Abstract: A cannulated driver includes a handle, a barrel coupled to the handle, and a drive tip coupled to the barrel and having an outer surface and an engagement end that engages within a head of a cannulated screw. The driver is configured to removably retain a corresponding cannulated screw onto the driver. The drive tip includes a passageway disposed generally in a radial direction with respect to the driver's longitudinal axis. An engagement pin is movably mounted for travel in the passageway between an extended position wherein an exposable end of the pin protrudes radially beyond the outer surface of the drive tip and a retracted position wherein the pin does not thus protrude. In the extended position, the exposable end of the pin protrudes into a corresponding recess in the head of a special cannulated screw to removably retain the screw onto the driver.

Abstract: The invention is directed toward a sterile bone-tendon-bone assembly with two allograft bone blocks constructed with a cancellous portion and a cortical end portion. Each bone block has an outer curved surface with two opposing longitudinal arcuate grooves cut into the exterior surface which will allow a tendon replacement member to be wrapped around the bone block. The second bone block being in reversed orientation to the first bone block.

Abstract: A surgical punch including an upper jaw and lower jaw that are coupled at their proximal ends. The jaws have cutting edges at their distal end configured to cut in a direction from the distal ends of the jaws towards the proximal ends of the jaws. The center of rotation of the cutting trajectory can be located above the initial cutting point of the lower jaw. The upper jaw can include a reversed slope leading edge. The jaws can be slidably coupled to each other. The coupling member can include a pin and slot to couple the movable jaw to an actuating rod.

Abstract: A femoral guide for precisely positioning a guide wire on a femur bone surface. A lumen allows a guide wire extending through the lumen to contact the bone surface at a location spaced a predetermined distance from an edge of the bone surface. With the guide wire driven into the bone, a bone tunnel can be formed substantially concentrically along the guide. Methods of precisely forming bone tunnels include the steps of engaging a bone surface edge with a tongue of the femoral guide, insertion of a guide wile through a femoral guide lumen, driving the guide wire into the bone through the lumen and forming a bone tunnel along the guide wire where a bone tunnel longitudinal axis is disposed from the edge engaged by die tongue a distance substantially equal to the distance that the tongue is disposed from the longitudinal axis of the lumen.

Abstract: Systems and methods for producing minimally invasive osteotomies to correct angular deformities of bones in and about the knee are disclosed. A method includes locating a plane in which the angle exhibited by the deformity is situated. An oblique cut is then made along a surface of the bone, such that the cut is transverse to the plane in which the angle is situated. Thereafter, the bone pieces are rotated about the cut relative to one another until a desired alignment between the bone pieces is achieved. To maintain the bone pieces in alignment, a device having an elongated body for extending into a tunnel between the bone pieces is provided. The system also includes a rigid member fixedly positioned at one end of the body. The rigid member is transverse to the body to engage one bone piece. The system further includes a locking mechanism at an opposite end of the body to engage the other bone piece.

Abstract: A femoral guide for precisely positioning a guide wire on a bone surface of the femur includes a body having a lumen for receiving a guide wire and a tongue protruding from the body for engaging an edge or reference point on the bone surface with the tongue being spaced a predetermined distance from a longitudinal axis of the lumen. The lumen includes an opening allowing a guide wire extending through the lumen to contact the bone surface at a location spaced from the edge substantially the predetermined distance with the tongue engaging the edge. A stylus on the body can be driven into the bone to secure and stabilize the femoral guide prior to driving the guide wire into the bone through the lumen. With the guide wire driven into the bone, a bone tunnel can be formed substantially concentrically or coaxially along the guide wire such that a longitudinal axis of the bone tunnel will be disposed from the edge substantially the predetermined distance.

Abstract: A graft preparation board that enables an exact tensioning of soft tissue grafts. The graft preparation board allows the amount of tensile load to be easily determined so that the operator can precisely control the amount of tension to be applied. The graft preparation board also enables higher tensions to be placed on graft tissues to be used in surgery.

Abstract: A surgical punch including an upper jaw and lower jaw that are coupled at their proximal ends. The jaws have cutting edges at their distal end configured to cut in a direction from the distal ends of the jaws towards the proximal ends of the jaws. The center of rotation of the cutting trajectory can be located above the initial cutting point of the lower jaw. The upper jaw can include a reversed slope leading edge. The jaws can be slidably coupled to each other. The coupling member can include a pin and slot to couple the movable jaw to an actuating rod.

Abstract: Systems and methods for producing minimally invasive osteotomies to correct angular deformities of bones in and about the knee are disclosed. A method includes locating a plane in which the angle exhibited by the deformity is situated. An oblique cut is then made along a surface of the bone, such that the cut is transverse to the plane in which the angle is situated. Thereafter, the bone pieces are rotated about the cut relative to one another until a desired alignment between the bone pieces is achieved. To maintain the bone pieces in alignment, a device having an elongated body for extending into a tunnel between the bone pieces is provided. The system also includes a rigid member fixedly positioned at one end of the body. The rigid member is transverse to the body to engage one bone piece. The system further includes a locking mechanism at an opposite end of the body to engage the other bone piece.

Abstract: Systems and methods for producing minimally invasive osteotomies to correct angular deformities of bones in and about the knee are disclosed. A method includes locating a plane in which the angle exhibited by the deformity is situated. An oblique cut is then made along a surface of the bone, such that the cut is transverse to the plane in which the angle is situated. Thereafter, the bone pieces are rotated about the cut relative to one another until a desired alignment between the bone pieces is achieved. To maintain the bone pieces in alignment, a device having an elongated body for extending into a tunnel between the bone pieces is provided. The system also includes a rigid member fixedly positioned at one end of the body. The rigid member is transverse to the body to engage one bone piece. The system further includes a locking mechanism at an opposite end of the body to engage the other bone piece.

Abstract: A femoral guide for precisely positioning a guide wire on a femur bone surface. A lumen allows a guide wire extending through the lumen to contact the bone surface at a location spaced a predetermined distance from an edge of the bone surface. With the guide wire driven into the bone, a bone tunnel can be formed substantially concentrically along the guide. Methods of precisely forming bone tunnels include the steps of engaging a bone surface edge with a tongue of the femoral guide, insertion of a guide wile through a femoral guide lumen, driving the guide wire into the bone through the lumen and forming a bone tunnel along the guide wire where a bone tunnel longitudinal axis is disposed from the edge engaged by die tongue a distance substantially equal to the distance that the tongue is disposed from the longitudinal axis of the lumen.

Abstract: A femoral guide for precisely positioning a guide wire on a bone surface of the femur includes a body having a lumen for receiving a guide wire and a tongue protruding from the body for engaging an edge or reference point on the bone surface with the tongue being spaced a predetermined distance from a longitudinal axis of the lumen. The lumen includes an opening allowing a guide wire extending through the lumen to contact the bone surface at a location spaced from the edge substantially the predetermined distance with the tongue engaging the edge. A stylus on the body can be driven into the bone to secure and stabilize the femoral guide prior to driving the guide wire into the bone through the lumen. With the guide wire driven into the bone, a bone tunnel can be formed substantially concentrically or coaxially along the guide wire such that a longitudinal axis of the bone tunnel will be disposed from the edge substantially the predetermined distance.

Abstract: A device for harvesting a tendon for cruciate ligament surgery includes an elongated outer member and an inner member disposed within the outer member, such that the outer and inner members are reciprocally movable relative to one another. The outer member has, at its distal end, a cutting edge for cutting connective tissues about the periphery of the tendon. The inner member is provided with a distal end and pathway into which the tendon is received during the harvesting procedure. The device further includes an actuator for moving the outer member and inner member between a non-actuated position, wherein the distal end of the outer member and the distal end of the inner member are at least in substantially even alignment, and an actuated position, wherein the distal end of the outer member is advanced beyond the distal end of the inner member, so as to expose the cutting edge for separating connective tissues about the periphery of the tendon.

Abstract: A femoral guide for precisely positioning a guide wire on a bone surface of the femur includes a body having a lumen for receiving a guide wire and a tongue protruding from the body for engaging an edge or reference point on the bone surface with the tongue being spaced a predetermined distance from a longitudinal axis of the lumen. The lumen includes an opening allowing a guide wire extending through the lumen to contact the bone surface at a location spaced from the edge substantially the predetermined distance with the tongue engaging the edge. A stylus on the body can be driven into the bone to secure and stabilize the femoral guide prior to driving the guide wire into the bone through the lumen. With the guide wire driven into the bone, a bone tunnel can be formed substantially concentrically or coaxially along the guide wire such that a longitudinal axis of the bone tunnel will be disposed from the edge substantially the predetermined distance.

Abstract: A device for harvesting a tendon for cruciate ligament surgery includes an elongated outer member and an inner member disposed within the outer member, such that the outer and inner members are reciprocally movable relative to one another. The outer member has, at its distal end, a cutting edge for cutting connective tissues about the periphery of the tendon. The inner member is provided with a distal end and pathway into which the tendon is received during the harvesting procedure. The device further includes an actuator for moving the outer member and inner member between a non-actuated position, wherein the distal end of the outer member and the distal end of the inner member are at least in substantially even alignment, and an actuated position, wherein the distal end of the outer member is advanced beyond the distal end of the inner member, so as to expose the cutting edge for separating connective tissues about the periphery of the tendon.

Abstract: Devices and methods for producing minimally invasive osteotomies to correct angular deformities of bones in and about the knee are disclosed. The method includes locating a plane in which the angle exhibited by the deformity is situated. An oblique cut is then made along a surface of the bone, such that the cut is transverse to the plane in which the angle is situated. Thereafter, the bone pieces are rotated about the cut relative to one another until a desired alignment between the bone pieces is achieved. To maintain the bone pieces in alignment, a device having an elongated body for extending into a tunnel between the bone pieces is provided. The device also includes a rigid member fixedly positioned at one end of the body. The rigid member is transverse to the body to engage one bone piece. The device further includes a locking mechanism at an opposite end of the body to engage the other bone piece.

Abstract: A device for harvesting a tendon for cruciate ligament surgery includes an elongated outer member and an inner member disposed within the outer member, such that the outer and inner members are reciprocally movable relative to one another. The outer member has, at its distal end, a cutting edge for cutting connective tissues about the periphery of the tendon. The inner member is provided with a distal end and pathway into which the tendon is received during the harvesting procedure. The device further includes an actuator for moving the outer member and inner member between a non-actuated position, wherein the distal end of the outer member and the distal end of the inner member are at least in substantially even alignment, and an actuated position, wherein the distal end of the outer member is advanced beyond the distal end of the inner member, so as to expose the cutting edge for separating connective tissues about the periphery of the tendon.

Abstract: A coring reamer for use in removing a bone core for use in a graft. A cylindrical tunnel is aimed at a bone. The coring reamer is inserted through the cylindrical tunnel and operated to form a bone tunnel. The bone core is removed from the coring reamer and a ligament replacement is attached to form the graft. The coring reamer includes a cylindrical hollow tube with a series of cutting teeth projecting from its distal end. At least one opening is provided in the wall of the coring reamer tube so that the bone core may be more easily removed from the reamer.

Abstract: A surgical screwdriver for inserting bone screws in bone tunnels in ligament reconstruction has, in a preferred embodiment, a cannulated flexible shaft portion. The flexible shaft portion is formed by a plurality of linkage members disposed in series. Each linkage member is joined to an adjacent linkage member so as to permit adjacent linkage members to be pivotally movable with respect to one another about a pivot axis. The screwdriver is used in methods of arthroscopic cruciate ligament reconstruction including the steps of introducing the screwdriver along a guide wire through a portal that is offset from the longitudinal axis of a bone tunnel and driving an interference screw mounted on the driver in the bone tunnel to fixate a bone block in the bone tunnel.