Bone structure coupling systems and methods of use

Inventors

Compton, Robert A. • Willits, Mark Billy

Assignees

MED DEVICE IP, LLC

Abstract

Bone structure coupling devices and methods are provided herein. An example method includes positioning a tubular retraction guide body into a patient, the tubular retraction guide body having two prongs that are positioned in a joint between two adjacent bone structures, creating a hemispherical groove on each of the two adjacent bone structures using a drill bit passed through the tubular retraction guide body, incising out the hemispherical grooves with a broach passed through the tubular retraction guide body, and inserting a graft body having a generally rectangular cross sectional area into the angular grooves to couple the two adjacent bone structures together.

Core Innovation

A device provides a graft body having a generally rectangular cross sectional area defined by at least four sidewalls, with a plurality of rows of teeth continuous around each of the at least four sidewalls and orthogonal to a direction of insertion. The graft includes a head extending from a first end and an adaptor extending from a second end, and the adaptor terminates with an inserter device interface configured to mate with an adaptor interface of an inserter device.

The plurality of rows of teeth are oriented to prevent migration or ejection of the graft body when inserted into a pilot hole. The pilot hole includes two grooves, each groove comprising a trench created on an outer surface of an opposing bone structure, and the graft body extends transversely to the opposing bone structures. When the graft is situated within the two grooves, all of the at least four sidewalls contact a portion of the two opposing bone structures.

In a guided workflow, a tubular retraction guide body having two prongs is positioned in a joint between two adjacent bone structures. A drill bit passed through the tubular retraction guide body creates hemispherical grooves on the outer surfaces of each of the two adjacent bone structures, including by forming a pilot hole in a single pass, and a broach transforms hemispherical grooves into angular grooves with opposing triangular trenches. A graft body having the generally rectangular cross sectional area is inserted through the angular grooves to couple the two adjacent bone structures together.

Claims Coverage

The document includes three independent claims that collectively focus on a generally rectangular graft body with circumferential, tooth-row geometry; guided formation of pilot holes and grooves using a tubular retraction guide; and insertion or driving to incise and couple opposing bone structures. Across the independent claims, the inventive subject matter is expressed as a device architecture for anti-migration coupling in a trench-forming pilot hole, and method workflows where grooves are created or incised and the graft is inserted or driven to secure adjacent bones.

Across the independent claims, the core claim coverage centers on a generally rectangular graft with circumferential rows of teeth and an inserter interface that mates with an inserter device interface, where tooth orientation prevents migration or ejection in a pilot hole having two grooves or trenches with opposing bone structures. The method claims further require guided groove formation using a tubular retraction guide body, broach-driven transformation into angular grooves with opposing triangular trenches, and graft insertion or driving using rows of cutting teeth such that the graft couples and secures adjacent bone structures together.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found