Apparatus for arthroscopic knee surgery

Claim 2

The system or kit according to claim 1, further comprising: a guide drill for drilling a femoral guide hole beginning at said pilot hole and exiting the femur on the lateral side, superior to the condyle; and a single-fluted cannulated reamer adapted to be placed over the guide drill and connected to a power drill to provide rotational power, whereby said reamer may be guided through the femur along the guide drill to form the femoral osseous tunnel.

Claim 3

The system or kit according to claim 2, wherein said single fluted reamer comprises a reamer body with the single flute shaped and disposed on the reamer body to be initially rotated away from the posterior cruciate ligament and subsequently positioned behind the posterior cruciate ligament prior to reaming the femoral osseous tunnel.

Claim 4

The system or kit according to claim 1, further comprising: means for drilling a femoral guide hole beginning at said pilot hole and exiting the femur on the lateral side, superior to the condyle; a single-fluted reamer having a guide pin for insertion into the guide hole, said guide pin being approximately equal in diameter to the guide hole and extending distally from the single-fluted reamer beyond the single flute; and means for connecting said reamer to a power drill to provide rotational power, whereby said reamer may be guided through the femur with the guide pin received in the guide hole to form the femoral osseous tunnel.

Claim 5

The system or kit according to claim 4, wherein said single fluted reamer comprises a reamer body with the single flute shaped and disposed on the reamer body to be initially rotated away from the posterior cruciate ligament and subsequently positioned behind the posterior cruciate ligament prior to reaming the femoral osseous tunnel.

Claim 6

The system or kit according to claim 1, further comprising a guide drill having an eye-loop at its trailing end for drilling a femoral guide hole beginning at said pilot hole and exiting the femur on the lateral side superior to the condyle, and for pulling said replacement ligament through the tibial osseous tunnel and into the femoral osseous tunnel by suturing an end of said ligament to said eye-loop and pulling guide drill laterally and superiorly out of the femur.

Claim 7

The system or kit according to claim 6, further comprising means for gripping and pulling said guide drill out of the femur, including: a tube adapted to be placed over a portion of said guide drill when said guide drill is positioned to extend partially out of the femur on the lateral side, superior to the condyle; and means for clamping said tube to the guide drill.

Claim 8

The system or kit according to claim 1, further comprising: an instrument having a hollow cylindrical body for receiving a bone plug, two ends and sharpened teeth at one said end for placement against the tibia or patella with said teeth adjacent to a point of attachment of the patellar tendon thereto; means for oscillating said instrument in a semi-rotational motion to cause said teeth to cut the tibia or patella and separate a bone plug portion therefrom, said bone plug portion remaining attached to the patellar tendon and being received in the hollow body; and means for cutting the patellar tendon to remove a replacement ligament having naturally attached bone plug portions at each end.

Claim 9

The system or kit according to claim 8, further comprising: a tubular drill guide defining a tubular space with a central longitudinal axis for receiving the replacement ligament, said drill guide further defining a guide hole with a central axis at an angle to the central longitudinal axis of said tubular space; and means for mechanically supporting said tubular drill guide, whereby the bone plug portion of the replacement ligament may be alligned with said guide hole and a suture hole drilled in the bone plug portion while it is securely held spaced away from an associated work surface.

Claim 10

The system or kit according to claim 1, wherein said means for forming the tibial osseous tunnel comprises: a guide pin adapted to be placed through the tibia to define a center line for said tunnel; means for removing tibial cortical bone surrounding the guide pin; and means for cutting bone adapted to be placed over the guide pin and rotated, said bone cutting means having a hollow cylindrical part with sharpened teeth at one end to cut the tibial osseous tunnel and form a tibial osseous tunnel bone core received in said hollow cylindrical part when rotated.

Claim 11

The system or kit according to claim 10, wherein said means for removing tibial cortical bone comprises means for reaming bone removably connected in-line with and in advance of said bone cutting means, said reaming means also adapted to be placed over said guide pin, whereby rotation of said cutting and reaming means reams away the cortical bone surrounding the guide pin and said cutting and reaming means may be removed from the guide pin with the reaming means subsequently unconnected and removed from the cutting means.

Claim 12

The system or kit according to claim 1, wherein said means for forming the femoral osseous tunnel comprises: a hand-operated reamer-drill having a guide drill adapted to be positioned in said pilot hole, said reamer-drill being means for simultaneously reaming the femoral osseous tunnel and drilling a guide hole to a desired depth when turned by hand; and a separate drill for drilling the guide hole to exit the femur on the lateral side, superior to the condyle after said desired depth is reached.

Claim 13

The system or kit according to claim 12, further comprising cannulated means for reaming bone having at least one reaming flute and a guide drill inserted in therein to extend beyond said at least one flute a distance between about 2-10mm, said cannulated means having means for hand gripping said cannulated means and guide drill, and wherein said cannulated means and said guide drill are locked against relative rotation.

Claim 14

The system or kit according to claim 13, wherein said cannulated means has exactly three reaming flutes.

Claim 15

A surgical system or kit for forming an osseous tunnel in a human bone and harvesting a bone core for use as bone graft material for repair of bone defects, comprising: a guide pin adapted to be placed through the bone to define a center line for the osseous tunnel; means for removing cortical bone surrounding the guide pin in a diameter at least as large as the diameter of the osseous tunnel to be formed; and a hollow cylindrical tool having a cutting end with sharpened teeth around the circumference of the tool for drilling the osseous tunnel by rotating and guiding said tool through the bone, wherein said hollow cylindrical tool is adapted to receive a bone core as cut and defined by said tool, said bone core being suitable for use as bone graft material.

Claim 16

A drill guide for use in surgical procedures related to a human knee and femur, said femur having an intercondylar notch with a posterior wall, said drill guide comprising: an elongated hollow tube, having first and second ends, for receiving a drill bit; and means for engaging behind the posterior wall disposed at the first end of the tube, said means extending radially a predetermined distance from the hollow tube, whereby the drill bit can be positively located said predetermined distance from the posterior wall of the femur in the intercondylar notch by engaging said guide behind the posterior wall.

Claim 17

A surgical bone drill for drilling a hole through a human tibia and femur, comprising: an elongated shaft portion having a length sufficient to extend from below the tibia, through the tibia and femur and out of the femur, superior to the condyle; means for cutting bone disposed at an end of said shaft portion; and an eye, adapted to receive a suture, formed by said shaft portion opposite said cutting means.

Claim 18

A bone cutting reamer, comprising: a shaft having first and second ends; and a single bone cutting flute extending radially from said shaft at said first end of said shaft, whereby said single cutting flute facilitates clearing of bone chips during reaming.

Claim 19

The bone cutting reamer according to claim 18, wherein said shaft defines a longitudinally extending cannulation, said cannulation being capable of slidably receiving a guide drill.

Claim 20

A bone reamer according to claim 18, further comprising a guide pin fixed to said shaft at the first end and extending from said shaft in-line with and away from said shaft.

Claim 21

A hand-operated bone reamer, comprising: a hollow tubular reamer shaft having first and second ends and defining a longitudinal cannulation; at least one radially extending bone cutting flute disposed on said shaft at the first end; an elongated guide drill slidably received in said tubular shaft and extending outwardly beyond said at least one bone cutting flute a distance between about 2-10mm; means for preventing relative rotation between said hollow tubular shaft and said guide drill; and handle means secured to the second end of said tubular shaft, whereby said handle means is grasped and rotated by hand to cut a leading guide hole in a bone with said outwardly extending guide drill and simultaneously to ream a hole of larger diameter with said at least one cutting flute.

Claim 22

A hand operated reamer according to claim 21, wherein said shaft has exactly three radially extending bone cutting flutes, with said flutes being spaced equally around the shaft.

Claim 23

A detachable means for gripping and pulling a drill, comprising: a first hollow tube having a longitudinal axis and first and second ends; a second hollow tube having a longitudinal axis and first and second ends, said second tube communicating with and joined to said first tube at an angle to the first tube; a clamping rod received in said second tube and having a first end capable of extending into said first tube; and means for securing said clamping rod in said second tube, whereby said drill may be received in said first tube and said clamping rod secured against said drill to prevent relative axial movement between the first tube and the drill and said first or second tubes may be grasped as a handle facilitate pulling said drill.

Claim 24

A surgical instrument for cutting away a bone portion attached to a ligament or tendon without unattaching said ligament or tendon from the bone portion cut away, comprising: a hollow cylindrical body having first and second ends and a longitudinal axis; sharp teeth formed on said first end and extending only partially around said first end; a chamfered portion at said first end defining a recess back from said first end, said recess having rounded edges without said sharp teeth; and means for allowing said instrument to be gripped by a semi-rotational oscillating power source, whereby semi-rotational oscillation of said instrument around the longitudinal axis causes said bone portion to be cut by said sharp teeth with the ligament or tendon undamaged by said contact with the chamfered portion and with said bone portion being received in the hollow cylindrical body.

Claim 25

Surgical instrument for forming a bone tunnel and capturing a bone core from said tunnel, said instrument comprising: means for cutting the bone core including a hollow cylindrical body with sharp teeth at a front end, and adapted to receive a bone core therein; drive means for transmitting rotational power from a power source to said cutting means, said drive means being slidably received in the hollow cylindrical body and extending from a back end of said body; and means for reaming cortical bone, including an elongated body and fluted reaming head, said elongated body being received through the front end of the hollow cylindrical body of said cutting means with said reaming head in front of said sharp teeth, said elongated body removably engaging said drive means for the transmission of rotational power, whereby said instrument may be rotated in contact with a bone and cortical bone is reamed away with said reaming means, said instrument may be withdrawn from the bone and said reaming means removed to expose said sharp teeth of said cutting means, said instrument is again rotated in contact with the bone and said cutting means cuts a bone tunnel and captures a bone core form said tunnel in the hollow cylindrical body.

Claim 26

A work station for use in surgical repair of replacement of an anterior cruciate ligament of a knee, comprising: a base member having at least one depression formed therein; handle means for holding and lifting said base member; means for tensioning an anterior cruciate ligament graft, said means secured to said base member; means for facilitating removal of a bone core from a core drill, said means secured to the base and comprising a block defining a bore therethrough inclined at an angle with respect to the base, whereby said core drill may be placed in communication with said bore with said bone core sliding out through said bore into the depression formed in said base member; at least one hollow tubular drill guide removably secured to said base member, said drill guide providing means for holding a bone plug and guiding a drill into said bone plug; a supporting block secured to the base member, having a cylindrical bore for receiving said tubular drill guide and means for securing said guide in said bore, whereby said drill guide may be spaced away from said base member; and bone core splitting means, including a block secured to the base member, said block defining a bone core receiving bore and a slot aligned longitudinally with said bore and extending from outside said block into said bore, and a blade insertable through said slot into said bore to split a bone core placed therein.

Claim 27

Apparatus for splitting a bone core, comprising: a block defining a bore therethrough having a diameter slightly larger than the bone core to be split, said bore having a V-shaped bottom side for centering said bone core in said bore, said block further defining a slot aligned longitudinally along the center line of said bore and extending from outside said block into said bore; and a blade insertable through said slot into said bore, whereby insertion of said blade splits a bone core disposed within said bore.