Patent ID: 8579974

Claim:
A method for drilling an angled osteal tunnel into a bone comprising: a) drilling or punching a first tunnel portion into the bone from a first surface location on the bone, the first tunnel portion having an interior end within the bone and inserting a guide component into the first tunnel a predetermined distance wherein an end of the guide component extends to the interior end equal to a length of the first tunnel, the guide component being affixed to a rack and having a target ring for receiving a drill bit at the end which is inserted to the interior end of the first tunnel, the target ring being an opening on the guide component adjacent the end and sized to allow the drill bit to enter; b) adjusting a drill guide sleeve attached to the rack relative to the guide component to allow for a drilling angle and drilling distance desired for drilling a second tunnel portion to the depth to allow a drill bit to pass the end of the guide component into the target ring; c) drilling a second tunnel portion with a drilling device into the bone from a second surface location on the bone by inserting a drill bit into the drill guide sleeve attached to the rack, the drill guide sleeve being aligned to guide a drill bit into the opening of the target ring wherein the drill guide sleeve and the guide component are configured such that the drill guide sleeve is angled directly at the target ring at the end of the guide component such that the second tunnel is drilled directly into the end of the guide component and drilling to a depth to pass into the target ring of the guide component such that the drill bit passes through the target ring and does not contact the guide component as the guide sleeve guides the drilling bit to the interior end of the first tunnel portion, whereby the first tunnel portion and the second tunnel portion intersect at their respective interior ends and connect at an angle, resulting in an angled osteal tunnel within the bone; d) inserting a suture into a second tunnel and, wherein the guide component comprises a suture seizing mechanism located inside the guide component and after the second tunnel is drilled, the guide component is left in place in the first tunnel portion such that the suture when inserted into the second tunnel portion has an end extending into the target ring of the guide component whereby the end of the suture can be seized inside the guide component by the suture seizing mechanism, and the suture can be pulled through the first tunnel portion; and e) seizing the end of the suture by pinching the suture between a suture seizing pestle within the guide component and an inner wall of the target ring of the guide component and removing the guide component with the suture seizing mechanism thereby pulling the suture through the angled osteal tunnel.