Femoral fracture fixation device

A femur fixation device for treating a femur, the femur having an intramedullary canal, a head portion and a lesser trochanter region, the fixation device comprising:

• an elongated nail having a bore extending through a width of the elongated nail, the elongated nail configured for insertion into the intramedullary canal of the femur;
• and
• a buttress element configured to extend from the elongated nail and apply a force to bone tissue in or adjacent to the lesser trochanter region of the femur, the buttress element including:
• a support member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end having a first diameter and the distal end having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter;
• and
• a reinforcement member including at least one projection arm, wherein, at a first position, the at least one projection arm is in a non-splayed configuration such that the at least one projection arm is located adjacent to the distal end of the support member and is configured to advance through the bore such that when the at least one projection arm passes through the bore, the at least one projection arm expands from the first position to a second position, and wherein, at the second position, the support member extends through the bore with the at least one projection arm expanded to a splayed configuration such that the at least one projection arm extends radially from the support member.

A femur fixation device for treating a femur, the femur having an intramedullary canal, a head portion and a lesser trochanter region, the fixation device comprising:

• an elongated nail having a bore extending through a width of the elongated nail, the elongated nail configured for insertion into the intramedullary canal of the femur;
• and
• a buttress element configured to extend from the one-piece elongated nail and apply a force to bone tissue in or adjacent to the lesser trochanter region of the femur, the buttress element including:
• a support member configured to extend through the bore;
• and
• a reinforcement member having a plurality of projection arms, the plurality of projection arms having a non-splayed configuration and a splayed configuration, wherein, in the non-splayed configuration, the plurality of projection arms are bent backwards such that the plurality of projection arms are adjacent to the support member and, in the splayed configuration, the plurality of projection arms extend radially from a center of the reinforcement member, and wherein the plurality of projection arms are configured to transition from the non-splayed configuration to the splayed configuration as the support member is advanced through the bore and the plurality of the projection arms pass through the bore.

A method of treating a femur, comprising:

• inserting an elongated nail into an intramedullary canal of the femur, the elongated nail having a bore extending through a width of the elongated nail;
• inserting a buttress element through the bore, the buttress element including a support member and a reinforcement member located at the distal end of the support member, the reinforcement member including at least one projection arm, wherein the at least one project arm is in a non-splayed configuration such that the at least one projection arm is adjacent to the support member;
• and
• advancing the support member through the bore such that the at least one projection arm passes through the bore and expands from the non-splayed configuration to a splayed configuration, wherein, in the splayed configuration, the at least one projection arm extends radially from the support member and reinforces a lesser trochanter region of the femur.