Abstract: A ring blade and drive system, and method of using same, for harvesting bone-tendon-bone ligament grafts having substantially cylindrical bone plugs. The ring blade disclosed is a circular ring having a predetermined arcuate gap formed in its periphery. The drive system includes a blade holder to peripherally hold the ring blade and a fixed-center oscillating mechanism to oscillate the ring blade about its axis within a predetermined arcuate range of motion. The ring blade structure enables the production of a substantially cylindrical bone plug of unlimited length. Harvesting of a bone-tendon-bone ligament graft is facilitated with the ring blade and method disclosed which enables the ring blade to be placed partially around a tendon segment to create bone plugs aligned with the tendon fibers included in the defined tendon segment. The cuts into the bone may be initiated into the bone at either end of the tendon segment from the tendon side through to the exterior of the bone to which the tendon is attached.

Abstract: A single surgical instrument capable of being used as a powered resection instrument or a conventional liposuction cannula. The instrument is elongated and may be used in either open or closed (endoscopic) lipectomy procedures, with or without visualization. The instrument comprises a stationary elongated outer tube having a side-facing window near its distal tip and a rotatable elongated inner tube situated within the outer tube and having a cutting edge juxtaposed adjacent the window of the outer tube. The method of using the device comprises the steps of utilizing it as a powered resecting instrument, in which the uniquely shaped surfaces of the inner edge and outer window cooperate to resect tissue, or as a liposuction cannula in which the inner member is stopped in alignment with the outer window.

Abstract: A multi-function control system to control a variety of operations associated with a powered surgical device such as an arthroscopic surgical shaver. The system has an ergonomically designed foot switch which has a plurality of discrete force sensitive transducers arranged in an arcuate pattern. The transducers have no moving parts and have a force sensitive element which produces a variable output which is a function of the force applied by a user. The foot switch is used in conjunction with a control console which enables a user to adjust the force sensitivity threshold of the transducers. The foot switch additionally has physically discrete and tactilely sensible areas enabling a user to activate selected functions with a minimal amount of foot movement.

Abstract: A shaver blade assembly useable in either an irrigation-only mode, an aspiration-only mode or an irrigation/aspiration mode. The shaver blade assembly has a stationary elongated outer tube and a movable (e.g. rotatable) elongated inner tube, both inner and outer tubes having hubs attached to their proximal ends for attachment to a handpiece which provides power to move the inner blade relative to the outer blade. The inner and outer tubes are provided with cutting windows at their distal tips and the relative movement between these cutting windows acts to cut tissue during surgical procedures. The outer tube is provided with a fluid inlet port at the proximal end of its tubular surface and a fluid adapter is selectively attachable to the outer tube so as to provide a means for introducing irrigating fluid into the fluid port. The adapter is integrally formed with sealing surfaces which obviate the need for O-rings and the like.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for facilitating use of a threaded suture anchor in combination with a reusable cannulated anchor driver. The device enables a suture anchor to be preassembled with a suture so that a user need not assemble a suture anchor with suture immediately prior to use. The preassembled anchor/suture is provided with a suture stiffening or support member by which the free ends of the suture may be easily threaded into the axial bore of a cannulated driver. The support member may comprise a length of shrinkable tubing frictionally engaging at least a portion of the free ends of the suture extending from the anchor. In another embodiment, the support means may comprise an elongated non-shrinkable material such as a rod attached to the suture and enabling the anchor/suture/rod assembly to be threaded into a cannulated driver simply by the force of gravity acting upon the rod.

Abstract: A flexible surgical screw retainer and method for holding a surgical screw within a sterilizable package and dispensing the screw in a controlled manner at a selected site. The retainer has an elongated recess into which a surgical screw may be placed in order to be retained by frictional engagement with the side walls of the recess. The recess is sized to any of a variety of screw sizes. When the package is opened, the surgical screw retainer may be removed and grasped by a user and squeezed in order to disengage the screw from the recess and enable it to fall to a selected surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use as a wenchless and adapterless collet system for attaching an elongated surgical cutting blade to an oscillating surgical saw. The system comprises a collet adapted to mate with a particularly shaped blade hub. The collet has a transverse clamping head attached to a longitudinally slidable, axially aligned shaft which is adapted to slide axially along the axis of the handpiece. The handpiece has an annular anchor sleeve having an annular groove proximally adjacent to the collet clamping head. The hub at the proximal end of the blade is provided with a radially inwardly extending locking flange adapted to engage the clamping head and a radially inwardly extending anchor flange adapted to engage the annular groove in the anchor sleeve. The longitudinal spacing between the hub flanges enables the hub to be received adjacent the anchor groove in an interdigitating mating of complementarily shaped surfaces.

Abstract: A positioning system for controlling the orientation of the movable elongated inner member relative to the fixed elongated outer member of a surgical instrument. An endoscopic rotatable shaver instrument incorporates a shaver blade assembly adapted to be received in and driven by a handpiece. The movable component of the shaver blade assembly is provided with a position indicator which is read by a sensor in the handpiece in order to control the position at which the inner member is stopped relative to the outer member. The invention is embodied in an apparatus and method enabling use of a shaver blade assembly as an aspirating device or as a probe without any aspirating function.

Abstract: A single surgical instrument capable of being used as a powered resection instrument or a conventional liposuction cannula. The instrument is elongated and may be used in either open or closed (endoscopic) lipectomy procedures, with or without visualization. The instrument comprises a stationary elongated outer tube having a side-facing window near its distal tip and a rotatable elongated inner tube situated within the outer tube and having a cutting edge juxtaposed adjacent the window of the outer tube. The method of using the device comprises the steps of utilizing it as a powered resecting instrument, in which the uniquely shaped surfaces of the inner edge and outer window cooperate to resect tissue, or as a liposuction cannula in which the inner member is stopped in alignment with the outer window.

Abstract: A graft protection device suitable for protecting a bone-tendon-bone graft used during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The graft protection device comprises a distal blocking member, a proximal releasable holding sleeve and an elongated connecting portion connecting the blocking member with the holding sleeve. A radially extending handle is attached to the holding sleeve in order to enable a user to longitudinally and rotationally position the graft protection device along the shaft of an elongated driver when the device is inserted through an opening into a joint.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use as a wrenchless and adapterless collet system for attaching an elongated surgical cutting blade to an oscillating surgical saw. The system comprises a collet adapted to mate with a particularly shaped blade hub. The collet has a transverse clamping head attached to a longitudinally slidable, axially aligned shaft which is adapted to slide axially along the axis of the handpiece. The handpiece has an annular anchor sleeve having an annular groove proximally adjacent to the collet clamping head. The hub at the proximal end of the blade is provided with a radially inwardly extending locking flange adapted to engage the clamping head and a radially inwardly extending anchor flange adapted to engage the annular groove in the anchor sleeve. The longitudinal spacing between the hub flanges enables the hub to be received adjacent the anchor groove in an interdigitating mating of complementarily shaped surfaces.

Abstract: A surgical interference screw includes an axial bore extending entirely through the screw and hexagonally or otherwise configured at least at its ends to be drivable from either end. A driver includes a shaft with a forward bone penetrating tip. The screw is slid onto the shaft to expose the tip forwardly of the screw prior to inserting the screw into bone tissue. The forward portion of the shaft has a hexagonal or other periphery to engage the bore and turn the screw. The top of the shaft protruding from the end of the screw may be variously shaped as a trocar, pick, twist-drill bit, or gimlet thread. Plural drivers may be provided with different tips for various tasks. The relatively thick shaft and long engagement area between the screw and driver prevent screw mis-alignment and loss. The hexagonal or similar socket at least at both ends of the screw permits engagement by the driver and revision from either end. Irrespective of which end is driven, the screw can be revised in either direction.

Abstract: An endosteal anchoring device for urging a ligament graft against a bone surface comprising an anchoring body, a member for resisting slippage of the anchoring body into the periphery of a bone tunnel under ligament tension, a member for avoiding puncturing, piercing or tearing of cross-fibers of the ligament graft and a member for urging the ligament graft flush against the inner surface of the bone tunnel for accelerated healing.

Abstract: A disposable cutting blade assembly for use with a handpiece having a motor for rotatably driving the cutting blade assembly includes a plastic hub mounted on a proximal end of an outer member. The hub is configured to be received in a bore in the handpiece in a particular orientation relative to blade coding sensors therein. The presence and absence of elements in the hub are detected by the sensors to identify the type of cutting blade received in the handpiece.

Abstract: A threaded bone anchor retriever and method for retrieving threaded bone anchors and the like from an implantation site. The anchor retriever is particularly suitable for retrieving threaded suture anchors during endoscopic surgical procedures. The retriever comprises an elongated shaft having an anchor engaging means at its distal tip for engaging the drive portion of the threaded anchor and for turning it in a direction to remove it from the implantation site. A concentric anchor engaging sleeve is adapted to move longitudinally relative to the elongated shaft in order to engage the threaded body of the anchor as it is removed from the implantation site. The invention includes a method for using the anchor retriever, particularly during endoscopic procedures, to remove anchors which may or may not have tissue growth overlying the implantation site.

Abstract: A surgical cutting instrument having an elongated rotatable inner member provided with a cutting edge at its distal tip, the inner member adapted to rotate within an elongated outer tube having a window adjacent its distal end adapted to cooperate with the cutting edge of the inner member. The outer tube is provided with a portion thereof adjacent its distal end which enables the distal tip of the outer tube to be bent at an angle relative to the proximal portion of the outer tube. The outer tube may be bent by a user into a selected angular position with the aid of a tool calibrated in a plurality of discrete positions. The tool is adapted to enable the outer tube to be rotated to any selected position prior to being bent so that the window at the distal tip of the outer tube may be caused to face in any desired direction relative to the bend in the outer tube.

Abstract: A rotatable surgical shaver handpiece having a rotating elongated inner member within a fixed outer member is provided with a means for varying the cutting window orientation of the outer tubular member. The window orientation is adjusted by providing a rotatable collet assembly which has a hollow, outer, longitudinally movable body to which the outer hub member is keyed. The outer collet member is concentrically situated about an inner collet body and is fixed to an annular, toothed locking surface which is movably biased against an identical toothed locking surface fixed to the inner collet body. The teeth have sloped sides and are shallow such that the pre-loaded force compressing the two locking surfaces together is easily overcome by rotating the outer collet body to cause the teeth of one locking surface to slide along the teeth of the mating locking surface.

Abstract: A driving system and method for endoscopically inserting threaded suture anchors. The driving system incorporates a tubular guide adapted to receive a cylindrical drive shaft having a drive portion at its distal tip for engaging a threaded anchor and a stop member at its proximal end for enabling rotational motion of the drive system relative to the drill guide while limiting longitudinal motion beyond a predetermined point. The stop member is, in the preferred embodiment, an annular shoulder which prevents the drive shaft from advancing the anchor into the bone more than a desired amount sufficient to countersink the anchor below the bone surface. The invention facilitates use of a drive shaft having a minimized shaft diameter. The invention also comprises a method of using the driving system, the method comprising the steps of both turning and longitudinally limiting the motion of the driver from the proximal side of the driver.

Abstract: A rotatable shaver having inner and/or outer non-metallic elongated blades for use in endoscopic surgical procedures. In one embodiment a rotatable, elongated non-metallic inner tubular member is disclosed for use with a non-rotatable elongated metallic outer tubular member, the inner member having a flexible, non-metallic tubular body, a proximal hub and a distal tip provided with a cutting tip having a cutting edge formed therein. The elongated tubular body of the inner member is mechanically joined at its proximal end to the hub and at its distal end to the cutting tip. The mechanical connection enables the transmission of torque from the proximal end of the inner member to the distal end while sufficiently holding the tip, tube and hub assembly together to enable insertion and removal of the assembly into and from the outer member.

Abstract: An endoscope includes a disposable probe and a non-disposable focusing ocular. The probe includes a transfer module assembly including one or more relay modules, and an objective element including a distal glass window, a molded plastic prism and three molded plastic lenses. Each of the relay modules contains an entry glass rod, an intermediate glass rod, and an exit rod, each having flat end surfaces and two identical molded plastic doublets. The elements of the ocular are all of glass and include an axially movable focusing doublet and two non-movable doublets. The disposable probe introduces certain aberrations into the image. The non-disposable focusing ocular corrects these aberrations. A single curved surface is formed on the distal glass window of the probe; all other curved optical surfaces of the disposable probe are formed on molded plastic members, thereby reducing the cost of the probe sufficiently to be cost-effective for single patient, disposable use.