Method and apparatus for use in operating on a bone

• US 6,575,982 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bonutti Skeletal Innovations LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Bonutti 2003 Trust A
• Inventors: Bonutti, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robert, Eduardo C.
• Application Number:
  US09/566,070
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 128/898, 606/105, 606/60, 606/86, 606/90, 623/16.11, 623/11.11, 623/23.75, 623/17.16
• US Class Current: 606/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8004 with means for distracting or compressing the bone or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8061 specially adapted for particular bones A61B17/70 and A61B17/74 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8095 Wedge osteotomy devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30 Joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30734 Modular inserts, sleeves or augments, e.g. placed on proximal part of stem for fixation purposes or wedges for bridging a bone defect
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30108 Shapes

Abstract

The relationship between first and second portions of a bone in a patient'"'"'s body is changed by moving a wedge member into a slot formed in the bone. Force is applied against hard cortical bone by the wedge member. This force pivots the first portion of the bone relative to the second portion of the bone about an axis extending through bone interconnecting the first and second portions of the bone. As the wedge member moves into the bone, a side surface of the wedge member is moved into alignment with an outer side surface of the bone. The wedge member is fixedly connected with the bone. The wedge member is rigid so that the bone can immediately be load bearing. One or more openings may be provided in the wedge member to enable bone to grow through the wedge member. The wedge member may contain a material which promotes growth of bone through the wedge member.

Claims

1. A method of changing a spatial relationship between first and second portions of a bone in a patient'"'"'s body, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of~wedge members at a location where an operation is to be performed on the patient, said step of providing a plurality of wedge members includes providing a plurality of wedge members having different acute angles between opposite side surfaces of the wedge members, selecting one wedge member from the plurality of wedge members while the plurality of wedge members is at the location where an operation is to be performed on the patient, applying force against first and second portions of the bone with the selected one of the plurality of wedge members, moving the first portion of the bone relative to the second portion of the bone under the influence of force applied against the first portion of the bone by the selected one of the plurality of wedge members, and transmitting force between the first and second portions of the bone through the selected one of the plurality of wedge members.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the selected one of the plurality of wedge members is at least partially formed of a biodegradable material.

3. A method of changing a spatial relationship between first and second portions of a bone in a patient'"'"'s body, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of wedge members formed of biodegradable material at a location where an operation is to be performed on the patient, said step of providing a plurality of wedge members formed of a biodegradable material includes providing a plurality of wedge members having different acute angles between opposite side surfaces of the wedge members, selecting one wedge member of the plurality of wedge members while the plurality of wedge members is at the location where an operation is to be performed on the patient, applying force against first and second portions of the bone with a wedge member which is at least partially formed of a biodegradable material, said step of applying force against first and second portions of the bone with a wedge member includes applying force against first and second portions of the bone with the selected one wedge member of the plurality of wedge members, moving the first portion of the bone relative to the second portion of the bone under the influence of force applied against the first portion of the bone by the selected one wedge member, and transmitting force between the first and second portions of the bone through the selected one wedge member.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein said step of applying force against first and second portions of bone with a wedge member includes moving the selected one wedge member to a position in which surface areas on the selected one wedge member are aligned with surface areas on opposite sides of the bone.

5. A method of changing a spatial relationship between first and second portions of a bone in a patient'"'"'s body, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of wedge members at a location where an operation is to be performed on the patient, said step of providing a plurality of wedge members includes providing a plurality of wedge members of different sizes, selecting one wedge member from the plurality of wedge members of different sizes while the plurality of wedge members is at the location where an operation is to be performed on the patient, applying force against first and second portions of the bone with the selected one of the plurality of wedge members, moving the first portion of the bone relative to the second portion of the bone under the influence of force applied against the first portion of the bone by the selected one of the plurality of wedge members, and transmitting force between the first and second portions of the bone through the selected one of the plurality of wedge members.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the selected one of the plurality of wedge members is at least partially formed of a biodegradable material.

7. A method of changing a spatial relationship between first and second portions of a bone in a patient'"'"'s body, said method comprising the steps of applying force against first and second portions of the bone with a wedge member which is at least partially formed of a biodegradable material susceptible to degradation, moving the first portion of the bone relative to the second portion of the bone under the influence of force applied against the first portion of the bone by the wedge member, and transmitting force between the first and second portions of the bone through the wedge member, wherein the wedge member has thin and thick edges and a side surface extending from one end of the thin edge along the thick edge to an opposite end of the thin edge, the side surface having a configuration corresponding to the configuration of a portion of an outer side surface of the bone.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7 further including the step of forming a slot in the bone in the patient'"'"'s body with the first portion of the bone on one side of the slot and the second portion of the bone on a side of the slot opposite from the one side, said step of moving the first portion of the bone relative to the second portion of the bone includes moving the wedge member formed of biodegradable material into the slot.

9. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said step of transmitting force between the first and second portions of the bone through the wedge member is performed with a first surface area on one side of the wedge member in engagement with soft cancellous bone and with a second surface area on the one side of the wedge member in engagement with hard cortical bone.

10. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said step of applying force against first and second portions of bone with the wedge member includes moving the wedge member to a position in which surface areas on the wedge member are aligned with surface areas on opposite sides of the bone.

11. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the wedge member is formed of a porous material.

12. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the wedge member has a plurality of openings through which bone can grow.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 further including the step of providing bone growth promoting material in the wedge member to promote growth of bone through the openings in the wedge member.

14. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the wedge member is coated with a bone growth promoting material.

15. A method as set forth in claim 7 further including the step of fixing the wedge member to the bone.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the wedge member is fixed to the bone with at least one screw.

17. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the step of fixing the wedge member to the bone includes fixedly connecting the wedge member with the first portion of the bone with a first connector and fixedly connecting the wedge member with the second portion of the bone with a second connector.

18. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the biodegradable material is a polymeric material.

19. A method as set forth in claim 7 further including the steps of forming a slot in the bone and inserting the wedge member into the slot.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the step of inserting the wedge member into the slot includes sliding the wedge member into the slot.