Intramedulary nail with recepatacle for receiving a tareting device for targeting a bone-anchor fixation hole

An intramedullary nail comprising:

• a proximal body portion that defines a proximal end of the intramedullary nail;
• a distal body portion, offset from the proximal body portion along a distal direction, and defining a distal end of the intramedullary nail;
• an outer surface that extends from the proximal end to the distal end;
• an inner surface opposite the outer surface, the inner surface defining a cannulation that extends into the proximal end towards the distal end, wherein the intramedullary nail defines:
• a bone-anchor fixation hole that extends into the outer surface and through the inner surface such that the bone-anchor fixation hole is configured to receive a bone anchor therein;
• and
• a receptacle that is proximate to the bone-anchor fixation hole and open to the cannulation such that the receptacle is configured to receive a locator of a targeting system therein from the cannulation, the locator including at least one of a sensor and a field generator, wherein the receptacle is defined by at least one guide that is configured to engage the locator so as to secure the locator in at least one of a predetermined longitudinal position and a predetermined rotational orientation relative to the bone-anchor fixation hole, wherein the at least one guide comprises at least one alignment guide that is configured to engage the locator so as to rotate the locator into the predetermined rotational orientation.

A system, comprising:

• a targeting instrument comprising a locator that includes at least one of a sensor and a magnetic field generator;
• and
• an intramedullary nail, comprising:
• a proximal body portion that defines a proximal end of the intramedullary nail;
• a distal body portion, offset from the proximal body portion along a distal direction and defining a distal end of the intramedullary nail;
• an outer surface that extends from the proximal end to the distal end;
• an inner surface opposite the outer surface the inner surface defining a cannulation that extends into the proximal end towards the distal end, wherein the intramedullary nail defines:
• a bone-anchor fixation hole that extends into the outer surface and through the inner surface such that the bone-anchor fixation hole is configured to receive a bone anchor therein;
• and
• a receptacle that is proximate to the bone-anchor fixation hole and open to the cannulation such that the receptacle is configured to receive the locator therein from the cannulation, at least a portion of the receptacle having a shape that is complementary to a shape of at least portion of the locator such that the receptacle is configured to engage the locator so as to secure the locator in at least one of a predetermined longitudinal position and a predetermined rotational orientation, wherein the targeting instrument comprises a cable that supports the locator at an end thereof and at least a portion of the cable comprises a shape memory material such that the cable is biased towards a coiled configuration.

A method, comprising:

• inserting a locator comprising at least one of a sensor and a field generator along a distal direction into a cannulation of an intramedullary nail that extends into a proximal end of the intramedullary nail towards a distal end of the intramedullary nail along the distal direction, the intramedullary nail defining a bone-anchor fixation hole that extends into an outer surface of the intramedullary nail such that the bone-anchor fixation hole is configured to receive a bone anchor therein;
• and
• guiding the locator from the cannulation into a receptacle of the intramedullary nail that is proximate to the bone-anchor fixation hole such that the receptacle engages the locator so as to secure the locator in at least one of a predetermined longitudinal position and a predetermined rotational orientation
• wherein the guiding step comprises causing the locator to engage at least one alignment guide of the receptacle so as to rotate the locator into the predetermined rotational orientation.