Patent ID: 9351720
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: A61B,A61F

Claim Text:
1. An implantation assembly for a prosthetic ligament, for guiding the ligament to a required position in bone tunnels formed in a joint between two adjacent bones, and for anchoring one end of the ligament, the assembly comprising: a guide element for the ligament, the guide element being manipulatable between a pulling position in which a longitudinal axis of the guide element extends parallel or generally parallel to a pulling direction and an anchoring position in which its longitudinal axis extends transversely of the pulling direction; a pulling element comprising a pulling loop for pulling the guide element through the bone tunnels; and a manipulating loop for manipulating the guide element to overlie a mouth at an end of one of the bone tunnels; in which: in the pulling position, the guide element defines a leading end and a trailing end, a pulling aperture being provided towards the leading end, a manipulating aperture being provided towards the trailing end, and a connecting arrangement by which the ligament can be connected to the guide element being provided between the leading and trailing ends; the pulling loop passes through the pulling aperture so that the pulling element can be used to pull the guide element and the trailing ligament through the bone tunnels with the guide element disposed in the pulling position; the manipulating loop passes through the manipulating aperture so that, when the guide element emerges from the mouth at the end of one of the bone tunnels, the manipulating loop can be used to manipulate the guide element to the anchoring position where the guide element can overlie the mouth at the end of one of the bone tunnels, to facilitate anchoring of the end of the ligament; the manipulating loop is secured to the pulling element so that the manipulating loop can be pulled along the bone tunnels by the pulling element; and the manipulating loop is arranged such that a tensile load can be applied to the pulling element to pull the guide element, the trailing ligament and the manipulating loop through the bone tunnels without generating a tensile load in the manipulating loop which could otherwise cause the guide element to be manipulated towards the anchoring position during passage along the bone tunnels.