Apparatus for locating transverse holes of intramedullary implantates

Abstract

The apparatus serves to locate transverse holes V of intramedullary implantates, especially in the distal end of implanted interlocking nails, in the fracture treatment of bones. The apparatus includes at least one magnet (13, 16) generating an axially symmetrical field, and a magnetic field detection device (8, 9) having an axial reception characteristic, with one of said two directional elements being adapted to be aligned on the axis of the transverse hole (11) to be located. The other one of said two directional elements, e.g. the magnet (13), is freely movable exteriorly, and therefore adapted to be aligned with the axis of the transverse hole. The output signals of the magnetic field detection device (8, 9) are presented on a display device (17) through a signal processing device (15). By relative displacement of the magnet (13) and of the magnetic field detection device (8, 9), the two axes thereof may be made to coincide, which state can be displayed on the display device by a zero point indication.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.