Patent ID: 7578844

Claim:
A method for attaching a graft ligament to a bone, the method comprising the steps of: providing an opening in the bone; inserting the graft ligament and a graft ligament engagement means into the opening, with the graft ligament engagement means comprising a radially expandable sleeve provided with a substantially cylindrical shape that is made of an elastomeric material, has exterior and interior surfaces, and is fully free of discontinuities in a circumferential direction along substantially the entire length of the sleeve, and at least a portion of the graft ligament disposed alongside at least a portion of said exterior surface of the sleeve; inserting a locking means within the sleeve, the locking means being separated from the graft ligament by the sleeve; and moving the locking means axially within the sleeve so as to cause at least a portion thereof engaged with said interior surface to expand the sleeve radially so as to urge the graft ligament toward and into tight engagement with a wall of the opening to secure the graft ligament to the wall of the opening.