Technical Notes and Tips: A Useful and Economical Suture Passer

Abstract

Sutures are often passed through trochanteric drill holes to effect a strong soft tissue repair after posterior approach to the hip. We use a 3/0 nylon on a straight needle. The needle is held with a needle holder, passed backwards through the drill holes and the nylon pulled through making a loop (Fig. 1). The suture to be passed is placed into the loop. The needle and nylon are pulled back, dragging the suture through the drill holes. A nylon suture is approximately one-tenth of the cost of a disposable suture passer and can easily be passed through small drill holes. Figure 1 Illustration of the technique.