Patent ID: 9204874
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: inserting a suture passing K-wire from a second bone of a small joint to a first bone of the small joint, the suture passing K-wire comprising a tapered guide pin having a first region with a first diameter and terminating in a sharp tip, and a second region with a second diameter and terminating in an eyelet, the second diameter being smaller than the first diameter, the K-wire being inserted so that the distal end of the second region is adjacent a cortex of the first bone and the eyelet is adjacent a cortex of the second bone; passing a flexible strand of a suture-button construct through the eyelet of the K-wire; and pulling the K-wire with the flexible strand from the second bone to the first bone so that the K-wire exits the first bone, the flexible strand extends between the first bone and the second bone, and the button is engaged against the second bone; forming two pilot holes through the first bone and the second bone; passing the flexible strand through a first plurality of apertures of a first button of the suture-button construct so that both free ends of the flexible strand are free; inserting each of the free ends of the flexible strand through corresponding eyelets of two tapered K-wires; and pulling the two tapered K-wires medially, so that the free ends of the flexible strand are passed through the pilot holes.