Abstract: Improved suture anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The suture anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. A rigid member is fixed within the bore of the anchor body and limits proximal movement of a suture loop positioned within the bore of the bone anchor. One or more sutures with free ends extending from the suture anchor are used for attachment of soft tissue. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body may including a non-threaded extension. The anchor body can be threaded to a periphery of a proximal face at the proximal end to engage hard bone tissue.

Abstract: Improved bone anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The bone anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal end and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. One or more pins are fixed within the bore of the anchor body. One or more sutures can be looped on the pins for anchoring soft tissue to bone. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body forms a non-threaded extension, which stabilizes the bone anchor, and helps prevent lateral movement during use. In one embodiment, the anchor body has coarse threads for engaging soft bone tissue and fine threads for engaging hard bone tissue.

Abstract: Improved bone anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The bone anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal end and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. One or more pins are fixed within the bore of the anchor body. One or more sutures can be looped on the pins for anchoring soft tissue to bone. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body forms a non-threaded extension, which stabilizes the bone anchor, and helps prevent lateral movement during use. In one embodiment, the anchor body has coarse threads for engaging soft bone tissue and fine threads for engaging hard bone tissue.

Abstract: Bone anchors useful in rotator cuff repair optimize the thread pattern for engaging different types of bone tissues, including harder cortical bone and softer cancellous bone. Bone anchors may include fine threads for engaging cortical bone and coarse threads for engaging cancellous bone. Threads can be made finer by increasing root diameter and surface angle of the threads. The pitches of the fine and coarse threads are kept the same, which allows fine threads to follow the impression created by coarse threads as the anchor is driven into a bone. Threads that engage cortical bone can be multi-fluted and include a first flute that follows the same thread pattern as coarse threads such that first flute follows the groove created by the coarse threads as the bone anchor is driven into a bone. Bone anchors can have a distal non-threaded stabilizing extension at the distal end.

Abstract: Improved bone anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The bone anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. One or more pins are fixed within the bore of the anchor body. One or more sutures can be looped on the pins for anchoring soft tissue to bone. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body forms a non-threaded extension, which stabilizes the bone anchor, and helps prevent lateral movement during use. In one embodiment, the anchor body has coarse threads for engaging soft bone tissue and fine threads for engaging hard bone tissue.

Abstract: Electrosurgical instruments are configured to selectively perform ablation or coagulation as desired. The electrosurgical instruments include at least two electrodes on the electrode probe that can be activated using an RF generator. The electrosurgical instruments are selectively switchable between an ablation mode and a coagulation mode by changing the amount of active electrode surface area. In particular, in the ablation mode, a relatively small electrode surface area is active. Thus, for a given power input, the current density is relatively high. In the coagulation mode, the active electrode surface area is increased, thereby reducing the current density in the coagulation mode for the given power input.

Abstract: Improved bone anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The bone anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. One or more pins are fixed within the bore of the anchor body. One or more sutures can be looped on the pins for anchoring soft tissue to bone. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body forms a non-threaded extension, which stabilizes the bone anchor, and helps prevent lateral movement during use. In one embodiment, the anchor body has coarse threads for engaging soft bone tissue and fine threads for engaging hard bone tissue.

Abstract: Bone anchors useful in rotator cuff repair optimize the thread pattern for engaging different types of bone tissues, including harder cortical bone and softer cancellous bone. Bone anchors may include fine threads for engaging cortical bone and coarse threads for engaging cancellous bone. Threads can be made finer by increasing root diameter and surface angle of the threads. The pitches of the fine and coarse threads are kept the same, which allows fine threads to follow the impression created by coarse threads as the anchor is driven into a bone. Threads that engage cortical bone can be multi-fluted and include a first flute that follows the same thread pattern as coarse threads such that first flute follows the groove created by the coarse threads as the bone anchor is driven into a bone. Bone anchors can have a distal non-threaded stabilizing extension at the distal end.

Abstract: Bone anchors are provided having three suture attachment sites disposed within a bore. The bone anchors are suitable for use in rotator cuff repair procedures. The bone anchors comprise an anchor body having a bore that opens at a proximal end of the anchor body. At least three attachment sites are positioned within the bore. Each attachment site is capable of slidably receiving a respective suture thereon. The three attachment sites are spaced apart and configured such that the portions of the respective sutures that are in contact with the three attachment sites are maintained separated during use. In one embodiment, the three suture attachment sites are provided by two transverse pins placed within the bore. In another embodiment, the bore opens at a distal end and a longitudinal pin is inserted into the opening at the distal end. The at least three attachment sites are provided by the longitudinal pin disposed within the bore.

Abstract: Electrosurgical instruments are configured to selectively perform ablation or coagulation as desired. The electrosurgical instruments include at least two electrodes on the electrode probe that can be activated using an RF generator. The electrosurgical instruments are selectively switchable between an ablation mode and a coagulation mode by changing the amount of active electrode surface area. In particular, in the ablation mode, a relatively small electrode surface area is active. Thus, for a given power input, the current density is relatively high. In the coagulation mode, the active electrode surface area is increased, thereby reducing the current density in the coagulation mode for the given power input.

Abstract: Suture separation and organization devices for use in a tissue graft tensioning system. The inventive devices help to separate and organize a plurality of suture strands that extend away from a bone tunnel of a patient's leg during joint repair surgery (e.g., while repairing or replacing the anterior cruciate ligament (“ACL”)). The suture separation and organization device may comprise one or more elongate bodies, or a one-piece body, comprising a plurality of suture retention recesses or protrusions disposed on a perimeter of a body. The suture separation and organization device also includes recesses or passages adapted to receive corresponding posts of a graft tensioning device. In this way, the suture separation and organization device can be removably attached to the graft tensioning device.

Abstract: The electrosurgical instrument is configured to selectively perform ablation or coagulation as desired. The electrosurgical instrument includes at least two electrodes on the electrode probe that can be activated using an RF generator. The electrosurgical instrument is selectively switchable between an ablation mode and a coagulation mode by changing the amount of active surface area. In particular, in the ablation mode, a relatively small surface area is active. Thus, for a given power input, the current density is relatively high. In the coagulation mode, the active surface area is increased, thereby reducing the current density in the coagulation mode for the given power input.

Abstract: A meniscal repair system including a pair of elongate needles with a suture filament attached between respective proximal ends of the needles. Two implants are attached to the suture (e.g., molded thereon) between the needles so as to form a suture bridge between the implants. One implant may comprise a barbed shaft aligned with the suture, while the other may be in the form of a T-bar that can be deployed so as to be perpendicular to a portion of the suture filament. The system may further include one or more dilators (e.g., one or more suture knots or molded beads) disposed along the length of the suture filament to aid in passage of the implant after the associated needle.

Abstract: Improved bone anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The bone anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. One or more pins are fixed within the bore of the anchor body. One or more sutures can be looped on the pins for anchoring soft tissue to bone. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body forms a non-threaded extension, which stabilizes the bone anchor, and helps prevent lateral movement during use. In one embodiment, the anchor body has coarse threads for engaging soft bone tissue and fine threads for engaging hard bone tissue.

Abstract: A protective device for use with an interference screw used to attach a soft tissue graft within a bone tunnel reduces the tendency of the interference screw to undesirably snag a soft tissue graft and/or sutures when screwed into a bone tunnel. The protective device has an angled face that corresponds to an angled face of the interference screw and threads that correspond to the threads of the interference screw. When used together, the protective device effectively completes the part of the interference screw that is removed to form the angled face. This, in turn, reduces or eliminates any sharp edges that would otherwise catch or snag the tissue graft and/or sutures as the interference screw is screwed into a bone tunnel during a joint repair procedure. The protective device may be included within a kit together with a correspondingly sized and shaped interference screw, and optionally with a driver.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for conditioning and pre-tensioning soft tissue grafts during joint repair surgery, such as during repair of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The inventive apparatus is advantageously adapted and configured so as to enable a surgeon to independently apply a desired tensile load to individual graft strands or graft bundles of a multi-strand tissue graft. The inventive methods enable each graft strand or bundle to be properly tensioned so as to both “condition” the graft to prevent subsequent stretching, relaxation or elongation following surgery, which can destabilize the joint, and to pre-tension each graft strand or bundle to a predetermined amount so that each contributes to the strength and stability of the joint, thus resulting in a stronger and more durable joint. The tensioning device is advantageously equipped with structure for attachment to a patient's limb during the conditioning and pre-tensioning procedure.

Abstract: An interference screw for affixing soft tissue grafts during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction comprises a threaded body axially extending between a face and a tip along a central axis, with the face advantageously being obliquely aligned with the central axis. The threaded body includes a proximal threaded section and a distal threaded section, each of which may be straight or tapered. The proximal threaded section is approximately 1 mm larger in diameter than the distal threaded section. The increased diameter of the proximal threaded section enables the interference screw to compressively secure the soft tissue graft against the cortical bone, while the distal threaded section compresses the soft tissue graft against the cancellous bone with an appropriately reduced force that is appropriate for facilitating bonding of the soft tissue graft to the cancellous bone and that is sufficient for minimizing any “bungee effect.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for conditioning and pre-tensioning soft tissue grafts during joint repair surgery, such as during repair of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The inventive apparatus is advantageously adapted and configured so as to enable a surgeon to independently apply a desired tensile load onto individual strands of a multiple-stranded soft tissue graft, such each of a pair of ham strings. The inventive methods advantageously ensure that each strand of a multiple-strand soft tissue graft is adequately tensioned so as to both “condition” the graft to prevent subsequent stretching, relaxation or elongation following surgery, which can destabilize the joint, and pre-tension each strand of the graft to a desired amount so that each significantly contributes to the strength and stability of the joint, thus resulting in a stronger and more durable joint.

Abstract: This invention provides apparatus and means for protecting the axillary nerve during thermal capsullorhaphy. An electrosurgical probe is attached to a standard electrosurgical generator that is capable of producing coag waveforms. RF energy is generated by the generator in coag waveform and applied to discrete locations of the capsular ligaments through the electrosurgical probe. Noise produced by the coag waveform stimulates the axillary nerve, even in saline environments, thereby identifying the high-risk regions of the capsular ligaments that should be avoided during the procedure.

Abstract: Surgical apparatus and methods provide enhanced aspiration of gaseous bubbles and reduced drag during placement of the surgical apparatus. The surgical apparatus includes a rotatable cutting or shaving tool disposed within a hollow probe, an electrosurgical device on a side of the probe, and one or more aspiration holes or passages through a side of the probe in addition to a main opening at a distal end through which the cutting or abrading tool emerges. The aspiration holes are advantageously located adjacent to the lead electrode(s) of the electrosurgical device. Gaseous bubbles are preferentially aspirated through the aspiration holes. The aspiration holes also serve to reduce drag between the distal end of the surgical probe and soft tissue at, or adjacent to, the surgical site.