Expandable system for repair of bone fractures

A method for repairing a bone that is fractured comprising:

• providing a fractured bone that includes first and second bone portions and a fracture site that is located between said first and second bone portions;
• said fracture site has a fracture site width;
• each of said first and second bone portions of said fractured bone includes an intramedullary canal;
• providing an expandable device;
• said expandable device includes an expandable frame;
• said expandable frame has an unexpanded shape and size that enables said expandable frame to be inserted into the intramedullary canal;
• said expandable frame has an expanded shape and size that enables said expandable frame to be secured in the intramedullary canal while traversing a fracture site of the fractured bone;
• said expandable frame has a longitudinal length that is sufficient to fully span said fracture site;
• said expandable frame is expandable from a first cross-sectional size in said unexpanded state to a second cross-sectional size in said expanded state;
• a cross-sectional area of said expandable frame in said second cross-sectional size is larger than a cross-sectional area of said expandable frame in said first cross-sectional size;
• said longitudinal length of said expandable frame in said unexpanded state is greater than said longitudinal length of said expandable frame in said expanded state;
• said expandable frame has a side wall that includes a one or more openings;
• said expandable frame is at least partially formed of metal alloy that includes at least 5 awt. % rhenium and additive material;
• said additive material includes one or more metals that are selected from the group consisting of aluminum, boron, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, calcium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, hafnium, iridium, iron, lanthanum, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, osmium, palladium, platinum, rare earth metals, rhodium, ruthenium, scandium, silver, silicon, tantalum, technetium, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium;
• said rhenium and said additive material constitutes at least 90 wt. % of said rhenium alloy;
• inserting said expandable device in said intramedullary canal while said expandable device is in said unexpanded state such that at least a portion of said expandable device is positioned in said first and second bone portions and traverses said fracture site;
• and
• expanding said expandable device in said intramedullary canal to said expanded state to cause said longitudinal length of said first expandable device to shorten and to cause said first expandable device to at least partially repair said fractured bone;
• and
• wherein expansion of said expandable device causes said first and second bone portions to thereby cause a reduction in said fracture site width.

An expandable device for treating a fracture site in a fractured bone having an intramedullary canal;

• said expandable device includes an expandable frame that is configured to be inserted into the intramedullary canal of a fractured bone;
• said expandable frame has an open cell configuration;
• said second expandable frame includes a plurality of interconnected struts;
• said expandable frame has an unexpanded shape and size that enables said expandable frame to be inserted into the intramedullary canal;
• said expandable frame has an expanded shape and size that enables said expandable frame to be secured in the intramedullary canal while traversing a fracture site of the fractured bone;
• said expandable frame has a longitudinal length that is sufficient to fully span the fracture site;
• said expandable frame is expandable from a first cross-sectional size in said unexpanded state to a second cross-sectional size in said expanded state;
• a cross-sectional area of said expandable frame in said second cross-sectional size is larger than a cross-sectional area of said expandable frame in said first cross-sectional size;
• said longitudinal length of said expandable frame in said unexpanded state is greater than said longitudinal length of said expandable frame in said expanded state;
• said expandable frame has a side wall that includes a plurality of open cells;
• said expandable frame has a generally hollow tubular shape;
• at least 50 wt. % of said expandable frame is formed of metal alloy that includes a) at least 15 awt. % rhenium and additive material, and wherein said additive material includes one or more metals that are selected from the group consisting of aluminum, boron, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, calcium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, hafnium, iridium, iron, lanthanum, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, osmium, palladium, platinum, rare earth metals, rhodium, ruthenium, scandium, silver, silicon, tantalum, technetium, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium, and wherein said rhenium and said additive material constitutes at least 90 wt. % of said metal alloy;
• at least a portion of an outer surface of said expandable frame includes a coating material selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride oxide (TiNOx) coating, titanium nitride (TiN) coating, chromium nitride (CrN) coating, zirconium nitride (ZrN) coating, zirconium oxide (ZrO2) coating, zirconium-nitrogen-carbon (ZrNC) coating, zirconium OxyCarbide (ZrOC) coating, and/or zirconium oxynitride (ZrNxOy) coating.

A method for repairing a bone that is fractured comprising:

• providing a fractured bone that includes first and second bone portions and a fracture site that is located between said first and second bone portions;
• said fracture site has a fracture site width;
• each of said first and second bone portions of said fractured bone includes an intramedullary canal;
• providing a first expandable device;
• said first expandable device includes a first expandable frame that is configured to be inserted into the intramedullary canal of a fractured bone;
• said first expandable frame has an open cell configuration;
• said first expandable frame includes a plurality of interconnected struts;
• said first expandable frame has an unexpanded shape and size that enables said first expandable frame to be inserted into the intramedullary canal;
• said first expandable frame has an expanded shape and size that enables said first expandable frame to be secured in the intramedullary canal while traversing a fracture site of the fractured bone;
• said first expandable frame has a longitudinal length that is sufficient to fully span the fracture site;
• said first expandable frame is expandable from a first cross-sectional size in said unexpanded state to a second cross-sectional size in said expanded state;
• a cross-sectional area of said first expandable frame in said second cross-sectional size is larger than a cross-sectional area of said first expandable frame in said first cross-sectional size;
• said longitudinal length of said first expandable frame in said unexpanded state is greater than said longitudinal length of said first expandable frame in said expanded state;
• said first expandable frame has a side wall that includes a plurality of open cells;
• said first expandable frame has a generally hollow tubular shape;
• at least 50 wt. % of said first expandable frame is formed of metal alloy that includes a) at least 15 awt. % rhenium and additive material, and wherein said additive material includes one or more metals that are selected from the group consisting of aluminum, boron, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, calcium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, hafnium, iridium, iron, lanthanum, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, osmium, palladium, platinum, rare earth metals, rhodium, ruthenium, scandium, silver, silicon, tantalum, technetium, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium, and wherein said rhenium and said additive material constitutes at least 90 wt. % of said metal alloy;
• at least a portion of an outer surface of said first expandable frame includes a coating material selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride oxide (TiNOx) coating, titanium nitride (TiN) coating, chromium nitride (CrN) coating, zirconium nitride (ZrN) coating, zirconium oxide (ZrO2) coating, zirconium-nitrogen-carbon (ZrNC) coating, zirconium OxyCarbide (ZrOC) coating, and/or zirconium oxynitride (ZrNxOy) coating;
• inserting said first expandable device in said intramedullary canal while said first expandable device is in said unexpanded state such that at least a portion of said first expandable device is positioned in said first and second bone portions and traverses said fracture site;
• expanding said first expandable device in said intramedullary canal to said expanded state and to cause said longitudinal length of said first expandable device to shorten and to cause said first expandable device to at least partially repair said fractured bone;
• providing a second expandable device;
• said second expandable device includes a second expandable frame with an open cell configuration;
• said second expandable frame includes a plurality of interconnected struts;
• said second expandable frame, when oriented in an unexpanded shape and size, enables said second expandable device to be insert into said intramedullary canal;
• said expandable frame is configured to be expanded to an expanded shape and size;
• said second expandable frame has a longitudinal length that is sufficient to fully span said fracture site;
• said second expandable frame is expandable from a first cross-sectional size in said unexpanded state to a second cross-sectional size;
• a cross-sectional area of said second expandable frame in said second cross-sectional size is larger than a cross-sectional area of said second expandable frame in said first cross-sectional size;
• said longitudinal length of said second expandable frame in said unexpanded state is greater than said longitudinal length of said second expandable frame in said expanded state;
• said second expandable frame has a side wall that includes a plurality of open cells;
• said second expandable frame has a generally hollow tubular shape;
• at least 50 wt. % of said second expandable frame is formed of metal alloy that includes a) at least 15 awt. % rhenium and additive material, and wherein said additive material includes one or more metals that are selected from the group consisting of aluminum, boron, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, calcium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, hafnium, iridium, iron, lanthanum, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, osmium, palladium, platinum, rare earth metals, rhodium, ruthenium, scandium, silver, silicon, tantalum, technetium, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium, and wherein said rhenium and said additive material constitutes at least 90 wt. % of said metal alloy;
• at least a portion of an outer surface of said second expandable frame includes a coating material selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride oxide (TiNOx) coating, titanium nitride (TiN) coating, chromium nitride (CrN) coating, zirconium nitride (ZrN) coating, zirconium oxide (ZrO2) coating, zirconium-nitrogen-carbon (ZrNC) coating, zirconium OxyCarbide (ZrOC) coating, and/or zirconium oxynitride (ZrNxOy) coating;
• said longitudinal length of said second expandable frame in said unexpanded state is less than said longitudinal length of said first expandable frame in both said expanded and unexpanded state;
• inserting said second expandable device in said intramedullary canal and into an interior of said expanded first expandable device while said second expandable device is in said unexpanded state such that at least a portion of said second expandable device is positioned in said first and second bone portions and traverses said fracture site and wherein both ends of said second expandable device are spaced inwardly from ends of said expanded first expandable device;
• expanding said second expandable device in said intramedullary canal to said expanded state and to cause said longitudinal length of said second expandable device to shorten and to cause said second expandable device to at least partially repair said fractured bone and to increase a strength and/or rigidity about a region of said bone fracture;
• and
• wherein expansion of said first expandable device causes said first and second bone portions to move together and thereby cause a reduction in said fracture site width;
• and
• wherein expansion of said second expandable device in said intramedullary canal and in said interior of said expanded first expandable device results in both of said ends of said second expandable device to be spaced inwardly from said ends of said expanded first expandable device.