Suture pulley for use with graft tensioning device

摘要

A suture pulley assembly includes a pulley wheel that is rotatably attached to an adjustable tension applicator used in joint repair surgery (e.g., to repair an ACL) so as to equalize the tensile load that is applied to each side of a looped suture by the adjustable tension applicator. The pulley wheel includes a pair of pulley plates that define a pulley space therebetween into which a looped suture is placed and that are oppositely-biased in order to spread apart and contract in response to differences in size of the looped suture as a result of, e.g., the existence of a knot or half knot. The pulley wheel is rotatably attached to the tension applicator by a post. A spring biases one of the suture pulley plates toward the other in a manner that allows for the aforementioned expansion of the pulley space.