A method of repairing soft tissue of a joint of a human extremity, such as a hand or foot. The method includes maintaining a metapodial bone intact inserting a suture passing instrument into a space adjacent the metapodial and phalangeal bones passing the suture through a volar ligament near a distal end of the metapodial bone and reattaching the volar ligament to the proximal phalanx. The method also includes making an incision on the dorsal aspect of the extremity to expose the dorsal aspect inserting the distal portion of the suture passer instrument through the incision on the dorsal aspect of the extremity inserting the distal portion of the suture passing instrument into a tendon sheath connected to a volar plate and passing a portion of a suture through the volar plate.
