Surgery – Instruments – Orthopedic instrumentation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-02
2001-12-25
Reip, David O. (Department: 3731)
Surgery
Instruments
Orthopedic instrumentation
C606S064000, C606S075000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332885
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a synthesis device for orthopaedia and traumatology.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for the synthesis of a bone fracture after its reduction by means of a body which allows to fix the fractured region, keeping it in the correct position for the time required by the bone to strengthen.
Various devices used to perform this operation are known.
Among these, the devices most frequently used are screws of the self-tapping or through type, possibly cooperating with plates which are arranged laterally to the bone in the region where the fracture is present.
All these devices are very troublesome to position and also have problems linked, among other issues, to the compactness of the bone in the fractured region.
More particularly, screws of the self-tapping type rely on a good grip of the thread, but this does not always occur.
Through screws associated with external plates are very bulky and must usually be removed when the bone has consolidated in the fracture region.
Substantially U-shaped brackets are also known which are made of materials having shape memory; their wings are inserted in two holes formed in the bone on opposite sides with respect to the fracture line.
These brackets, when heated, shorten in the intermediate region between the two ends inserted in the bone or the two ends bend toward each other, connecting the fracture.
However, these brackets have the drawback that they act only by traction in the external cortical region of the bone and in many cases do not allow to control the fracture region and keep it in the correct position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,695 discloses an apparatus for anchoring a prosthetic tooth
21
to a patient's jawbone
22
including a root screw
26
, with a longitudinal bore
29
, for implantation in the jawbone
22
, and a temperature-sensitive shape-memory cylindrical coupling pin
34
for fixing a stump
35
, with its own longitudinal bore
39
and mounting the prosthetic tooth
21
, to the root screw
26
. The coupling pin
34
extends into the aligned bores
29
and
39
, and at temperatures below its transformation temperature range (TTR) the coupling pin
34
is thinner than the diameters of such bores
29
and
39
for easy insertion and extraction therefrom, while at temperatures above its TTR the coupling pin
34
expands inside the bores
29
and
39
to lock the mounting stump
35
to the root screw
26
. In one specific embodiment (FIG.
2
C), the cylindrical coupling pin
34
has a forked end portion
47
with two or more prongs
48
which open up at temperatures above the TTR for locking the coupling pin
34
into either or both bores
29
and
39
.
FR-A-2727304 discloses a self-locking medullary canal bone implant having at least one section made from a metal alloy with a shape memory effect, situated at one or both ends or along its whole length. The implant is shaped for convenient positioning and its shape changes on heating or cooling so that it grips the inside of the bone and holds firmly in place.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the present invention is to provide a synthesis device for orthopaedia and traumatology which can advantageously overcome the described problems.
A consequent primary object is to pprovide a device which can be easily inserted in the fracture region and is capable of keeping the fractured region correctly aligned.
Another object is to provide a synthesis device which, once inserted, can compact the fracture region.
Another object is to provide a synthesis device which has small dimensions, so that it can be left in the bone also after said bone has consolidated in the fracture region.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a synthesis device for orthopaedia and traumatology as defined in the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5584695 (1996-12-01), Sachdeva et al.
patent: 5697779 (1997-12-01), Sachdeva et al.
patent: 5893856 (1999-04-01), Jacob et al.
patent: 5951288 (1999-09-01), Sawa
patent: A-2 727 304 (1996-05-01), None
patent: A-1 147 378 (1985-03-01), None
Josif Albert
Modiano Guido
O'Byrne Daniel
Reip David O.
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