Method and appparatus for an intramedullary implant and method of implantation therefor
Inventors
Cheney, Daniel F. • Pancratz, David J.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9522022-B2
Publication Date
2016-12-20
Expiration Date
Abstract
An intramedullary orthopedic implant includes a body section having a first end that provides a point of insertion for the body section and a second end. The body section further includes wings extending away from the point of insertion for the body section. The intramedullary orthopedic implant further includes first and second legs extending from the second end of the body section. The first and second legs begin in a first implanted shape, are movable to a second insertion shape, and remain in the second insertion shape as long as the first and second legs are mechanically constrained.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an intramedullary orthopedic implant comprising a first body section with a point of insertion, first and second wings extending away from the point of insertion, and a second body section. The first and second wings extend toward the second end of the first body section and toward the second end of the second body section, and first and second legs extend from the second end of the second body section, each leg including a bend with a transition section, a bow adjacent the bend, and a tip adjacent the bow.
The wings and legs are movable between shapes to create anchoring forces within an intramedullary canal. The first and second wings begin in a first open insertion shape and flex during insertion into an intramedullary canal in a first bone to conform with the shape of the intramedullary canal, thereby moving to a second implanted shape and creating an anchoring force between the wings and the first bone. The first and second legs begin in a first implanted shape and are movable to a second insertion shape while mechanically constrained, such that the transition sections move in arc toward one another until the tips are adjacent while remaining in the second insertion shape as long as the legs are mechanically constrained.
After staged fixation involving the first bone and a second bone, release of the mechanical constraint allows the legs to return to their first implanted shape and create an anchoring force. The transition sections, after insertion of the first and second legs into an intramedullary canal in a second bone and removal of the mechanical constraint, move in arc away from one another such that the first and second legs return to their first implanted shape, thereby creating an anchoring force between the first and second legs and the second bone and anchoring the first and second legs within the intramedullary canal in the second bone. The invention also describes opposing anchoring forces in which the anchoring force of the wings opposes the anchoring force of the first and second legs to compress a first bone with the second bone.
The invention further relates to an implant tab and an implant inserter that engage and constrain the first and second legs in the second insertion shape and insert the body section into the intramedullary canal. In addition, an intramedullary implant package receives the implant inserter and an implant tab loaded with the orthopedic implant; after packaging the package is sealed, the inserter and tab are sterilized, and the package maintains sterility of the inserter and tab after sterilization.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims are clm-00001, clm-00010, and clm-00018. Across these independent claims, the inventive subject matter includes wings that flex from an open insertion shape to an implanted shape to create anchoring forces in an intramedullary canal, legs that are mechanically constrained from an implanted shape to an insertion shape with arc movement of transition sections, and release that returns the legs to the implanted shape to create anchoring forces in a second bone. Additional independent-claim coverage includes use of an implant tab and implant inserter to constrain and insert, plus an intramedullary implant package that is sealed and maintains sterility after sterilization.
Intramedullary implant with wings and arc-constrained legs
An intramedullary orthopedic implant comprising a first body section with first and second wings extending away from a point of insertion, a second body section, and first and second legs located at the second end of the second body section, wherein each leg comprises a bend including a transition section, a bow adjacent the bend, and a tip adjacent the bow; the first and second legs begin in a first implanted shape, are movable to a second insertion shape, and remain in the second insertion shape as long as the legs are mechanically constrained, whereby mechanically constraining the legs results in the transition sections moving in arc toward one another until the tips are adjacent.
Wings flex during intramedullary insertion to create anchoring force
An intramedullary orthopedic implant comprising a body section with wings extending away from a point of insertion, wherein the wings begin in a first open insertion shape and during insertion into an intramedullary canal in a first bone flex to conform with the shape of the intramedullary canal and move to a second implanted shape thereby creating an anchoring force between the wings and the first bone and anchoring the wings within the intramedullary canal in the first bone.
Legs constrained by implant tab and inserted by implant inserter
An intramedullary orthopedic implant comprising first and second legs extending from a second end of the body section, wherein the first and second legs begin in a first implanted shape, are movable to a second insertion shape, and remain in the second insertion shape as long as the legs are constrained by a mechanical constraint comprising an implant tab adapted to engage and constrain the legs in the second insertion shape, and an implant inserter adapted to engage the legs in the second insertion shape and further to insert the body section into the intramedullary canal in the first bone.
Staged anchoring using wing anchoring and leg return after release
An intramedullary orthopedic implant comprising a body section insertable into an intramedullary canal in a first bone until the body section and transition sections of first and second legs reside within the intramedullary canal in the first bone; first and second legs each comprising a transition section adjacent the second end of the body section and beginning in a first implanted shape, movable to a second insertion shape such that the transition sections move in arc toward one another and remain in the second insertion shape as long as the legs are mechanically constrained; and after insertion of the legs into an intramedullary canal in a second bone and removal of the mechanical constraint, the transition sections move in arc away from one another such that the first and second legs return to their first implanted shape, thereby creating an anchoring force between the legs and the second bone and anchoring the legs within the intramedullary canal in the second bone.
Across the independent claims, the implant combines wings that flex from an open insertion shape to an implanted shape to create anchoring forces in an intramedullary canal, with first and second legs that are mechanically constrained into a second insertion shape with arc movement of transition sections and later return to a first implanted shape after release to create anchoring forces within a second bone. Independent-claim coverage also includes constraint and insertion functionality using an implant tab and implant inserter and, in one independent claim set, staged anchoring in first and second bones using insertion and release outcomes for the transition sections.
Stated Advantages
Creates an anchoring force between the wings and the first bone and anchors the wings within the intramedullary canal in the first bone.
Legs remain in the second insertion shape as long as the legs are mechanically constrained, with transition sections moving in arc toward one another until the tips are adjacent.
After removal of the mechanical constraint, the first and second legs return to their first implanted shape to create an anchoring force between the legs and the second bone and anchor the legs within the intramedullary canal in the second bone.
The anchoring force of the wings opposes the anchoring force of the first and second legs to compress the first bone with the second bone.
The implant tab and implant inserter engage and constrain the legs in the second insertion shape to insert the body section into the intramedullary canal.
The intramedullary implant package is sealed and maintains sterility after sterilization.
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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