Threaded bone tunnel dilator

Abstract

A cannulated threaded bone tunnel dilator that accurately advances through bone and dilates a bone tunnel in a gentle, controlled manner, including a distal tapered, threaded tip and a body mounted on the distal end of a shaft. The proximal end of the shaft includes a drive attachment for rotating the dilator so as to threadingly advance the dilator. In use, a guidewire is driven into bone, and then the surgeon advances the dilator along the guidewire until the tip of the dilator engages the bone. The surgeon then rotates the dilator clockwise so as to threadingly advance the dilator through the bone until the dilator reaches a desired depth. After reaching the desired depth, the surgeon removes the dilator by rotating the dilator counterclockwise and retracting the dilator from the then-compacted bone tunnel. The peaks and troughs of the dilator's thread compact the bone so as to create the dilated bone tunnel. However, the peaks and troughs do not extend beyond a smooth cylindrical body, thus, following dilation, the resultant bone tunnel is smooth and compacted.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A dilator comprising: 
 a tip having an axis and a thread disposed about said axis, said thread being defined by a peak and an adjacent trough;    wherein said peak and said trough are adapted to substantially displace bone.    
     
     
         2 . A dilator according to  claim 1  wherein said tip defines a proximally-expanding taper.  
     
     
         3 . A dilator according to  claim 2  wherein said thread corresponds to said taper.  
     
     
         4 . A dilator according to  claim 2  wherein said taper is selected from the group consisting of straight, compound, parabolic, elliptical and diverse arc segment tapers.  
     
     
         5 . A dilator according to  claim 2  wherein said taper defines an angle of between about 5 and about 30 degrees with respect to said axis.  
     
     
         6 . A dilator according to  claim 2  wherein said taper defines an angle of about 10.85 degrees with respect to said axis.  
     
     
         7 . A dilator according to  claim 1  wherein said thread defines a pitch of between about 0.060 and about 0.120 inches.  
     
     
         8 . A dilator according to  claim 1  wherein said dilator further comprises a body having a surface with an axial projection, said body being mounted on said tip.  
     
     
         9 . A dilator according to  claim 8  wherein said body is cylindrical.  
     
     
         10 . A dilator according to  claim 8  wherein said body includes a proximally-expanding linear taper.  
     
     
         11 . A dilator according to  claim 8  wherein said body includes a proximally-expanding arcuate flare.  
     
     
         12 . A dilator according to  claim 8  wherein said body includes means for imparting texture on a bone tunnel wall.  
     
     
         13 . A dilator according to  claim 12  wherein said texture is smooth.  
     
     
         14 . A dilator according to  claim 8  wherein said thread continues proximally about said body, said peak being truncated at or within said axial projection.  
     
     
         15 . A dilator according to  claim 14  wherein said tip defines a proximally-expanding taper with a tapered projection; and 
 said thread corresponds to said tapered projection.  
 
     
     
         16 . A dilator according to  claim 1  wherein said trough proximally and radially expands until said trough is co-extensive with said peak.  
     
     
         17 . A dilator according to  claim 1  wherein said tip has a central opening configured to receive a guidewire.  
     
     
         18 . A dilator according to  claim 1  wherein said dilator further comprises a shaft, defining a shaft perimeter, mounted on said tip; 
 wherein said tip defines a tip perimeter; and  
 wherein said shaft perimeter is radially inferior to said tip perimeter.  
 
     
     
         19 . A method for dilating bone comprising: 
 threadingly advancing through a bone a dilator having a thread with a peak and a trough;    wherein said peak and said trough are adapted to substantially displace bone.    
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein said trough displaces bone a substantially similar amount as said peak.  
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein said method further comprises: 
 driving a guidewire through a bone prior to said advancing; and  
 placing said dilator on said guidewire prior to said advancing;  
 wherein said advancing occurs along said guidewire.  
 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein said dilator has a body with a surface radially superior to said thread, whereby said advancing imparts a texture on a bone tunnel corresponding to said surface.  
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein said texture is smooth.  
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein said method further comprises creating a pilot hole in the bone prior to said advancing.  
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein said dilator includes a tip, said thread being disposed on said tip, and wherein said tip defines a proximally-expanding taper.  
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 25  wherein said thread corresponds to said taper.  
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 25  wherein said taper is selected from the group consisting of straight, compound, parabolic, elliptical and diverse arc segment tapers.  
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 25  wherein said taper defines an angle of between about 5 and about 30 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of said tip.  
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 25  wherein said taper defines an angle of about 10.85 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of said tip.  
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 25  wherein said dilator includes a body having a surface with an axial projection, said body being mounted on said tip.  
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 30  wherein said body is cylindrical.  
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 30  wherein said body includes a proximally-expanding linear taper.  
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 30  wherein said body includes a proximally-expanding arced flare.  
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 30  wherein said body includes means for imparting texture on a bone tunnel wall.  
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 34  wherein said texture is smooth.  
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 30  wherein said thread continues proximally about said body, the peak being truncated at or within the axial projection.  
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 25  wherein said tip defines a proximally-expanding taper with a tapered projection; and 
 said thread corresponds to said tapered projection.  
 
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 25  wherein said tip has a central opening configured to receive a guidewire.  
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein said thread defines a pitch of between about 0.060 and 0.120 inches.  
     
     
         40 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein said trough proximally and radially expands until said trough is co-extensive with said peak.  
     
     
         41 . A dilator system comprising: 
 a dilator comprising a tip having an axis and a thread disposed about said axis, said thread being defined by a peak and an adjacent trough, wherein said peak and said trough are adapted to substantially displace bone; and    a guidewire received in said dilator.    
     
     
         42 . A system according to  claim 41  wherein said dilator is adapted to be driven by a driver.  
     
     
         43 . A system according to  claim 42  wherein said system further includes a driver operatively connected to said dilator.  
     
     
         44 . A method for attaching a member to a bone comprising forming a bone tunnel by dilating with a threaded device.  
     
     
         45 . A dilator comprising: 
 a tip having an axis and a thread disposed about said axis, said thread being defined by a peak and an adjacent trough;    wherein said peak and said trough are adapted to substantially displace bone;    wherein said trough proximally and radially expands until said trough is co-extensive with said peak.    
     
     
         46 . A dilator comprising: 
 a tip having an axis and a thread disposed about said axis, said thread being defined by a peak and an adjacent trough; and    a body having a surface with an axial projection, said body being mounted on said tip;    wherein said peak and said trough are adapted to substantially displace bone; and    wherein said thread continues proximally about said body, said peak being truncated at or within said axial projection.    
     
     
         47 . A dilator comprising: 
 a tip having an axis and a thread disposed about said axis, said thread being defined by a peak and an adjacent trough; and    a shaft, defining a shaft perimeter, mounted on said tip;    wherein said peak and said trough are adapted to substantially displace bone;    wherein said tip defines a tip perimeter; and    wherein said shaft perimeter is radially inferior to said tip perimeter.    
     
     
         48 . A method for dilating bone comprising: 
 driving a guidewire into the bone;    placing a dilator, having a thread with a peak and a trough, on said guidewire; and    threadingly advancing said dilator through said bone;    wherein said advancing occurs along said guidewire; and    wherein said peak and said trough are adapted to substantially displace bone.    
     
     
         49 . A method for dilating bone comprising: 
 creating a pilot hole in the bone; and    threadingly advancing through said pilot hole a dilator having a thread with a peak and a trough;    wherein said peak and said trough are adapted to substantially displace bone.    
     
     
         50 . A dilator comprising: 
 a tip having an axis and a thread disposed about said axis, said thread having a proximal end and a distal end;    wherein said thread is further defined by a smaller outside diameter at its distal end and a larger outside diameter at its proximal end; and    wherein said thread is adapted over its entire length to gradually displace bone and form a bone tunnel.    
     
     
         51 . A dilator comprising: 
 a tip having an axis and a thread disposed about said axis, said thread being defined by a peak and an adjacent trough;    wherein said peak and said trough are adapted to gradually displace bone, said trough displacing bone a substantially similar amount as said peak, so as to relatively gently form a bone tunnel.    
     
     
         52 . A dilator comprising: 
 a tip having a proximal end, a distal end and an axis extending between said proximal end and said distal end, and a thread disposed about said axis, said thread being defined by a peak and an adjacent trough;    wherein said peak and said trough are adapted to substantially displace bone;    and further wherein said thread extends to said distal end of said tip.    
     
     
         53 . A dilator comprising: 
 a tip having an axis and a thread disposed about said axis, said thread being defined by a peak and an adjacent trough;    wherein said peak and said trough are adapted to substantially displace bone;    wherein said tip defines a proximally-expanding taper with a tapered projection, said thread corresponds to said tapered projection, and the taper at said trough extends along the entire length of said thread.    
     
     
         54 . A dilator according to  claim 1  wherein said dilator is configured so that said peak and trough displace bone more than 2 mm.  
     
     
         55 . A dilator comprising: 
 a body, configured to dilate a bone tunnel, having a flute;    wherein said flute is configured to cut bone only when said dilator is rotated in a first direction.    
     
     
         56 . The dilator of  claim 55 , wherein said flute is located on a proximal end of said body.  
     
     
         57 . The dilator of  claim 55 , wherein said flute is located on a distal end of said body.  
     
     
         58 . The dilator of  claim 55 , said body having a second flute; 
 wherein said second flute is configured to cut bone only when said dilator is rotated in a second direction.    
     
     
         59 . The dilator of  claim 58 , wherein said second flute is located on a proximal end of said body.  
     
     
         60 . The dilator of  claim 58 , wherein said second flute is located on a distal end of said body.  
     
     
         61 . The dilator of  claim 58 , wherein said second flute is located on an end of said body opposite to said flute.