Abstract: A finger mounting for a surgical instrument includes a sleeve dimensioned to be received on the outer end of a finger of a user. The sleeve has an open proximal end for application to the outer end of the user's finger, an open distal end for exposing the outer tip of the user's finger when mounted thereon, and an inner diameter which decreases from the proximal end to the distal end for facilitating the application of the sleeve to the user's finger. The sleeve is formed of an elastic material and with a longitudinal split along its length to permit its diameter to be increased in order to accommodate fingers of different thicknesses.

Abstract: A surgical instrument for use in attaching soft tissue to a bone in a surgical site, includes an elongated shaft carrying, at its distal end, a clamping device having clamping jaws and a piercing device for piercing soft tissue, and further carrying, at its proximal end, manipulatable members for manipulating the clamping device to clamp soft tissue between the clamping jaws, and for manipulating the piercing device for piercing the soft tissue when clamped between the clamping jaws, and for drawing a suture through the pierced soft tissue. The surgical instrument further includes, at its distal end, a socket dimensioned to receive an anchor to be implanted in a bore in the bone, which anchor also has secured thereto a suture to be passed through the pierced soft tissue and to be tied to the bone. The invention is particularly described with respect to a method wherein the tissue to be attached is labrum tissue detached from the glenoid bone in a shoulder joint.

Abstract: Described is an arthroscopic bone transplanting procedure for transplanting a section of a first bone to a second bone. The described procedure is particularly useful for the treatment an anterior shoulder instability, where the first bone is the coracoid and the second bone is the glenoid. Also described is a kit of medical instruments particularly useful in such a procedure.

Abstract: A medical implement for separating tissue at a surgical site includes an elongated rod carrying an inflatable balloon of triangular configuration having first and second apices defining a base for engagement with one tissue layer, and a third apex engageable with a second tissue layer effective, upon the inflation of the balloon, to separate the tissue layers. Also described are the use of the medical implement in the performance of arthroscopic surgical procedures in the shoulder of a patient for creating a free space between the deltoid muscle or the glenoid socket and the humerus bone.

Abstract: A method of repairing separations in the capsular labrum structure, in which the head of the humerus bone separates from the glenoid cavity of the glenoid, by: producing a first plurality of anchor points in an anterior face of the rim of the glenoid; producing a second plurality of anchor points in a corresponding anterior face of the neck of the glenoid; and utilizing the first and second plurality of anchor points for attaching the tendons to the glenoid. Also described is an apparatus for use in repairing separations in a capsular labrum structure including a drill guide having a proximal end formed with a handle, and a distal end formed with a surface configured for engaging a posterior face of the neck of the glenoid to properly fix the position of the drill guide with respect to the glenoid.

Abstract: A finger mounting for a surgical instrument includes a sleeve dimensioned to be received on the outer end of a finger of a user. The sleeve has an open proximal end for application to the outer end of the user's finger, an open distal end for exposing the outer tip of the user's finger when mounted thereon, and an inner diameter which decreases from the proximal end to the distal end for facilitating the application of the sleeve to the user's finger. The sleeve is formed of an elastic material and with a longitudinal split along its length to permit its diameter to be increased in order to accommodate fingers of different thicknesses.

Abstract: A finger-mountable surgical instrument usable as a tweezers or as a probe, includes a sleeve dimensioned to be received on the outer end of a finger of a user; an elongated arm having a proximal end fixed to the sleeve and a distal end projecting forwardly of the sleeve and defining a fixed jaw; a pivotal jaw pivotally mounted to the distal end of the elongated arm to open and closed positions; an actuator arm movably mounted with respect to the sleeve and coupled to the pivotal jaw such that moving the actuator arm in one direction moves the pivotal jaw to a closed position with respect to the fixed jaw, and moving the actuator arm in another direction moves the pivotal jaw to an open position with respect to the fixed jaw; and a locking arm carried by the sleeve and manually movable to a locking position for locking the pivotal jaw in its closed position with respect to the fixed jaw.

Abstract: A surgical instrument useful as a tweezers for grasping and holding objects of different thicknesses includes: an elongated arm having a distal end defining a fixed jaw; a pivotal jaw having a distal end movable towards and away from the fixed jaw to a fully open position, a fully closed position, and at least one intermediate position, with respect to the fixed jaw; and a locking member carried by the pivotal jaw and manually movable into engagement with a locking surface carried by the elongated arm, when the pivotal jaw is in its fully-closed position or in any intermediate position with respect to the fixed, to lock the pivotal jaw in the fully-closed or intermediate position with respect to the fixed jaw.