Driver and system for threaded intramedullary nail retaining endcaps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11523854-B2
Application number	US-201916569122-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2019
Priority date	Sep 12, 2019
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A driver for engaging an endcap of an intramedullary nail. The driver includes a handle extending along a longitudinal axis of the driver from a proximal end to a distal end. The handle having a handle channel extending longitudinally therethrough. The driver also includes a shaft extending through the handle channel from a proximal end to a distal end along the longitudinal axis. The shaft having a shaft channel extending longitudinally therethrough. The distal end of the shaft extends distally from the handle. The distal end of the shaft forms a driving element to be inserted into a head portion of the endcap. The driver further includes a retention pin slidably received in the shaft channel. The retention pin extends also extends along the longitudinal axis. The distal end of the retention pin is configured to reversibly lock the shaft to the head portion of the endcap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driver for engaging an endcap of an intramedullary nail, comprising:
a handle extending along a longitudinal axis of the driver from a proximal end to a distal end and having a handle channel extending longitudinally therethrough, wherein the handle is formed from an elastomeric material;
a shaft extending through the handle channel from a proximal end to a distal end along the longitudinal axis having a shaft channel extending longitudinally therethrough, the distal end of the shaft extending distally from the handle, the distal end of the shaft forming a driving element configured to be inserted into a head portion of the endcap, wherein the shaft is rotatably fixed within the handle channel such that rotation of the handle transfers torque through the shaft to the driving element, the driving element being configured to non-rotatably engage the endcap so that torque applied to the handle rotatably drives the endcap to couple the endcap to the intramedullary nail, and wherein the shaft is rotatably fixed within the handle channel via a clamp extending along a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the handle and fixedly clamped onto the shaft for transferring torque applied to the handle through the clamp to the shaft; and
a retention pin slidably received in the shaft channel and extending from a proximal end to a distal end along the longitudinal axis, the distal end of the retention pin configured to reversibly lock the shaft to the head portion of the endcap.

2. The driver of claim 1 , further comprising:
a knob rotatably connected to the proximal end of the shaft, rotation of the knob about the longitudinal axis rotating the retention pin to lock and unlock from the head portion of the endcap.

3. The driver of claim 2 , wherein the distal end of the retention pin comprises threading configured to threadedly engage a corresponding threading in the head portion of the endcap.

4. The driver of claim 1 , wherein the retention pin includes a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough, the lumen sized and shaped to slidably receive a guidewire therethrough.

5. The driver of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the retention pin extends distally beyond the distal end of the shaft.

6. The driver of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is formed of a material having a rigidity sufficient to resist deformation of the shaft during use.

7. The driver of claim 1 , wherein the shaft and the retention pin are flexible and reversibly movable between a relaxed configuration in which the shaft and the retention pin lie along the longitudinal axis, and a deformed configuration in which the shaft and the retention pin are elastically deformed to extend along a curved path to the endcap.

8. The driver of claim 7 , wherein the flexibility of the shaft varies along a length of the shaft.

9. The driver of claim 7 , wherein the shaft comprises a plurality of aligned grooves wrapping around an external surface of the shaft for imparting flexibility to the shaft.

10. The driver of claim 1 , wherein a wall of the retention pin has a thickness from about 0.45 mm to about 1.15 mm.

11. The driver of claim 1 , wherein the retention pin has an outer diameter from about 3 mm to about 4 mm.

12. The driver of claim 11 , further configured to receive a guidewire having a diameter from about 1.6 mm to about 2.0 mm.

13. A system for engaging a proximal end of an intramedullary nail, comprising:
(i) a driver comprising
a handle extending along a longitudinal axis of the driver from a proximal end to a distal end and having a handle channel extending longitudinally therethrough, wherein the handle is formed from an elastomeric material,
a shaft extending through the handle channel from a proximal end to a distal end along the longitudinal axis having a shaft channel extending longitudinally therethrough, the distal end of the shaft extending distally from the handle, the distal end of the shaft forming a driving element, wherein the shaft is rotatably fixed within the handle channel such that rotation of the handle transfers torque through the shaft to the driving element, the driving element being configured to non-rotatably engage the endcap so that torque applied to the handle rotatable drives the endcap to couple the endcap to the intramedullary nail, and wherein the shaft is rotatably fixed within the handle channel via a clamp extending along a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the handle and fixedly clamped onto the shaft for transferring torque applied to the handle through the clamp to the shaft, and
a retention pin slidably received in the shaft channel and extending from a proximal end to a distal end along the longitudinal axis, the distal end of the retention pin comprises threading, the retention pin including a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough;

(ii) an endcap having a lumen extending therethrough comprising
a body configured to engage a channel of the intramedullary nail, and
a head portion configured to receive the driving element therein and to reversibly lock the head portion to the shaft, the head portion comprising threading configured to threadedly engage a corresponding threading of the retaining pin; and

(iii) a guidewire slidably inserted through the lumen of the retention pin and the lumen of the endcap to align the driving element to the head portion of the endcap.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the distal end of the retention pin extends distally beyond the distal end of the shaft.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the shaft is formed of a material having a rigidity sufficient to resist deformation of the shaft during use.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the shaft and the retention pin are flexible and reversibly movable between a relaxed configuration in which the shaft and the retention pin lie along the longitudinal axis, and a deformed configuration in which the shaft and the retention pin are elastically deformed to extend along a curved path to the endeap.

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A61B2017/00862

  elastic or resilient · CPC title

• A61B17/864

  hollow, e.g. with socket or cannulated · CPC title

• A61B17/685

  Elements to be fitted on the end of screws or wires, e.g. protective caps · CPC title

• A61B17/8888 Primary

  at its central region · CPC title

• A61B17/72

  Intramedullary devices, e.g. pins or nails · CPC title