The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 09, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 19, 1999
Fred B Dinger, Jacksonville, FL (US);
Guy K Williamson, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (US);
Xomed Surgical Products, Inc., Jacksonville, FL (US);
Abstract
A drill guide for positioning on a surface of a bone includes a projection for penetrating the bone, an abutment for engaging the surface of the bone to ensure penetration of the bone by the projection to a predetermined depth, less than the length of the projection, and a pair of guide passages having central longitudinal axes, respectively, converging at a predetermined point in the bone when the projection penetrates the bone to the predetermined depth. A kit for fixating soft tissue to bone includes a drill guide, a drill bit, a suture and a suture passer. The drill bit is insertable in a pair of guide passages of the drill guide to cut first and second passages converging in the bone to define a continuous tunnel. The suture passer has a portion for being introduced in the tunnel to engage the suture externally of the bone such that the suture is drawn through the tunnel when the suture passer is withdrawn therefrom. A method of fixating soft tissue to bone includes the steps of penetrating a bone with a projection of a drill guide, engaging the bone with an abutment of the drill guide to ensure penetration of the bone by the projection to a predetermined depth, introducing a drill bit through a pair of guide passages of the drill guide and into the bone to form first and second passages converging in the bone to define a continuous tunnel, introducing a suture passer into the tunnel such that a suture engaging member of the suture passer protrudes externally of the bone, engaging a suture with the suture engaging member, withdrawing the suture passer from the tunnel to draw the suture through the tunnel and using the suture to fixate soft tissue to the bone.