a first suture retriever having a receiver and a guide aligned with the receiver along a guide axis, the receiver having an opening coaxial with the guide axis, the receiver and guide being spaced apart and defining a bone receiving space therebetween;

a suture assembly, the suture assembly comprising a suture and a plug connected to the suture, the guide being operable to guide the suture along the guide axis and the opening in the receiver being operable to receive the plug in axial translating relationship between a first proximal position spaced from the opening and a second distal position in which the plug is constrained from movement toward the first position, wherein the receiver includes a first reference portion and the first suture retriever further comprises a second reference portion between the receiver and guide, the guide axis being oriented relative to the first and second reference portions based on human anatomy relating anatomic landmarks to a desired bone tunnel orientation in the bone.

9. The suture passer system of claim 8 wherein the second reference portion is a surface offset radially from the guide axis by a radial offset distance.

10. The suture passer system of claim 9 wherein the second reference portion is convex toward the guide axis.

11. The suture passer system of claim 9 wherein the first reference portion is a proximally facing surface adjacent the opening in the receiver.

12. The suture passer system of claim 9 further comprising a second suture retriever having a receiver with a first reference portion and a guide aligned with the receiver along a guide axis, the receiver having an opening coaxial with the guide axis, the receiver and guide being spaced apart and defining a bone receiving space therebetween, the suture retriever further comprising a second reference portion between the receiver and guide, the guide being oriented relative to the first and second reference portions based on human anatomy relating anatomic landmarks to a desired bone tunnel orientation in the bone, the second reference portion being a surface offset radially from the guide axis by a radial offset distance, the radial offset distance of the first suture retriever being greater than the radial offset distance of the second suture retriever.

13. A method comprising:

positioning a receiver of a first suture retriever at a first position on a bone adjacent a bone joint;

guiding a cutter with the suture retriever along a guide axis to form a tunnel through the bone aligned with the receiver;

guiding a suture with the suture retriever along the guide axis to pass a first portion of the suture through the bone tunnel until the first portion of the suture is received by the receiver;

retaining the first portion with the receiver; and

moving the receiver away from the first position to advance the suture relative to the bone tunnel.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first portion of the suture includes a plug and the plug is received by the receiver.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the plug includes an elastic material having a radially projecting portion.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the plug includes a nitinol wire.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the receiver includes an opening and the method further comprises passing the plug from a proximal position distally into the opening causing it to compress as it passes into the opening and then expand to restrain the plug against proximal motion relative to the opening.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the suture is a shuttle suture, the method further comprising: shuttling a second suture through the bone tunnel with the shuttle suture.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the receiver includes a first reference portion and positioning the receiver comprises positioning the first reference portion at the first position, the method further comprising: positioning a second reference portion in contact with an articular surface of the bone, the guide axis being fixed relative to the first and second reference portions.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the second reference portion of the first suture retriever is offset radially from the guide axis by a radial offset distance.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

positioning a receiver of a second suture retriever at a first position on a bone adjacent a bone joint;

positioning a second reference portion of the second suture retriever in contact with an articular surface of the bone, the second suture retriever having a guide axis being fixed relative to the first and second reference portions, the second reference portion of each suture retriever being offset radially from the guide axis by a radial offset distance, the radial offset distance of one of the first and second suture retrievers being greater than the radial offset distance of the other suture retriever;

guiding a cutter with the second suture retriever along the guide axis to form a second tunnel through the bone aligned with the receiver;

guiding a second suture with the second suture retriever along the guide axis to pass a first portion of the second suture through the second bone tunnel until the first portion of the second suture is received by the receiver;

retaining the first portion with the receiver; and

moving the receiver away from the first position to advance the suture relative to the bone tunnel.