Patent ID: 7118583

Claim:
An instrument for surgical suturing of a meniscal tear, comprising: a shaft; a needle disposed slidably for longitudinal travel with respect to the shaft; a curved prong on one end of the shaft, the prong projecting across a longitudinal axis of the needle and having an opening formed through the prong that provides a clearance through which a tip portion of the needle passes when it is advanced; open slots formed on an inner side of the prong, said open slots facing the end of the shaft and retaining a loop of suture on the inner surface of the prong facing the end of the shaft such that the suture extends across the opening formed through the prong; and a suture channel formed on a top outer surface of the prong and extending longitudinally with respect to the shaft, wherein the suture loop is retained in the open slots of the prong by passing suture strands extending from said loop separately around respective opposite sides of the prong and together through the suture channel formed on the top outer surface of the prong.