Process of endosteal fixation of a ligament

Abstract

A cannulated interference screw (10) and process for human implantation in an arthroscopic surgical procedure for replacement of a ligament, or the like. The interference screw is provided with a drill end (11) that extends longitudinally from an end of a cylindrical body (14), which drill end includes equally spaced flutes (12) therearound. The flutes extend into first and second cutting threads (15a) and (15b), respectively which cutting threads and threads (15) are formed around the cylindrical body. A center longitudinal passage (16) is formed through the interference screw drill end and cylindrical body, which passage is stepped outwardly within the cylindrical body into a hexagonal sided section (18) that is for receiving a sided end (20) of a driver (19) that is fitted therein. In practice, the cannulated interference screw is installed by sliding it along a guide rod (25) that is fitted in a prepared ligament tunnel (22) through a bone mass, alongside a bone block portion of a ligament (23) within the bone endosteum, which ligament is maintained in that tunnel under tension. The driver is also holed longitudinally to travel along the guide rod to fit into and turn the interference screw, providing fixation of the ligament in that tunnel.