Method and apparatus for treating a hip joint, including the provision and use of a novel suture passer

1. A method for passing suture through tissue, the method comprising:

providing a tool assembly and a needle assembly, wherein the tool assembly comprises a handle having a first feature and a second feature, an elongated shaft mounted to the handle, a distal jaw disposed at a distal end of the elongated shaft and a proximal jaw movably mounted to the elongated shaft, and wherein the needle assembly comprises a self-contained pre-assembled assembly mountable as a unit to the tool assembly, the needle assembly comprising an inner needle comprising a first mating feature for mating with the first feature of the handle and an outer needle comprising a second mating feature for mating with the second feature of the handle, the outer needle being concentrically disposed about the inner needle, and the inner needle being spring-mounted to the outer needle;

loading the needle assembly into the tool assembly by mating the first mating feature of the inner needle with the first feature of the handle and by mating the second mating feature of the outer needle with the second feature of the handle, thereby mounting the needle assembly to the tool assembly so that the outer needle of the needle assembly is disposed within the elongated shaft of the tool assembly;

releasably supporting a length of suture on the distal jaw;

longitudinally advancing the proximal jaw toward the distal jaw so as to releasably clamp tissue therebetween;

advancing the inner needle and the outer needle through the tissue so that a hook on the inner needle engages the suture releasably supported on the distal jaw; and

retracting the inner needle and the outer needle back through the tissue, with the inner needle carrying the suture therewith.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the outer needle is closely sized relative to the inner needle so as to provide column strength to the inner needle.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the hook comprises a distally-extending portion, a base connected to the distally-extending portion and extending transverse to the distally-extending portion, and a proximally-extending portion connected to the base and spaced from the distally-extending portion, and further wherein the outer needle advances relative to the inner needle so as to capture the suture against the base of the hook.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the handle comprises a proximal jaw carriage moveably mounted to the handle and connected to the proximal jaw, a needle carriage movably mounted to the handle and connected to the inner needle, and a flange seat connected to the outer needle, the flange seat being movably mounted to the needle carriage.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the proximal jaw is configured to reciprocate in alignment with a longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft so as to advance toward, and retract from, the distal jaw.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the proximal jaw is configured to move in an angular motion relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the outer needle substantially covers the hook on the inner needle when in an unbiased condition.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the inner needle can be moved relative to the outer needle so as to expose the hook on the inner needle.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the inner needle is retracted relative to the outer needle so as to capture the suture to the hook prior to retracting the inner needle and outer needle back through the tissue.

10. A method according to claim 9 including the further step of moving the inner needle relative to the outer needle so as to release the suture from the hook.

11. A method according to claim 1 including the further step of retracting the proximal jaw from the distal jaw so as to release the tissue from the suture passer.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the distal jaw comprises a spring for selectively binding the suture to the distal jaw, and further wherein the step of releasably supporting a length of suture on the distal jaw comprises engaging the suture with the spring.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the distal jaw spring comprises a cantilever.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein one portion of the cantilever is mounted to the elongated a shaft and another portion of the cantilever moves relative to the distal jaw.

15. A method according to claim 12 wherein the distal jaw spring comprises an inclined surface for engagement by the inner needle.

16. A method according to claim 12 wherein the distal jaw spring comprises a pathway for receiving the inner needle.

17. A method according to claim 12 wherein the distal jaw spring comprises a groove for releasably capturing the suture to the distal jaw spring.

18. A method according to claim 12 wherein the suture is released from the spring by engaging at least one of the spring and the suture with at least one of the inner needle and the outer needle.

19. A method according to claim 1 wherein the distal jaw comprises a suture slot formed in the distal jaw for receiving the suture.

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein a distal jaw spring selectively binds the suture in the suture slot.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein the distal jaw spring selectively binds the suture against a side wall of the suture slot.

22. A method according to claim 19 wherein the suture slot extends substantially parallel to the axis.

23. A method according to claim 19 wherein the suture slot extends transverse to the axis.

24. A method according to claim 19 wherein the suture slot comprises a first portion which extends substantially parallel to the axis and a second portion which extends transverse to the axis.

25. A method according to claim 19 wherein the distal jaw comprises a spring for selectively binding the suture in the suture slot, and further wherein the step of releasably supporting a length of suture on the distal jaw comprises positioning the suture in the suture slot so that it is engaged by the spring.

26. A method according to claim 1 further comprising removing the needle assembly from the tool assembly and mounting a new needle assembly to the tool assembly so that the outer needle of the needle assembly is disposed within the elongated shaft of the tool assembly.

27. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first feature comprises a flange seat and the first mating feature comprises a flange.

28. A method according to claim 1 wherein the second feature comprises a tab slot and the second mating feature comprises a tab.

29. A method for passing suture through tissue, the method comprising:

providing a tool assembly and a needle assembly, wherein the tool assembly comprises a handle having a first feature and a second feature, an elongated shaft mounted to the handle, a first jaw disposed at a distal end of the elongated shaft and a second jaw movably mounted to the elongated shaft, and wherein the needle assembly comprises a self-contained pre-assembled assembly mountable as a unit to the tool assembly, the needle assembly comprising an inner needle comprising a first mating feature for mating with the first feature of the handle and an outer needle comprising a second mating feature for mating with the second feature of the handle, the outer needle being concentrically disposed about the inner needle, and the inner needle being spring-mounted to the outer needle;

loading the needle assembly into the tool assembly by mating the first mating feature of the inner needle with the first feature of the handle and by mating the second mating feature of the outer needle with the second feature of the handle, thereby mounting the needle assembly to the tool assembly so that the outer needle of the needle assembly is disposed within the elongated shaft of the tool assembly;

releasably supporting a length of suture on the first jaw by binding the suture to the first jaw;

advancing the second jaw toward the first jaw so as to releasably clamp tissue therebetween;

advancing the inner needle through the tissue so that a hook on the inner needle engages the suture releasably supported on the first jaw; and

retracting the inner needle back through the tissue, with the inner needle carrying the suture therewith.

30. A method according to claim 29 wherein the outer needle is disposed concentrically about the inner needle when the needle is passed through the tissue.

31. A method for treating a hip joint, the method comprising:

providing a suture passer, the suture passer comprising a tool assembly and a needle assembly;

wherein the tool assembly comprises:

a handle having a first feature and a second feature;

an elongated shaft mounted to the handle and having an axis;

a distal jaw mounted to a distal end of the elongated shaft in alignment with the axis, the distal jaw being configured to releasably support a length of suture thereon; and

a proximal jaw movably mounted to the elongated shaft, the proximal jaw being configured to reciprocate in alignment with the axis so as to advance toward, and retract from, the distal jaw;

wherein the needle assembly comprises a self-contained pre-assembled assembly mountable as a unit to the tool assembly, the needle assembly comprising:

an inner needle movably mounted to the elongated shaft, the inner needle having a hook and a first mating feature for mating with the first feature of the handle, the inner needle being configured to reciprocate in alignment with the axis so that the hook can selectively pass by the proximal jaw and engage the suture releasably supported on the distal jaw; and

an outer needle comprising a second mating feature for mating with the second feature of the handle, the outer needle being movably mounted to the elongated shaft;

wherein the outer needle is concentrically disposed about the inner needle, with the inner needle being spring mounted to the outer needle;

loading the needle assembly into the tool assembly by mating the first mating feature of the inner needle with the first feature of the handle and by mating the second mating feature of the outer needle with the second feature of the handle, thereby mounting the needle assembly to the tool assembly so that the outer needle of the needle assembly is disposed within the elongated shaft of the tool assembly;

laying open the fibrous capsule of the hip joint;

performing a procedure on the hip joint;

longitudinally advancing the proximal jaw toward the distal jaw so as to releasably clamp tissue therebetween; and

closing the fibrous capsule by suturing the fibrous capsule with the suture passer.

32. A method for treating a hip joint, the method comprising:

providing a suture passer, the suture passer comprising a tool assembly and a needle assembly;

wherein the tool assembly comprises:

a handle having a first feature and a second feature;

an elongated shaft mounted to the handle and having an axis;

a first jaw mounted to a distal end of the elongated shaft in alignment with the axis, the first jaw being configured to releasably support a length of suture thereon; and

a second jaw movably mounted to the elongated shaft;

wherein the needle assembly comprises a self-contained pre-assembled assembly mountable as a unit to the tool assembly, the needle assembly comprising an inner needle comprising a first mating feature for mating with the first feature of the handle and an outer needle comprising a second mating feature for mating with the second feature of the handle, the outer needle being concentrically disposed about the inner needle, and the inner needle being spring-mounted to the outer needle;

wherein the inner needle is movably mounted to the elongated shaft, the inner needle having a hook and being configured to reciprocate in alignment with the axis so that the hook can selectively pass by the second jaw and engage suture releasably supported on the first jaw;

wherein the first jaw is configured to selectively bind the suture to the first jaw;

loading the needle assembly into the tool assembly by mating the first mating feature of the inner needle with the first feature of the handle and by mating the second mating feature of the outer needle with the second feature of the handle, thereby mounting the needle assembly to the tool assembly so that the outer needle of the needle assembly is disposed within the elongated shaft of the tool assembly;

laying open the fibrous capsule of the hip joint;

performing a procedure on the hip joint;

advancing the second jaw toward the first jaw so as to releasably clamp tissue therebetween; and

closing the fibrous capsule by suturing the fibrous capsule with the suture passer.