Fixation Clamp

A clamping assembly for use in an external fixation system for holding bone fragments adjacent to each other with the help of fixation elements, comprising:

• a locking shaft;
• and
• a first clamping assembly and a second clamping assembly each having a first jaw and a second jaw, the first and second jaws each having a plurality of grooves being arranged relative to the grooves of the other of the first and second jaws such that the plurality of grooves of the first and second jaws together form a plurality of reception cavities each having differing cross-sectional dimensions for receipt of differently sized fixation elements therein, the plurality of reception cavities having longitudinal axes lying in a first plane,
• wherein the first and second jaws, of at least one of the first and second clamping assemblies, have polygonal surfaces centrally located on the first and second jaws, portions of the polygonal surfaces are positioned apart from each other when other portions of the first and second jaws are in contact with each other,
• wherein one groove of the plurality of grooves of the first and second clamping assemblies has a ridge extending from the one groove and along a length of the one groove, the ridges of the first and the second clamp assemblies extending in opposite directions from each other, and
• wherein the first and second clamping assemblies are mounted to the locking shaft in a first configuration such that the first and second clamping assemblies are independently rotatable about an axis of the locking shaft.

A clamping assembly for use in an external fixation system for holding bone fragments adjacent to each other with the help of fixation elements, comprising:

• a locking shaft;
• a first clamping assembly including an inner jaw and an outer jaw mounted on the locking shaft, the inner and outer jaws each having outer side surfaces and a plurality of grooves, the plurality of grooves of the inner jaw being arranged relative to the plurality of grooves of the outer jaw so as to form a plurality of reception cavities for accommodation of fixation elements, wherein one reception cavity of the plurality of reception cavities includes a first ridge extending along a groove of the plurality of grooves and a second ridge extending along a groove of the plurality of grooves, the first and second ridges extending along a length of the one reception cavity and parallel to each other, and wherein a bore in each of the inner and outer jaws configured for receiving the locking shaft;
• and
• a second clamping assembly including an inner jaw having a first central region and an outer jaw having a second central region, the inner and outer jaws of the second clamping assembly are mounted on the locking shaft such that inner jaws of the first and second clamping assemblies are positioned adjacent each other and the first and second central regions of the second clamping assembly are configured to be spaced apart from each other at a location when the inner and outer jaws of the second clamping assembly are adjacent to each other.