Method and apparatus for coupling soft tissue to a bone

摘要

A method and apparatus for coupling a soft tissue implant into a locking cavity formed within a bone is disclosed. The apparatus includes a member to pull the soft tissue implant into a femoral tunnel. The member includes a suture having first and second ends which are passed through first and second openings associated with the longitudinal passage to form a pair of loops. A collapsible tube is positioned about the suture. Application of tension onto the suture construction causes retraction of the soft tissue implant into the femoral tunnel and the collapse of the tube to form an anchor.

主权项

1. A method for coupling soft tissue to bone, comprising:
forming a tunnel in the bone; positioning a flexible anchor having a suture construct coupled thereto into the tunnel, the flexible anchor having an elongated tubular body extending from a first end to a second opposed end, the tubular body defining a longitudinal bore extending from the first end to the second end of the tubular body, the suture construct being in the form of a closed loop of suture having a first looped section and a second looped section opposite the first looped section, the first looped section remaining outside the bore near the first end of the tubular body, the second looped section passing through the bore and exiting the bore at a position intermediate the first and second ends of the tubular body such that a remaining portion of the bore of the tubular body extending from the intermediate position to the second end of the tubular body includes an absence of the suture construct; coupling the soft tissue to the suture construct; pulling the flexible anchor with the soft tissue coupled thereto through the tunnel via the remaining portion of the tubular body; and applying tension to the suture construct to collapse the flexible anchor relative to a positive locking surface of the bone from a first undeformed profile configured for passing the flexible anchor through the tunnel to a second deformed profile forming an anchoring mass relative to the positive locking surface.