US 11,730,464 B2
Soft tissue repair assembly and associated method
Kevin T. Stone, Winona Lake, IN (US); Troy M. Walters, Plymouth, IN (US); and Andrew Holst, Warsaw, IN (US)
Assigned to Biomet Sports Medicine, LLC, Warsaw, IN (US)
Filed by Biomet Sports Medicine, LLC, Warsaw, IN (US)
Filed on Aug. 19, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/544,293.
Application 12/828,977 is a division of application No. 11/347,661, filed on Feb. 3, 2006, granted, now 7,749,250.
Application 16/544,293 is a continuation of application No. 14/936,831, filed on Nov. 10, 2015, granted, now 10,441,264.
Application 14/936,831 is a continuation of application No. 13/767,401, filed on Feb. 14, 2013, granted, now 9,414,833.
Application 13/767,401 is a continuation of application No. 12/828,977, filed on Jul. 1, 2010, granted, now 8,409,253.
Prior Publication US 2019/0365376 A1, Dec. 5, 2019
Int. Cl. A61B 17/04 (2006.01); A61B 17/06 (2006.01); A61B 17/064 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/0401 (2013.01) [A61B 17/0469 (2013.01); A61B 17/0482 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0404 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0406 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0409 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0475 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0496 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0646 (2013.01); A61B 2017/06052 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bone implant apparatus, comprising:
an elongated tubular bone implant that includes a first end and a second end;
a first anchoring element situated proximate the first end of the elongated tubular bone implant;
a second anchoring element situated proximate the second end of the elongated tubular bone implant; and
a suture assembly coupled to the first anchoring element and the second anchoring element and extending longitudinally through the elongated tubular bone implant between the first anchoring element and the second anchoring element, the suture assembly including a first free end that is located outside the elongated tubular bone implant via a portion of the suture assembly passing through a side wall opening in the elongated tubular bone implant, the side wall opening positioned between the first end of the elongated tubular bone implant and the second end of the elongated tubular bone implant,
wherein the first free end of the suture assembly can be pulled to tension the suture assembly between the first anchoring element and the second anchoring element,
wherein, along a first length of the suture assembly that extends from the first free end of the suture assembly to the portion of the suture assembly passing through the side wall opening in the elongated tubular bone implant, the entirety of said first length is located outside the elongated tubular bone implant without extending through the first anchoring element or the second anchoring element,
wherein the first anchoring element is positionable away from the first end of the elongated tubular bone implant and the second anchoring element is positionable away from the second end of the elongated tubular bone implant, and wherein the first free end of the suture assembly is pullable to draw the first anchoring element toward the first end of the elongated tubular bone implant and draw the second anchoring element toward the second end of the elongated tubular bone implant.