Metacarpal bone stabilization device

• US 10,098,680 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ExsoMed Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ExsoMed Holding Company, LLC
• Inventors: Champagne, Lloyd P., Zoldos, Jozef
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggle, Jr., Larry E
• Application Number:
  US15/189,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20160296264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/56 Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/72 Intramedullary pins, nails or other devices A61B17/744 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7233 with special means of locking the nail to the bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7291 for small bones, e.g. in the foot, ankle, hand or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/84 Fasteners therefor or fasteners being internal fixation devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/846 Nails or pins, i.e. anchors without movable parts, holding by friction only, with or without structured surface A61B17/72, A61B17/86 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/86 Pins or screws or threaded wires; nuts therefor A61B17/72 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8605 Heads, i.e. proximal ends projecting from bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8625 Shanks, i.e. parts contacting bone tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/863 with thread interrupted or changing its form along shank, other than constant taper
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8635 Tips of screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/564 Methods for bone or joint treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/8655 with special features for locking in the bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4241 for hands, e.g. fingers
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 25/0015 the material being a soft organic material, e.g. wood or plastic F16B25/0031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 25/0057 the screw having distinct axial zones, e.g. multiple axial thread sections with different pitch or thread cross-sections

Abstract

A device and method for stabilizing a broken bone while it heals is disclosed. The device is preferably a metal rod that has a threaded portion. The device is positioned into a bone, such as a metacarpal bone, by forming an opening in the bone suitable for receiving the device, and inserting it into the opening wherein the threaded portion retains the device in position.

Claims

1. A method for repairing a metacarpal bone utilizing a device having a shaft with a shaft length, a cannula extending through the shaft, an outer surface, a first end, a second end, a center portion between the first end and the second end, threads on the outer surface and juxtaposed the second end, the threads being 25% or less of the shaft length, the threads having a thread diameter, and a first end having:

an outer diameter, a driving surface, and not including apertures, the method comprising the steps of;

(a) drilling an opening in a fractured metacarpal bone, the opening extending through a fracture, the opening having an inner diameter, wherein the thread diameter is greater than the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the first end is greater than the inner diameter;

(b) inserting a guide wire into the opening;

(c) positioning the device completely into the opening by (i) positioning the guide wire in the cannula, (ii) rotationally driving the device by engaging a driving end of a driving tool with the driving surface of the first end of the device and rotating the device using the driving tool until the device is positioned completely inside the opening on each side of the fracture in order to stabilize the bone.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is comprised of one or more of nitinol, stainless steel and titanium steel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the device has one or more grooves on the outer surface of the center portion, the grooves extending length wise along the outer surface.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the shaft includes a longitudinal axis and at least one of the grooves on the outer surface extends along the longitudinal axis.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein at least one of the one or more grooves extends at least half of the shaft length.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the device has three or more grooves.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein at least one of the grooves has serrated edges.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the center portion has an outer center diameter and the threads have an outer diameter that is greater than the outer center diameter of the center portion and the first end of the threads has an outer diameter that is greater than the outer center diameter.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first end of the device is flared outwards to provide a compression fit in the opening.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the device includes a cutting surface at the second end.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the device further includes one or more helical grooves along at least part of the center portion.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of the helical grooves has serrated edges.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the device further includes a plurality of helical grooves and each of the helical grooves comprises serrated edges.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the device further includes threads juxtaposed the first end.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the device further includes threads on the center portion.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the device further includes threads on the center portion.

17. The method of claim 1 that further includes the step of providing the device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the device does not include apertures extending through the shaft.

19. The method of claim 1 that further includes the step of providing the driving tool.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving surface has a configuration selected from the group consisting of:

Torx®

, slotted, Pozidriv®

, Robertson, tri-wing, Torq®

-set, spanner head, triple square, and hex head.