Intramedullary nail retaining endcaps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11510719-B2
Application number	US-201916562272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2019
Priority date	Sep 5, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

An endcap for engaging a proximal end of an intramedullary nail. The endcap includes a body extending from a first end to a second end and configured to engage a channel of an intramedullary nail. The endcap also includes a head portion at the first end of the body. The head portion includes a recess sized and shaped to receive a driving element of a drive shaft. The recess includes elastic tabs extending radially toward a central axis of the recess to engage and retain a driving element received therein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An endcap for engaging a proximal end of an intramedullary nail, comprising:
a body extending from a first end to a second end and configured to engage a channel of an intramedullary nail; and
a head portion at the first end of the body, the head portion including a recess sized and shaped to receive a driving element of a drive shaft, the recess including elastic tabs biased to extend radially toward a central axis of the recess to engage and retain the driving element received therein.

2. The endcap of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises threading to threadedly engage the channel of the intramedullary nail.

3. The endcap of claim 1 , wherein the elastic tabs are formed from an elastic material.

4. The endcap of claim 3 , wherein the elastic material is a biocompatible memory metal alloy.

5. The endcap of claim 3 , wherein the elastic material is selected from the group consisting of nitinol, Ti-6Al-7Nb (TAN), and Ti-6Al-4V (TAV).

6. The endcap of claim 1 , wherein the elastic tabs are configured to move from a relaxed configuration in which the elastic tabs extend radially toward the central axis to a compressed configuration in which the elastic tabs are pushed radially outward from the central axis.

7. The endcap of claim 6 , wherein the elastic tabs are biased toward the relaxed configuration.

8. The endcap of claim 7 , wherein the elastic tabs are biased to provide a resistance against removal of the driving element from the recess.

9. The endcap of claim 1 , wherein the elastic tabs are configured to frictionally engage an exterior surface of the driving element received therein.

10. The endcap of claim 1 , wherein the elastic tabs are configured to lockingly engage a groove of the driving element received therein.

11. The endcap of claim 1 , wherein the recess has a substantially polygonal cross-section.

12. The endcap of claim 1 , wherein the recess has a substantially hexagonal cross-section.

13. The endcap of claim 1 , wherein the endcap further includes a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough, the lumen sized and shaped to receive a guidewire therethrough.

14. A system for engaging a proximal end of an intramedullary nail, comprising:
(i) a tool comprising a drive shaft having a driving element; and
(ii) an endcap comprising:
a body extending from a first end to a second end and configured to engage a channel of an intramedullary nail, and
a head portion at the first end of the body, the head portion including a recess sized and shaped to receive the driving element of the drive shaft, the recess including elastic tabs biased to extend radially toward a central axis of the recess to engage and retain the driving element therein.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the driving element has a concave exterior shape.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the driving element tapers from a midpoint to a narrower proximal end, and tapers from the midpoint to a narrower distal end.

17. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a guidewire slidably inserted through the endcap to align the driving element to engage the head portion of the endcap,
wherein the endcap includes a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough, the lumen sized and shaped to receive the guidewire therethrough.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the recess has a correspondingly polygonal shape to the substantially polygonal cross-section of the driving element to lockingly engage the driving element therein.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the driving element has a substantially polygonal cross-section.

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

• Défossez Henri
• Spreiter Gregor
• Scherrer Simon
• Wampfler Simon

Classifications

• A61B17/74

  Devices for the head {or neck or trochanter} of the femur {(trochanteric devices connected to the proximal part of an endoprosthetic femoral shaft A61F2/30739; endoprosthetic internal fixation devices for the head or neck of the femur A61F2/3601)} · CPC title

• A61B17/8872 Primary

  Instruments for putting said fixation devices against or away from the bone (A61B17/7074, A61B17/808 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/8897

  Guide wires or guide pins · CPC title

• A61B2017/00867

  shape memory effect · CPC title

• A61B17/8888

  at its central region · CPC title