Surgery – Instruments – Orthopedic instrumentation
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-10
2004-05-18
O'Connor, Cary E. (Department: 3732)
Surgery
Instruments
Orthopedic instrumentation
C606S062000, C606S060000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06736818
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to orthopaedic fixation devices, and in particular to a fixation system for bones having an intramedullary canal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various types of intramedullary nails are already known in the state of the art, which are expandable in a limited section of the nail in order to allow the fixation of the nail against the bone cortex, e.g. by means of radially deploying a number of blades in the distal portion of the intramedullary nail. These devices, however, when in use may lead to clinical results that are not optimally consistent with the state of the art concept of fracture treatment. For instance, an intramedullary nail which is not extrafocal may negatively affect endosteal vascularisation in the fracture area because the largest expansion of the nail is in the fracture area. Also, the largest expansion of the nail in the fracture area may generate forces which may have the tendency to separate fragments in comminuted fractures or, in the case of longitudinal non-dislocated fractures to increase the gap and to dislocate fragments which may lead to loosening of the fixation. Thus, despite these developments, a need exists for a nail having expandable parts which may be located extrafocally, leaving the fracture area less affected from radial forces. Such a nail might be particularly strong in the middle part—between the proximal and distal sections—of the nail and might not require the use of fluoroscopy for distal nor proximal locking.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention in one embodiment is related to an intramedullary nail having a head, a tip, and a longitudinal axis for fixation of a fractured bone having a medullary canal. The intramedullary nail may comprise a hollow cylindrical sleeve extending along the longitudinal axis and surrounding a locking element coaxially to the longitudinal axis. The nail may further include a first radially expandable section adjacent to the head, a second radially expandable section adjacent to the tip, and a non-expandable section disposed between the first and second radially expandable sections. The head of the intramedullary nail may be provided with a distraction mechanism, by means of which the first and second radially expandable sections are distractible transverse to said longitudinal axis. The non-expandable section may comprise at least one unslotted tubular piece. In one embodiment of the intramedullary nail the non-expandable section has a length in the range of 10 to 25 mm. In another embodiment, the non-expandable section of the intramedullary nail has a length in the range of about 15 mm to about 22 mm.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2834342 (1958-05-01), Yost
patent: 3002514 (1961-10-01), Deyerle
patent: 3025853 (1962-03-01), Mason
patent: 3029811 (1962-04-01), Yost
patent: 3561437 (1971-02-01), Orlich
patent: 3986504 (1976-10-01), Avila
patent: 4055172 (1977-10-01), Ender et al.
patent: 4204531 (1980-05-01), Aginsky
patent: 4262665 (1981-04-01), Roalstad et al.
patent: 4483335 (1984-11-01), Tornier
patent: 4628923 (1986-12-01), Medoff
patent: 4667663 (1987-05-01), Miyata
patent: 4776330 (1988-10-01), Chapman et al.
patent: 4908032 (1990-03-01), Keller
patent: 4915092 (1990-04-01), Firicá et al.
patent: 4978349 (1990-12-01), Frigg
patent: 5002544 (1991-03-01), Klaue et al.
patent: 5032125 (1991-07-01), Durham et al.
patent: 5034012 (1991-07-01), Frigg
patent: 5047029 (1991-09-01), Aebi et al.
patent: 5053035 (1991-10-01), McLaren
patent: 5116336 (1992-05-01), Frigg
patent: 5133718 (1992-07-01), Mao
patent: 5281225 (1994-01-01), Vicenzi
patent: 5295991 (1994-03-01), Frigg
patent: 5300074 (1994-04-01), Frigg
patent: 5312402 (1994-05-01), Schläpfer et al.
patent: 5437666 (1995-08-01), Tepic et al.
patent: 5443466 (1995-08-01), Shah
patent: 5462547 (1995-10-01), Weigum
patent: 5498264 (1996-03-01), Schlapfer et al.
patent: 5501684 (1996-03-01), Schlapfer et al.
patent: 5514137 (1996-05-01), Coutts
patent: 5534001 (1996-07-01), Schlapfer et al.
patent: 5591168 (1997-01-01), Judet et al.
patent: 5618286 (1997-04-01), Brinker
patent: 5741256 (1998-04-01), Bresina
patent: 6187007 (2001-02-01), Frigg et al.
patent: 6231576 (2001-05-01), Frigg et al.
patent: 587 317 (1933-10-01), None
patent: 38 35 682 (1990-04-01), None
patent: 0 086 552 (1983-08-01), None
patent: 0 094 039 (1983-11-01), None
patent: 2268068 (1994-01-01), None
patent: 1071298 (1984-02-01), None
patent: 1337074 (1987-09-01), None
patent: WO 97/18769 (1997-05-01), None
patent: WO 98/05263 (1998-02-01), None
W. L. Pugh, “A Self-Adjusting Nail-Plate for Fractures About the Hip Joint,” J. Bone Joint Surg. 37-A:1085-93, (1955).
Richards et al., “The AO Dynamic HIP Screw and the Pugh Sliding Nail in Femoral Head Fixation,” J. Bone Joint Surg. [Br] 72-B:794-6, (1990).
Jarrett et al., “The stable internal fixation of peritrochanteric hip fractures,” Part V (pp. 203-218).
Calandruccio et al., “Internal Fixation Devices for Fractures of the Proximal Femur American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Committee on the History of Orthopaedic Surgery,” Brochure (pp. 1-7).
William K. Massie, M.D., “Extracapsular Fractures of the Hip Treated by Impaction Using a Sliding Nail-plate Fixation,” Chapter 18 (pp. 180-201).
Hehli Markus
Perren Stephan
Melson Candice C.
O'Connor Cary E.
Synthes (U.S.A.)
LandOfFree
Radially expandable intramedullary nail does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Radially expandable intramedullary nail, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Radially expandable intramedullary nail will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3192668