Abstract A surgical tool for use in preparing a graft path in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in a knee joint in which aligned tibial and femoral osseous tunnels are made for a bone-tendon-bone graft or similar surgery where two bone tunnels are in alignment. The tool comprises an elongated guide body having a guide shaft capable of being positioned within the tibial tunnel and extending into the femoral tunnel, and an elongated channel-like main body which is coaxial with the guide shaft. The main body includes a rasping head and is rotatably and axially slidable on the guide shaft for guided rasping of bone surfaces along the graft path. The rasp head fully encircles the guide shaft and is capable of following the guide shaft to enter and extend beyond the tibial tunnel. The leading end of the guide body includes a guide head with a flexible structure for connecting the head to the guide shaft. The guide head is movable through the tibial tunnel and into the femoral tunnel to position the guide shaft for subsequent rasping of surfaces along the graft path by manually moving the rasping head along and/or about the shaft. The flexible connection of the guide head to the guide shaft enables the knee to be flexed with the guide body is in place for inspection of the graft path in the area of the intercondylar notch while the rasping body may serve as a trial prosthesis to check for interference.
An elongated guide body for use with an elongated rasping body, said elongated guide body comprising a trailing shaft portion having a manually engagable brace generally perpendicularly attached to the trailing shaft portion, said trailing shaft portion further having an end which is removably attachable to a first end of a leading shaft portion, and still further having a guide head flexibly attached to a second end of the leading shaft portion, and wherein the elongated guide body forms in combination with the elongated rasping body a surgical tool for the preparation of a graft path which includes a first and second tunnel in bone, the elongated guide body being proportioned to allow the elongated rasping body to fit coaxially about the leading shaft portion and to allow axial motion of the elongated rasping body with respect to the elongated guide body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
An elongated guide body for use with an elongated rasping body, said elongated guide body comprising a trailing shaft portion having a manually engagable brace generally perpendicularly attached to the trailing shaft portion, said trailing shaft portion further having an end which is removably attachable to a first end of a leading shaft portion, and still further having a guide head flexibly attached to a second end of the leading shaft portion, and wherein the elongated guide body forms in combination with the elongated rasping body a surgical tool for the preparation of a graft path which includes a first and second tunnel in bone, the elongated guide body being proportioned to allow the elongated rasping body to fit coaxially about the leading shaft portion and to allow axial motion of the elongated rasping body with respect to the elongated guide body.