US Patent 9955963 Soft tissue repair

Methods and instruments for repairing soft tissues of a skeletal joint, such as, for example, of the foot or hand are presented. Disclosed techniques include techniques for the repair of a palmar plate of a hand or foot, including advancing a foot of a suture passer through, or adjacent to, a joint space and advanced into a flexor tendon sheath a distance to produce an amount of suture purchase on a plantar/palmar plate. The foot of the suture passer can also be moved medially or laterally away from a joint midline but still within the flexor tendon sheath to further locate stitches. The sutures can then be secured to restore the function of the plantar/palmar plate.