Patent ID: 7686810

Claim:
A suture separation and organization device for use in organizing and separating tensioned suture strands in a desired spaced-apart orientation during joint repair surgery, comprising: a body having a first surface that is oriented toward a graft tensioning device when in use and second surface that is oriented toward a bone tunnel in a patient's leg when in use, the body having a center and a perimeter; a plurality of attachment passages or recesses in said body for releasably attaching said body to a graft tensioning device during use, each passage or recess being sized and positioned so as to slidably receive therein a corresponding post of a graft tensioning device, each of said attachment passages or recesses being defined by a respective hollow post guide projecting from said second surface of said body so as to maintain space between a patient's leg and said second surface of said body when said suture separation and organization device is in use; a pair of upper suture retention recesses or protrusions disposed on an upper perimeter of said body and a pair of lower retention recesses or protrusions disposed on a lower perimeter of said body, said pair of upper suture retention recesses or protrusions and said pair of lower suture retention recesses or protrusions being positioned so as to retain four tensioned suture strands or groups of tensioned suture strands extending away from a bone tunnel in four spaced apart quadrants adjacent to a bone tunnel in order to facilitate insertion of an interference screw between the tensioned suture strands and into the bone tunnel, said pair of upper suture retention recesses or protrusions being spaced apart and positioned so as to provide a first spacing distance between a pair of corresponding upper sutures, said pair of lower suture retention recesses or protrusions being spaced apart and positioned so as to provide a second spacing distance between a pair of corresponding lower sutures that is substantially equal to the first spacing distance; and a passageway or recess passing through the center of said body through which an interference screw can be inserted between tensioned suture strands during joint repair surgery.