Arthroscopic surgical device

Abstract

An arthroscopic bone tunneling and suturing device including a bone-engaging needle driving assembly including a bone-engaging needle and being adapted for arthroscopic insertion into engagement with a patient's bone at a first bone location through an arthroscopic incision and for driving the needle forwardly along a generally arcuate tunneling path through the bone at least to a second bone location and a bone-engaging pin driving assembly arranged for operative engagement with the bone-engaging needle driving assembly and being adapted for arthroscopic insertion into engagement with a patient's bone at a third bone location through the arthroscopic incision.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method for tunneling through a bone during arthroscopic surgery, the method comprising:
 providing a bone-engaging pin driving assembly and a bone-engaging needle driving assembly, said bone-engaging needle driving assembly including a bone-engaging needle, said needle having an arcuate shape, adapted for arthroscopic insertion into engagement with said bone at a first bone location through an arthroscopic incision and for being driven forwardly through said bone at least to a second bone location;   operatively engaging said bone-engaging pin driving assembly with said bone-engaging needle driving assembly;   inserting said bone-engaging needle driving assembly through said arthroscopic incision into engagement with said bone at said first bone location;   inserting said bone-engaging pin driving assembly through said arthroscopic incision into engagement with said bone at a third bone location;   tunneling through said bone with said bone-engaging pin driving assembly along a generally linear tunneling path from said third bone location to said second bone location; and   driving said needle, from said first bone location at least to said second bone location, with said bone-engaging needle driving assembly, thereby tunneling through said bone with said bone-engaging needle and forming a generally arcuate tunnel from said first bone location at least to said second bone location.   
     
     
         16 . A method for tunneling through a bone during arthroscopic surgery according to  claim 15  and also comprising:
 mounting a suture on said bone-engaging pin driving assembly prior to said operatively engaging said bone-engaging pin driving assembly with said bone-engaging needle driving assembly; and 
 subsequent to said driving, engaging said suture with said needle at said second bone location. 
 
     
     
         17 . A method for tunneling through a bone during arthroscopic surgery according to  claim 16  and also comprising, subsequent to said engaging, retracting said needle, in engagement with said suture, through said tunnel. 
     
     
         18 . A method for tunneling through a bone during arthroscopic surgery according to  claim 17  and further comprising, subsequent to said retracting said needle, retracting said bone-engaging pin driving assembly from engagement with said bone. 
     
     
         19 . A method for tunneling through a bone during arthroscopic surgery according to  claim 18  and also comprising, subsequent to said retracting said bone-engaging pin driving assembly:
 partially re-extending said needle; and 
 disengaging said suture from said needle. 
 
     
     
         20 . A method for tunneling through a bone during arthroscopic surgery according to  claim 16  wherein said operatively engaging also comprises:
 aligning said bone-engaging pin driving assembly with said bone-engaging needle driving assembly so that said needle can engage said suture at said second bone location; and 
 subsequently axially and rotationally locking said bone-engaging pin driving assembly to said bone-engaging needle driving assembly.