Fracture fixation device, tools and methods

• US 8,439,917 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arthrex Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sonoma Orthopedic Products Incorporated (Arthrex Incorporated)
• Inventors: Saravia, Heber, Hauck, Brian A., Pham, Trung Ho, Nelson, Charles L., Anderson, Arthur E. III, Bowen, William W., McDaniel, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robert, Eduardo C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schneider, Lynnsy
• Application Number:
  US13/032,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20110144645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 606 62- 68
• US Class Current: 606/66
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1725 for applying transverse screws or pins through intramedullary nails or pins
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7241 the nail having separate elements through which screws pass
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7266 with fingers moving radially outwardly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8872 Instruments for putting said fixation devices against or away from the bone A61B17/7074, A61B17/808 take precedence

Abstract

A bone fixation device is provided with an elongate body having a longitudinal axis and having a flexible state and a rigid state, a plurality of grippers disposed at longitudinally spaced locations of the elongated body, a curved rigid hub connected to the elongated body, and an actuator operably connected to the grippers to deploy the grippers from a first shape to an expanded second shape. Methods of repairing a fracture of a bone are also disclosed. One such method comprising inserting a bone fixation device into an intramedullary space of the bone to place at least a portion of an elongate body of the fixation device in a flexible state on one side of the fracture and at least a portion of a curved rigid hub on another side of the fracture, and operating an actuator to deploy a plurality of grippers of the fixation device to engage an inner surface of the intramedullary space to anchor the fixation device to the bone.

Claims

1. A method of repairing a fracture of a bone, the method comprising:

inserting a bone fixation device into an intramedullary space of the bone to place an elongate body of the fixation device in a flexible state on one side of the fracture and a portion of a rigid hub of the fixation device such that a first end of the rigid hub is disposed on the one side of the fracture and a second end of the rigid hub is disposed on the other side of the fracture and the rigid hub between the first hub end and the second hub end traverses the fracture, the bone fixation device being inserted so that the elongate body extends axially from the first hub end away from the fracture; and

operating an actuator from adjacent the second end of the rigid hub;

in response to the operating of the actuator, rigidizing the elongate body from the flexible state to a more rigid state so as to inhibit flexing along the elongate body; and

in response to the operating of the actuator, deploying a plurality of grippers of the fixation device from an insertion configuration to a deployed configuration extending radially outwardly from the elongate body so as to engage an inner surface of the bone along the intramedullary space to anchor the fixation device to the bone.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating step comprises shortening one of the grippers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating step comprises pivoting a pivotable gripper element away from a longitudinal axis of the elongate body.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the operating step comprises pivoting at least two pivotable gripper elements away from the longitudinal axis of the elongate body, the pivotable gripper elements being disposed at different axial locations on the elongate body.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the pivoting step comprises moving two bone engaging surfaces of the pivotable gripper element into engagement with the bone.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the pivoting step comprises moving three sets of pivotable gripper elements away from the longitudinal axis of the elongate body, the three sets being disposed around the elongate body at the same axial position.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the pivoting step comprises pivoting a pair of pivoting elements disposed on opposite sides of the elongate body at the same axial position so that two surfaces of each pivoting element engage the inner surface of the intramedullary space.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the pivoting step comprises rotating the pivoting elements in the same direction.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating step comprises rotating the actuator with respect to the fixation device.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising inserting a screw into the bone on the one side of the fracture and through the rigid hub so that, when implanted, the grippers and the screw affix the fixation device to the bone on the one side of the fracture.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising forming a hole through the bone and the rigid hub prior to inserting the screw.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of inserting a bone fixation device is performed while the rigid hub has a preformed hole, the step of inserting a screw comprising inserting the screw through the bone and the preformed hole.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the rigid hub has a plurality of preformed holes, the method comprising inserting a first screw dorsal to volar through two portions of the bone and a first and second of the preformed holes and inserting a second screw volar to dorsal through two other portions of the bone and a third and fourth of the preformed holes.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising inserting a third screw proximal to distal through two more portions of the bone and fifth and sixth of the preformed holes of the hub.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising attaching a drill alignment guide to the rigid hub and aligning a drill bit with the hub using the drill alignment guide, wherein the screw is inserted in the bone using a hole in the bone drilled with the aligned drill bit.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the insertion of the bone fixation device into the intramedullary space of the bone comprises the use of a guidewire.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the guidewire is used to guide tools in preparing the intramedullary space of the bone prior to inserting the bone fixation device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixation device is inserted into an opening in a other portion of the bone, wherein the elongate body of the fixation device comprises a tubular body having a generally helical cut, the generally helical cut facilitating flexing along the elongate body when the elongate body is inserted into the intramedullary space through the opening;

the generally helical cut defining a wave superimposed on a helical cut along a circumferential turn of the generally helical cut, the wave engaging an adjacent circumferential turn of the generally helical cut so as to transmit torque along the elongate body; and

wherein rigidizing the elongate body from the flexible state to the rigid state comprises imposing an axial load on the tubular body in response to rotating the actuator about an axis of the rigid hub so as to inhibit axial flexing along the tubular body.