EXPANDIBLE CONNECTOR FOR FRACTURED BONES

• US 3,716,051 A
• Filed: 09/08/1971
• Issued: 02/13/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Artur Fischer
• Original Assignee: Artur Fischer
• Inventors: Fischer, Artur
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yasko, J.
• Application Number:
  US05/178,598
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 128/92BB,92R,92CA,92BC,92D,92B
• US Class Current: 606/68
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7266 with fingers moving radially outwardly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/742 having one or more longitudinal elements oriented along or parallel to the axis of the neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30579 with mechanically expandable devices, e.g. fixation devices

Abstract

A sleeve has a trailing end portion which is to be lodged in one fragment of a fractured bone, and an open-ended expansible leading end portion which is to be lodged in the other fragment, so that the sleeve bridges the fracture. The leading end portion is subdivided by a plurality of longitudinal slots into radially expansible shanks. A threaded member extends through a central passage of the sleeve, and in this passage adjacent the leading end of the leading end portion is located an expander member an exposed end face of which faces the open end. Integral parts of the expansible shanks extend at the open end transversely of the central passage at least to a threaded bore provided in the expansion member, in which bore the threaded element engages.

Claims

1. An expansible connector for fractured bones, comprising a sleeve adapted for insertion into a fractured bone so as to bridge the fracture thereof, said sleeve having a trailing end portion adapted to be located in one bone fragment, and an open-ended expansible leading end portion adapteD to be located in the other fragment, said leading end portion having a plurality of longitudinal slots subdividing it into radially expansible shanks;

a central passage in said sleeve extending longitudinally thereof;

an expansion member located in said passage at the open end of said leading end portion and having an exposed surface facing said open end;

threaded means in said passage for drawing said expansion member deeper into said passage in a sense expanding said shanks; and

a plurality of cage portions each provided at a front end of one of said shanks, and extending across said open end at least in part covering said end face in unexpanded condition of said sleeve.

2. A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said cage portions is of one piece with the respectively associated shank.

3. A connector as defined in claim 1, said sleeve having an outer circumferential surface;

and further comprising a circumferential groove provided in said surface in the region of juncture of said leading and trailing end portions.

4. A connector as defined in claim 1, said expansion member being provided with a central threaded bore extending longitudinally of said passage, and said threaded means extending into said bore and meshing with the threads thereof.