Femoral fixation system

• US 5,772,662 A
• Filed: 12/06/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Howmedica Osteonics Corp. (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Howmedica Inc. (Pfizer Inc.)
• Inventors: Mears, Dana C., Chapman, Michael W., Edwards, Charles C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tucker, Guy V.
• Application Number:
  US08/761,476
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 606/69, 606/70, 606/71, 606/60, 606/54, 606/53, 606/73, 606/72, 606/76, 606/86, 606/101, 606/105
• US Class Current: 606/281
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/72 Intramedullary pins, nails or other devices A61B17/744 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/725 with locking pins or screws of special form
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7266 with fingers moving radially outwardly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7283 with special cross-section of the nail
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/744 the longitudinal elements coupled to an intramedullary nail
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/746 the longitudinal elements coupled to a plate opposite the femoral head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8061 specially adapted for particular bones A61B17/70 and A61B17/74 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/902 Cortical plate specifically adapted for a particular bone
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/907 Composed of particular material or coated

Abstract

A modular femoral internal implant system for use in the treatment of femoral disorders resulting from injury, disease or congenital defect includes at least three interconnectable components: 1) an elongated epiphyseal/metaphyseal implant, 2) an intramedullary rod and 3) an angled side plate having an elongated plate portion adapted to be secured to the outer cortical wall and a hollow sleeve adapted to extend into the femur. The epiphyseal/metaphyseal implant can be connected to either the angled side plate or the intramedullary rod. The system may also include an elongated bone plate connectable to the angled side plate, one or more additional epiphyseal/metaphyseal implants of variable length, an additional angled side plate, a distal buttress plate connectable to the elongated bone plate, and a plurality of bone screws of a universal design. Preferably, many or all of the components of the system are made of an inert, resilient titanium-base alloy.

Claims

1. An elongated plate adapted to be secured to a patient'"'"'s bone, said plate having an upper surface, a lower surface intended to be adjacent the patient'"'"'s bone in use and two side surfaces connecting the upper and lower surfaces, wherein said upper and lower surfaces are defined in transverse bone plate cross-sections by arcs of two concentric circles and said two side surfaces are defined therein by two straight lines which, when extended, form an angle bisected by a diametrical line of said concentric circles, said plate comprising two parallel integral rails extending downwardly along substantially the entire length of the plate, with said rails being located at opposite sides of said lower surface, whereby only said rails contact the patient'"'"'s bone when the bone plate is secured thereto, with the thickness of the plate being substantially constant between the two side surfaces at positions where no apertures and no rails are present, the width of the upper surface being greater than the width of the lower surface, said side surfaces being tapered inwardly toward one another from said upper surface to said lower surface, said sides surfaces forming acute angles with said upper surface and said side surfaces forming obtuse angles with said bottom surface, with said bone plate being adapted to be secured to the patient'"'"'s bone by means of bone fasteners received in apertures in the bone plate.

2. An elongated bone plate of claim 1 made of a resilient titanium-base alloy.

3. An apparatus comprising an elongated bone plate of claim 1 and including also bone fasteners to be received in apertures in said bone plate.

4. An elongated bone plate of claim 1, wherein the lower surface adapted to be positioned adjacent the bone is 70% to 90% thinner in width than the upper surface at which stresses from physiological bending moments applied to the plate tend to be at a maximum.

5. A method of treating a fractured human femoral bone shaft of a patient, while reducing any necessary periosteal tissue stripping adjacent said bone for implantation purposes and while simultaneously permitting enhanced vascularization of said bone and thus avoiding any excessive weakening of said bone, said method comprising:

(a) stripping a minimal amount of periosteal tissue from said bone;

(b) positioning adjacent to said patient'"'"'s bone an elongated bone plate, said bone plate having an upper surface, a lower surface intended to be positioned adjacent the patient'"'"'s bone in use, and two side surfaces connecting the upper and lower surfaces, wherein said upper and lower surfaces are defined in transverse bone plate cross-sections by arcs of two concentric circles and said two side surfaces are defined therein by two straight lines which, when extended, form an angle bisected by a diametrical line of said concentric circles, said plate comprising two parallel integral rails extending downwardly along substantially the entire length of the plate, with said rails being located at opposite sides of said lower surface, whereby only said rails contact the patient'"'"'s bone when the bone plate is secured thereto, with the thickness of the plate being substantially constant between the two side surfaces at positions where no apertures and no rails are present, the width of the upper surface being greater than the width of the lower surface, said side surfaces being tapered inwardly toward one another from said upper surface to said lower surface, said side surfaces forming acute angles with said upper surface and said side surfaces forming obtuse angles with said bottom surface, with said bone plate being adapted to be secured to the patient'"'"'s bone by means of bone fasteners received in apertures in the bone plate; and

(c) securing said elongated bone plate to the patient'"'"'s bone by means of bone fasteners received in apertures in the bone plate.