Intramedullary fixation system for management of pelvic and acetabular fractures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11529148-B2
Application number	US-201815952093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2018
Priority date	Nov 14, 2011
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

Devices for treating a bone and methods of inserting such devices into a bone are disclosed. A device for treating a bone may include a flexible tube, a stiffening mechanism and an actuator. The flexible tube has a distal end and a proximal end. The stiffening mechanism within the flexible tube is configured to cause the flexible tube to become rigid. The actuator is configured to cause the stiffening mechanism to cause the flexible tube to become rigid in response to the actuator being actuated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for fixating a bone fracture, the apparatus comprising:
a body configurable in a curve, the body having a proximal and a distal end portion;
members disposed within the body, each of the members having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, wherein the distal end portions of the members are fixed at an attachment location at the distal end portion of the body, and wherein the members are configured to move axially relative to one another without crossing over one another as the body is flexed into the curve such that a first one of the members traverses a distance between the attachment location and a locking location and a second one of the members traverses a different distance between the attachment and locking locations;
a screw attached to the distal end portion of the body to enable the body to be inserted into a bone; and
a mechanism configurable to apply a locking force normal to the members at the locking location to render the members incapable of relative axial movement such that the body retains the curve.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body includes a flexible tube.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the members includes a respective flexible rod.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the body includes at least one passageway; and
the members are disposed within the at least one passageway.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mechanism is configured to render the members incapable of relative axial movement by prohibiting each one of the members from moving axially relative to the others of the members.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein,
the mechanism is disposed adjacent to the proximal end portion of the body.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the mechanism includes, at the proximal end portion of the body, a lock that includes the locking location.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein
the locking location is adjacent to the proximal end portion of the body.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein
the mechanism is at the proximal end portion of the body.

10. An implantable intramedullary apparatus for fixating a bone fracture, the apparatus comprising:
a body configurable in a curve, the body having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;
members disposed within the body, each of the member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, wherein the distal end portions of the members are fixed at an attachment location at the distal end portion of the body, and wherein a respective length of each member between the attachment location and a locking location is changeable as the body is flexed into the curve such that the length of a first one of the members between the attachment and locking locations is different than the length of a second one of the members between the attachment and locking locations, the members not crossing over one another while moving axially;
a screw attached to the distal end portion of the body to enable the body to be inserted into a bone; and
a mechanism configurable to apply a locking force normal to the members at the locking location to fix the body in the curve by prohibiting relative axial movement of the members.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein
the locking location is closer to the proximal end portion of the body than to the distal end portion of the body.

Assignees

• Univ British Columbia
• British Columbia Cancer Agency Branch

Inventors

• Meek Robert
• Zhu Qingan
• Schwab Timothy
• Coope Robin John Noel
• Slobodan Jared
• Young Scott

Classifications

• A61B2017/1602

  Mills · CPC title

• A61B17/164 Primary

  intramedullary · CPC title

• A61B17/7208 Primary

  Flexible pins, e.g. ENDER pins · CPC title