Intermedullary devices for generating and applying compression within a body
First Claim
1. An apparatus for securing a first bone fragment to a second bone fragment, said apparatus comprising:
- a fusion device comprising;
a shaft having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis;
a first bone-engaging feature formed on said shaft at a first location, said first bone-engaging feature comprising a first barb and a second barb which, in an unbiased condition, flare outwardly from the longitudinal axis of said shaft and which are capable of being elastically constrained in a constrained condition, such that said first end of said shaft may be advanced into a hole in the first bone fragment when said first barb and said second barb are elastically constrained, and said first barb and said second barb are prevented from being withdrawn from the hole in the first bone fragment when said first barb and said second barb are not constrained;
a second bone-engaging feature formed on said shaft at a second location, said second bone-engaging feature comprising at least one barb which, in an unbiased condition, flares outwardly from the longitudinal axis of said shaft and which is capable of being elastically constrained in a constrained condition, such that said second end of said shaft may be advanced into a hole in the second bone fragment when said at least one barb is elastically constrained, and the at least one barb is prevented from being withdrawn from the hole in the second bone fragment when said at least one barb is not constrained; and
a removable retaining tab for elastically constraining said barb and said second barb of said first bone-engaging feature in the constraining condition and for elastically constraining said at least one barb of said second bone-engaging feature in the constrained condition, wherein said removable retaining tab slides along the longitudinal axis and relative to the fusion device to allow said first barb and said second barb of said first bone-engaging feature to move from the constrained condition to the unbiased condition and to allow said at least one barb of said second bone-engaging feature to move from the constrained condition to the unbiased condition.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for securing a first bone fragment to a second bone fragment, said apparatus comprising: a fusion device, said fusion device comprising: a shaft having a first end and a second end; a first bone-engaging feature formed on said shaft at a first location, said first bone-engaging feature comprising at least one barb which, in its unbiased condition, flares outwardly from the longitudinal axis of said shaft and which is capable of being elastically constrained to a position substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said shaft, such that said first end of said shaft may be advanced into a hole in the first bone fragment when said at least one barb is elastically constrained to a position substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said shaft but is prevented from being withdrawn from the hole in the first bone fragment when said at least one barb is in its unbiased condition; and a second bone-engaging feature formed on said shaft at a second location, said second bone-engaging feature comprising at least one barb which, in its unbiased condition, flares outwardly from the longitudinal axis of said shaft and which is capable of being elastically constrained to a position substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said shaft, such that said second end of said shaft may be advanced into a hole in the second bone fragment when said at least one barb is elastically constrained to a position substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said shaft, but is prevented from being withdrawn from the hole in the second bone fragment when said at least one barb is in its unbiased condition.
106 Citations
28 Claims
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1. An apparatus for securing a first bone fragment to a second bone fragment, said apparatus comprising:
a fusion device comprising; a shaft having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis; a first bone-engaging feature formed on said shaft at a first location, said first bone-engaging feature comprising a first barb and a second barb which, in an unbiased condition, flare outwardly from the longitudinal axis of said shaft and which are capable of being elastically constrained in a constrained condition, such that said first end of said shaft may be advanced into a hole in the first bone fragment when said first barb and said second barb are elastically constrained, and said first barb and said second barb are prevented from being withdrawn from the hole in the first bone fragment when said first barb and said second barb are not constrained; a second bone-engaging feature formed on said shaft at a second location, said second bone-engaging feature comprising at least one barb which, in an unbiased condition, flares outwardly from the longitudinal axis of said shaft and which is capable of being elastically constrained in a constrained condition, such that said second end of said shaft may be advanced into a hole in the second bone fragment when said at least one barb is elastically constrained, and the at least one barb is prevented from being withdrawn from the hole in the second bone fragment when said at least one barb is not constrained; and a removable retaining tab for elastically constraining said barb and said second barb of said first bone-engaging feature in the constraining condition and for elastically constraining said at least one barb of said second bone-engaging feature in the constrained condition, wherein said removable retaining tab slides along the longitudinal axis and relative to the fusion device to allow said first barb and said second barb of said first bone-engaging feature to move from the constrained condition to the unbiased condition and to allow said at least one barb of said second bone-engaging feature to move from the constrained condition to the unbiased condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for securing a first bone fragment to a second bone fragment, said method comprising the steps of:
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elastically constraining a first barb and a second barb of a first bone-engaging feature of a fusion device in a constrained condition with a first removable retaining tab, wherein the fusion device has a longitudinal axis; elastically constraining said at least one barb of a second bone-engaging feature of the fusion device in a constrained condition with a second removable retaining tab; advancing said first bone-engaging feature into a hole in a first bone fragment; advancing said second bone-engaging feature into a hole in a second bone fragment; sliding the second removable retaining tab along the longitudinal axis of the fusion device to remove the second removable retaining tab from the fusion device and release constraint on said first barb and said second barb of said first bone-engaging feature to allow the first barb and the second barb of the first bone-engaging feature to move to an unbiased condition to prevent the first bone-engaging feature from being withdrawn from the hole in the first bone fragment; and sliding the second removable retaining tab along the longitudinal axis of the fusion device to remove the second removable retaining tab from the fusion device and release constraint on said at least one barb of said second bone-engaging feature to allow the at least one barb of the second bone-engaging feature to move to an unbiased condition to prevent the second bone-engaging feature from being withdrawn from the hole in the second bone fragment, wherein the fusion device generates and maintains compression between the first bone fragment and the second bone fragment. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification