Fixation system for bones

• US 6,322,562 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1999
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dietmar Wolter
• Original Assignee: Dietmar Wolter
• Inventors: Wolter, Dietmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Application Number:
  US09/464,304
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 606/60, 606/62, 606/64, 606/69, 606/72, 606/73, 606/74
• US Class Current: 606/62
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/72 Intramedullary pins, nails or other devices A61B17/744 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7225 for bone compression
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/725 with locking pins or screws of special form
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7258 with laterally expanding parts, e.g. for gripping the bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8014 the extension or compression force being caused by interaction of the plate hole and the screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8057 the interlocking form comprising a thread

Abstract

A fixation system for bones including a connection carrier with at least one passage hole and at least one bone screw inserted into the at least one passage hole. The connection carrier including a seat surface and the bone screw including a seat surface, permitting a mutual alignment at various angles for fixing the bone screw at a certain angle to the connection carrier. The bone screw further including a preformed thread below the bone screw seat surface, the preformed thread deforming a portion of the passage hole below the seat surface of the connection carrier when the bone screw is screwed in so that a thread connection is formed between the bone screw thread and the connection carrier, the deformation being formed by rotating the bone screw at a certain angle to the connection carrier.

Claims

1. A fixation system for bones comprising:

a connection carrier with at least one passage hole;

at least one bone screw inserted into the at least one passage hole;

the connection carrier including a seat surface and the bone screw including a seat surface, permitting a mutual alignment at various angles for fixing the bone screw at a certain angle to the connection carrier,

the bone screw further including a preformed thread below the bone screw seat surface, the preformed thread deforming a portion of the passage hole below the seat surface of the connection carrier when the bone screw is screwed in so that a thread connection is formed between the bone screw thread and the connection carrier, the deformation being formed by rotating the bone screw at a certain angle to the connection carrier.

2. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the threaded connection is formed by a preformed thread below the bone screw seat surface and at least one at least partly circumferential projection below the connection carrier seat surface, this projection being deformable by way of rotating in the preformed thread.

3. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the seat surfaces are spherical or conical.

4. A fixation system according to claim 1, characterised in that the bone screw seat surface is formed on the lower side of the screw head of the bone screw.

5. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the thread connection is formed with a section of the screw head below the bone screw seat surface.

6. A fixation system according to claim 5, wherein the thread connection is formed with a preformed thread on the screw head below the bone screw seat surface.

7. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the connection carrier seat surface is formed in the passage hole of the connection carrier.

8. A fixation system according to claim 7, wherein above the connection carrier seat surface in the passage hole there is arranged at least yet further, at least partly circumferential projection which is deformable by rotating in the bone screw.

9. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the thread connection is formed with a section of the passage hole below the connection carrier seat surface.

10. A fixation system according to claim 9, wherein the threaded connection is formed with a deformable projection in the passage hole below the connection carrier seat surface.

11. A fixation system according to claim 10, wherein at a distance to the deformable projection there is arranged at least one further, at least partly circumferential projection, below the connection carrier seat surface, which is deformable by rotating in the preformed thread.

12. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the connection carrier comprises a material thickening around the passage hole.

13. A fixation system according to claim 12, wherein a material thickening is formed on the lower side and/or on the upper side of the connection carrier.

14. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the bone screw comprises a shank with a shank thread.

15. A fixation system according to claim 14, wherein the pitch of the preformed thread is slightly smaller than the pitch of the shank thread of the bone screw.

16. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the shank thread is a self-cutting thread.

17. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the bone screw comprises a drill tip.

18. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the screw head comprises a tool engagement.

19. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the screw head on the lower side comprises conical furrows for accommodating the deformed material.

20. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the passage hole has an elongate shape and the upper edge of the passage hole is inclined from a maximum level at one end to a minimum level at the other end, wherein the width of the passage hole reduces from one end to the other so that a bone screw introduced in the vicinity of the one end, with the screw head is seated on the inclined edge and on screwing with the displacement of the connection carrier, with the head lower side slides on the inclined edge, until on approaching the other end the preformed thread with the deformable projection forms a threaded connection.

21. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the axes of the distal passage holes of the connection carrier are inclined to the axes of its proximal passage holes such that the distal and proximal bone screws with their screw heads are closer together that with their feet.

22. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the connection carrier is a bone plate, a marrowbone nail or fixator.

23. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the preformed thread consists of a harder material than the deformable projection.

24. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the bone screw or its casing is of a harder material than the connection carrier or the region to be deformed.

25. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the connection carrier comprises a sensor for determining the force transmitted by the connection carrier between the bone ends and a transmitter for the telemetric transfer of the readings.

26. A fixation system according to claim 25, wherein the sensor and/or transmitter are integrated into a cavity of the connection carrier.

27. A fixation system according to claim 1, wherein the bone screw and/or the connection carrier consists of titanium.

28. A fixation system for bones with a marrowbone nail, comprising at least one passage hole, for bridging bone fragments and at least one locking bolt for screwing into the passage hole and into a bone fragment, in order to connect this to the marrowbone nail, wherein the passage hole has an inner thread for forming a thread into the locking bolt and the locking bolt has a threadless and conical casing region which simplifies the forming of a thread by way of the inner thread at various angles, which reduces the wear and release of swarf and ensures the fixing in the formed-in thread, said casing region having a lower hardness than its core region which ensures the transmission of higher forces.

29. A fixation system according to claim 28, wherein the casing region of the locking bolt has a lesser hardness than the bonemarrow nail at least in the region of the inner thread.

30. A fixation system according claim 28, wherein the locking bolt on both sides of the conical casing region carries a thread, wherein the outer diameter of the thread next to the end of the conical casing region with the larger diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the thread next to the end of the casing region with the smaller diameter.

31. A fixation system according to claim 28, wherein the passage hole in a region of the bonemarrow nail is formed of a lesser wall thickness.

32. A fixation system according to claim 28, wherein the inner thread in the passage hole only has a few complete windings.

33. A fixation system according to claim 32, wherein the inner thread in the passage hole has one to four complete circumferential windings.

34. A fixation system according to claim 28, wherein on the thread-carrying region of the passage hole on at least one side of the marrowbone nail there connects a spherically or conically outwardly extending region of the passage hole.

35. A fixation system according to claim 34, wherein the locking bolt comprises a shoulder which is a seat surface for bearing on the conical region, of the passage hole, which forms a seat surface.

36. A fixation system according to claim 28, wherein the locking bolt has a head with a tool engagement.