Bone clamp and installation tool

A bone clamp installation tool for an elongated clamping device having a proximal end for connection with the tool, having a distal end for passing through a hole in a bone and for providing a distal bone-engagement means, and having a proximal bone-engagement means slidably mounted thereon, said tool comprising:

• (a) a barrel consisting of a hollow tube having an inside wall between an upper end and a lower end thereof, said tube containing a keel-like longitudinal ridge protruding inward from said inside wall in the bottom portion of the barrel, wherein said ridge forms a retaining clip having a contact face oriented toward said upper end of the tube and disposed at an acute angle with said inside wall of the tube, so as to cooperatively engage the proximal end of the clamping device;
• and
• (b) a piston consisting of a hollow shaft with an outside diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of said tube so that the barrel and the piston can be slidably connected to form a syringe-type assembly, wherein said shaft has a longitudinal groove sized to fit snugly around the longitudinal ridge in said barrel;
• wherein said piston is sufficiently long to enable a user to push the proximal bone-engagement means slidably mounted on the clamping device as far as required during use.

An apparatus for installing a bone clamp through a hole in a bone, wherein a bone clamping device is attached to an installation tool, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a clamping device that comprises:
• (1) an elongated clamp pin consisting of a shaft having a proximal end for mounting on the installation tool and having a distal end for passing through a hole in a bone;
• (2) a distal hook consisting of a resilient distal wing attached to the distal end of said shaft and forming an acute angle therewith, so that said distal wing may provide a distal bone-engagement means for clamping the bone;
• (3) a proximal hook consisting of a proximal wing attached to the proximal end of said shaft and forming an acute angle therewith, so that said proximal wing may provide a means for firmly attaching the bone clamping device to the installation tool;
• (4) a plurality of resilient, peripheral notches disposed along said shaft, wherein each notch has as flat surface perpendicular to said shaft facing the distal end of the shaft and has a sloped surface facing the proximal end of the shaft;
• and
• (5) a clamp button having a central bore with a resilient inner lip capable of engaging said flat surface of each of said peripheral notches to prevent the button from sliding in the proximal direction, while the button is capable of resiliently sliding over the sloped surface of each notch to move in ratchet fashion toward the distal end of the shaft to provide a proximal bone-engagement means for clamping the bone;
• wherein said clamp pin and said clamp button consist of two separate components;
• and
• (b) an installation tool that comprises:
• (1) a barrel consisting of a hollow tube having an inside wall between an upper end and a lower end thereof, said tube containing a keel-like longitudinal ridge protruding inward from said inside wall in the bottom portion of the barrel, wherein said ridge forms a retaining clip having a contact face oriented toward said upper end of the tube and disposed at an acute angle with said inside wall of the tube, so as to cooperatively engage said proximal wing of the clamping device;
• and
• (2) a piston consisting of a hollow shaft with an outside diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of said tube so that the barrel and the piston can be slidably connected to form a syringe-type assembly, wherein said shaft has a longitudinal groove sized to fit snugly around the longitudinal ridge in said barrel;
• wherein said piston is sufficiently long to enable a user to push the proximal bone-engagement means slidably mounted on the clamping device as far as required during use.