Patent ID: 7118578

Claim:
A tensioning system for use in joint repair surgery involving independent tensioning of multiple tissue graft strands attached to a bone tunnel, the tensioning system comprising: a plurality of breakaway guide pins adapted for attachment to a patient's bone, each breakaway guide pin including one or more notches or grooves that facilitate preferential breakage of the guide pin at or near the one or more notches or grooves, the one or more notches or grooves being spaced apart from a tip of the guide pin so that, after insertion of the guide pin into a patient's bone and breaking off a first portion of the guide pin, a remaining portion of the guide pin will extend from a patient's leg; and a tensioning device that provides for independent tensioning of multiple tissue graft strands attached to a bone tunnel, the tensioning device comprising: an attachment portion comprising a plurality of attachment posts, each configured to slidably attach to one of said breakaway guide pins when positioned in a bone so as to extend from a patient's leg; and a tensioning portion configured to independently apply a desired tensile load to each of at least two separate strands of a soft tissue graft, the tensioning portion comprising: a tensioning block; a first adjustable tensioning apparatus attached to the tensioning block and configured so as to selectively increase or decrease a first tensile load applied to a first strand of a soft tissue graft in communication with the first adjustable tensioning apparatus; and a second adjustable tensioning apparatus attached to the tensioning block in a spaced-apart relationship wit the first adjustable tensioning apparatus and configured so as selectively increase or decrease a second tensile load applied to a second strand of the soft tissue graft in communication wit the second adjustable tensioning apparatus independently of the first tensile load applied by the first adjustable tensioning apparatus, the tensioning block maintaining a sufficient space between the first and second adjustable tensioning apparatus as to permit an interference screw to pass between the first and second adjustable tensioning apparatus while securing a soft tissue graft to the bone tunnel.