Soft tissue graft fixation

Abstract

A surgical method for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction includes creating a bone tunnel in a head of a femur of a patient. A connective tissue is inserted into the bone tunnel. A shape memory polymer plug is inserted into the bone tunnel. The plug has a first configuration for insertion and a second configuration for affixation that has a radially expanded dimension that presses the connective tissue against a side wall of the bone tunnel to affix the connective tissue in the bone tunnel. The plug changes from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to an activation temperature equal to or greater than a temperature of the femur.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surgical method for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction comprising
 creating a bone tunnel in a head of a femur of a patient;   inserting a connective tissue into the bone tunnel; and   inserting a shape memory polymer plug into the bone tunnel, wherein   the plug has a first configuration for insertion and a second configuration for affixation,   the second configuration comprises a radially expanded dimension that presses the connective tissue against a side wall of the bone tunnel to affix the connective tissue in the bone tunnel, and   the plug changes from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to an activation temperature equal to or greater than a temperature of the femur.   
     
     
         2 . The surgical method of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the femur is an average temperature of the human body. 
     
     
         3 . The surgical method of  claim 2 , wherein the connective tissue is resected from a part of a hamstring tendon of the patient.