Intramedullary fixation system for management of pelvic and acetabular fractures
AssigneesThe University of British Columbia, British Columbia Cancer Agency Branch
InventorsRobert Meek, Qingan Zhu, Timothy Schwab, Robin John Noel Coope, Jared Slobodan, Scott Young
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims11
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.
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.