Fracture fixation device

• US 9,788,876 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stone, Kevin T., Berelsman, Brian K., Kaiser, Ryan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dornbusch, Dianne
• Application Number:
  US14/215,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20140200583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0483 Hand-held instruments for holding sutures A61B17/0469 takes precedence; other holders for needles or sutures A61B17/06061; surgical forceps A61B17/28; surgical pincettes A61B17/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0487 Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/683 comprising bone transfixation elements, e.g. bolt with a distal cooperating element such as a nut
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7001 Screws or hooks combined with longitudinal elements which do not contact vertebrae A61B17/7058 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7053 with parts attached to bones or to each other by flexible wires, straps, sutures or cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7059 Cortical plates A61B17/7007, A61B17/7058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8076 for the ribs or the sternum
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/809 with bone-penetrating elements, e.g. blades or prongs bone staples A61B17/0642; intramedullary nails with a plate at an end A61B17/7233
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/82 for bone cerclage apparatus for manipulating wires or straps A61B17/8861; wires, bands or straps other than cerclage A61B17/842
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/842 Flexible wires, bands or straps A61B17/72, A61B17/82, A61B17/86 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8685 comprising multiple separate parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening lateral eyelet for attaching suture to needle A61B2017/06019
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/042 plastically deformed during insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0422 by insertion of a separate member into the body of the anchor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0424 the separate member staying in the anchor after placement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/044 with a threaded shaft, e.g. screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0445 cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0448 : Additional elements on or within the anchor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 : for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06185 : hollow or tubular hollow suture needles A61B2017/061

Abstract

Assemblies for securing fractured bone are provided. The assembly includes a first fixation element, a second fixation element, and an adjustable flexible member construct. The first fixation element having a male or a female sleeve is secured within a first portion of the fractured bone. The second fixation element having the other of the male or female sleeve telescopically received within the one of the male or female sleeve is secured within a second portion of the fractured bone. The adjustable flexible member construct extends between the first and second fixation elements and has at least one adjustable loop coupled to the first fixation element and the second fixation element and a pair of adjusting ends extending through an opening in the first fixation element. The pair of adjusting ends can be pulled to reduce a diameter of the adjustable loop and to compress fragments of the fractured bone.

Claims

1. A method for securing a fractured bone comprising:

aligning first and second portions of the fractured bone;

forming a bore at least partially extending through the first and second portions of the fractured bone;

inserting an assembly into the bore, the assembly comprising;

a first fixation element having a first sleeve extending therefrom, the first fixation element insertable into the first portion of the fractured bone,

a second fixation element having a second sleeve extending therefrom that is matingly and telescopingly engageable with the first sleeve, the second fixation element insertable into the second portion of the fractured bone, and

an adjustable flexible member construct extending through the first and second fixation elements, the adjustable flexible member construct having at least one adjustable loop coupled to the first fixation element and the second fixation element and a pair of ends;

matingly and telescopingly engaging the first sleeve and the second sleeve together within the bore, such that the first and second sleeves are telescopingly slidable relative to each other in first and second opposite directions along a longitudinal axis of the assembly;

reducing the adjustable flexible member construct to compress the fractured bone by pulling at least one of the ends to reduce the size of the adjustable loop, thereby causing the first and second sleeves to telescope closer together in the first direction; and

restricting telescoping of the first and second sleeves apart in the second direction by fixing the size of the adjustable loop.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the assembly into the bore comprises:

rotationally keying the first fixation element relative to the second fixation element;

engaging a driver with a drive bore disposed in an upper surface of the first fixation element; and

rotating the driver to simultaneously drive the first and second fixation elements.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein rotating the driver to simultaneously drive the first and second fixation elements further includes screwing the first and second fixation elements into the bore upon rotating the driver until the first fixation element is positioned in the first portion of the fractured bone and the second fixation element is positioned in the second portion of the fractured bone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein reducing the adjustable flexible member construct to compress the fractured bone comprises:

engaging the ends of the adjustable flexible member construct such that a distance between the first and second fixation elements is decreased and the adjustable flexible member construct automatically remains in a reduced configuration within the fractured bone.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising before inserting the assembly:

passing a portion of the adjustable flexible member construct through the second fixation element;

passing the at least one adjustable loop of the adjustable flexible member construct through a portion of the first fixation element; and

extending the pair of ends of the adjustable flexible member construct through an opening in the first fixation element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the assembly into the bore further comprises:

arranging the first fixation element so as to be one of inset or flush within the first portion of the fractured bone; and

arranging the second fixation element so as to be one of inset or flush within the second portion of the fractured bone.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising guiding a guidewire through the first and second portions of the fractured bone.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein forming a bore further includes driving a cannulated drill over the guidewire to form the bore at least partially extending through the first and second portions of the fractured bone.

9. A method for securing a fractured bone, comprising:

positioning a guide pin relative to first and second portions of the fractured bone;

positioning a cannulated bone cutting tool over the guide pin;

driving the cannulated bone cutting tool to form a bore at least partially into the first and second portions of the fractured bone;

inserting a first fixation element into the first portion of the fractured bone through the bore, the first fixation element having a first sleeve extending therefrom;

inserting a second fixation element into the second portion of the fractured bone, the second fixation element having a second sleeve extending therefrom that matingly and telescopically engages the first sleeve, such that the first and second sleeves are telescopingly slidable relative to each other in first and second opposite directions along a longitudinal axis extending through the first and second fixation elements;

compressing the first and second portions of the fractured bone by engaging an adjustable flexible member construct extending through the first and second fixation elements, the adjustable flexible member construct having at least one adjustable loop coupled to the first fixation element and the second fixation element and a pair of ends, wherein engaging the adjustable flexible member construct comprises pulling at least one of the ends to reduce the size of the adjustable loop, thereby causing the first and second sleeves to telescope closer together in the first direction; and

restricting telescoping of the first and second sleeves apart in the second direction by fixing the size of the adjustable loop.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising rotationally keying the first fixation element relative to the second fixation element upon matingly and telescopically engaging the first and second sleeve members.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising aligning the first and second portions of the fractured bone before positioning the guide pin relative to the first and second portions of the fractured bone.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein pulling on at least one end of the adjustable flexible member construct includes pulling on at least one end of the adjustable flexible member extending from the bore formed in the bone.

13. A method for securing a fractured bone, comprising:

aligning first and second portions of the fractured bone;

positioning a guide pin relative to the aligned first and second portions of the fractured bone;

forming a bore at least partially extending into the first and second portions of the fractured boric over the guide pin;

inserting an assembly into the bore, the assembly comprising;

a first fixation element haying a first sleeve extending therefrom, the first fixation element insertable into a first portion of the fractured bone,

a second fixation element having a second sleeve extending therefrom that is matingly and telescopingly engageable with the first sleeve, the second fixation element insertable into a second portion of the fractured bone, and

an adjustable flexible member construct extending through the first and second fixation elements, the adjustable flexible member construct having at least one adjustable loop coupled to the first fixation element and the second fixation element and a pair of ends;

matingly and telescopingly engaging the first sleeve and the second sleeve together within the bore, such that the first and second sleeves are telescopingly slidable relative to each other in first and second opposite directions along a longitudinal axis of the assembly;

compressing the first and second portions of the fractured bone by pulling on at least one end of the adjustable flexible member construct to reduce the size of the at least one adjustable loop, thereby causing the first and second sleeves to telescope closer together in the first direction; and

restricting telescoping of the first and second sleeves apart in the second direction by fixing the size of the adjustable loop.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein reducing the size of the at least one adjustable loop draws the first fixation element toward the second fixation element.