Compression fixation system
First Claim
1. A compression fastener system comprising:
- a coupling component having proximal and distal ends, a locking assembly, and an anchor component that is integral with the coupling component at the coupling component'"'"'s distal end, wherein the anchor component is a toggle,the locking assembly engageable with the coupling component and comprisingat least a first compressible collet, andat least a first collet compression component;
wherein the locking assembly, when assembled, may be provisionally locked to enable free linear movement along the coupling component.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is directed in various aspects to a compression fixation system that includes coupling components and locking assemblies for connecting two or more separate elements in a fixed arrangement. For example, the system is useful for connecting and compressing two or more elements selected from bones and bone fragments. The system includes a substantially linear coupling component, such as, for example, a Kirschner Wire (“K-Wire”) and locking assembly elements that engage with the coupling component in a coaxial orientation. The coupling component includes at least a linear portion and an anchor portion, the anchor portion configured to be fixed within or adjacent to a first one of the elements to be connected and the linear portion configured to be fixed adjacent to a second one of the elements to be connected, where the locking assembly is attached coaxially with and locked against the second element to achieve compression and fixation.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A compression fastener system comprising:
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a coupling component having proximal and distal ends, a locking assembly, and an anchor component that is integral with the coupling component at the coupling component'"'"'s distal end, wherein the anchor component is a toggle, the locking assembly engageable with the coupling component and comprising at least a first compressible collet, and at least a first collet compression component; wherein the locking assembly, when assembled, may be provisionally locked to enable free linear movement along the coupling component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
wherein the compressible collet is selected from (i) unitary slit form that comprises at least one slit selected from a through slit and a partial slit, and (ii) a multi piece form, and wherein the inner sleeve of the insertion tool engages with the nut and the outer sleeve engages with the collet seat, and wherein upon engagement of the sleeves the inner sleeve is actuated by rotation around the shared axis to drive further engagement of the engaged threads of the collet seat and the nut in a distal direction to lock the nut to the collet seat and thereby compress and lock the compressible collet into compressive engagement with the coupling component. -
18. A compression fastener system according to claim 1, wherein the compression component comprises a securement ring that operates to retain the compressible collet in a first configuration to provisionally secure the locking assembly to the coupling component and in a second configuration to fixedly secure the locking assembly into compression locking with the coupling component, wherein each of the compressible collet and the securement ring are generally cylindrical, and wherein the compressible collet is engageable and compressible directly with the coupling component, and wherein when the locking assembly and the coupling component are assembled they share a common center axis, and wherein engagement between the components is achieved by press fitting, wherein, the securement ring comprises a contractile material that is responsive to application of an activator selected from one or more of heat, electrical, chemical and mechanical compressive force such that in a pre activated form, the ring is either or both pliable and has a circumferential dimension that is greater than the receiving recess of the compressible collet, and in the activated form the ring is contracted so that it becomes more rigid and contracts to assume a smaller circumferential diameter such that it fits within and compresses against the compressible collet thereby locking the assembly to the coupling component.
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19. A compression fastener system comprising:
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a coupling component having proximal and distal ends and an elongate axis, a toggle anchor affixed to the distal end of the coupling component, the toggle anchor being pivotal around an axis that is perpendicular to the elongate axis of the coupling component, and a locking assembly that is engageable with the coupling component in a co-axial orientation around the elongate axis of the coupling component, the locking assembly comprising a compressible collet and a collet compression component. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for achieving compression fixation of a plurality of bone elements, comprising:
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inserting an elongate coupling component having distal and proximal ends into a through hole in each of the bone elements, the bone elements arranged for fixation along a generally linear path from a proximal position to a distal position, actuating an anchor at the distal end of the coupling component into engagement with a distal face of the most distally positioned bone element, sequentially engaging each of a locking assembly, and tensioning and insertion tools into engagement with the coupling component, the tensioning tool engaged fixedly with the proximal end of the coupling component and also engaged loosely with a more distal portion of the coupling component;
each of the locking assembly and the insertion tool engaged along an axis that is shared with the coupling component, the insertion tool positioned between a more distal engagement position of the tensioning tool and the most proximally positioned fragment of the aligned bone fragments, and the locking assembly positioned between the insertion tool and the most proximally positioned fragment of the aligned bone fragments,actuating the tensioning tool to displace the coupling component in a proximal direction thereby exerting distally directed pressure on the insertion tool whereby distally directed pressure is also exerted on the locking assembly to direct the locking assembly into compressive contact with the most proximally positioned fragment, and actuating the insertion tool to engage the locking assembly into a locked configuration.
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Specification