Intramedullary nail having self-retaining compression slot

摘要

An intramedullary nail has a scalloped compression slot so as to define a plurality of pockets and intersections between the pockets that are narrower than the pockets. Accordingly, a compression member can be inserted into a bone segment of a fractured bone and into the slot. The compression member can be wider than the intersections. A compression actuator can apply a force against the compression member that causes the compression member to translate across the intersections from pocket-to-pocket until the fracture has been approximated. Because the compression member is wider than the intersections, the compression slot retains the compression member and prevents distraction of the fracture.

主权项

1. A bone fixation assembly comprising:
an intramedullary nail having an elongate nail shaft and defining a compression slot that is elongate along a substantially distal direction; a compression member sized to be received in the compression slot and translated in the distal direction from a first position in the compression slot to a second position in the compression slot, wherein the compression slot is configured to retain the compression member in the second position after being translated from the first position to the second position; and an implantation assembly configured to apply a force to the compression member to translate the compression member from the first position to the second position, the implantation assembly including: a support frame; a brace member having an elongate shaft defining a proximal end that is configured to be supported by the support frame, and a distal end that spaced from the proximal end substantially in a distal direction and is configured to attach to the intramedullary nail so as to secure the intramedullary nail with respect to movement in the distal direction relative to the support frame, wherein the elongate shaft defines a cannulation extending from the proximal end to the distal end; and a compression actuator having an elongate actuator shaft defining a proximal actuator end and a distal actuator end spaced from the proximal actuator end substantially in the distal direction, the elongate actuator shaft sized to be received within the cannulation of the brace member, wherein the compression actuator is movable within the cannulation of the brace member in the distal direction such that a portion of the compression actuator extends out from the brace member in the distal direction; wherein the elongate nail shaft defines a proximal nail end and a distal nail end spaced substantially in the distal direction from the proximal nail end, the compression slot extends into a first portion of the nail shaft, and the elongate nail shaft further defines a nail cannulation extending from the proximal nail end into the compression slot; and the compression slot is scalloped so as to define at least a first pocket and a second pocket spaced from the first pocket along the distal direction.