Surgery – Instruments – Orthopedic instrumentation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-07
2001-02-13
Thaler, Michael H. (Department: 3731)
Surgery
Instruments
Orthopedic instrumentation
C606S232000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06187008
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for temporarily maintaining the alignment between adjacent body tissues or tissue fragments. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device having a resorbable portion for bridging a bone joint or fracture.
Skeletal injuries often involve the fracture of a bone or the stretching or tearing of soft tissues near a skeletal joint. In either case, it is often necessary to stabilize the fracture or joint in order for the bone or soft tissue to heal. For example, it is common with a wrist injury for the scaphoid and lunate bones to become separated and the ligaments connecting them to become stretched or torn. Initial treatment typically consists of casting the wrist joint to immobilize the bones to permit the soft tissues to heal. When casting fails, surgical intervention is required. This surgery involves inserting screws or wires across the scapholunate joint to immobilize the joint during healing. This procedure results in a stiff joint and potential reoperation to remove the screws and wires.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention avoids these complications by providing an implant having a threaded end for screwing into a bone on one side of the joint and an extending resorbable polymer shaft for crossing the joint. The resorbable shaft is fixed in a bone on the opposite side of the joint. The present invention avoids joint stiffness by allowing slight movement of the bones relative to one another initially while the soft tissues heal. As the shaft resorbs, it allows progressively more motion in the joint so that the articular surfaces are not degraded from lack of motion. Eventually, the shaft is completely resorbed thus requiring no removal operation. The implant of the present invention also finds application in bridging a bone fracture to allow progressive load shifting to the bone during healing.
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Bristol-Myers Squibb
Ngo Len
Thaler Michael H.
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