Awls
AssigneeHowmedica, Inc.
InventorsAntony Koblish, Roger N. Levy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An awl suitable for both opening up a bone canal and for sizing that bone canal so as to obviate the use of a Charnley awl and the use of 4 to 5 distal reamers comprises (a) a tapered distal cutting head having a pointed first end, and a second end; and (b) a shaft attached to the second end, such that the shaft has a multiplicity of grooves calibrated so as to indicate the diameter of the isthmus of the bone canal. Also provided is a method of opening up a bone canal and of measuring the diameter of the isthmus of the bone canal with a single instrument.
Claims9
An awl for both opening up a bone canal and for measuring the size of the diameter of said bone canal so as to obviate use of a Charnley awl and use of 4 to 5 distal reamers, said awl comprising:
- (a) a tapered distal cutting head having (1) a pointed first portion having a sharp, substantially needle-like shape for punching holes and (2) a second portion adjacent to said first portion, said second portion having a multiplicity of cutting surfaces and a tapered shape which tapers from a smallest diameter to a largest diameter;
- and
- (b) a shaft attached to said second portion wherein said shaft has a multiplicity of grooves calibrated so as to indicate at least said largest diameter and said smallest diameter and thereby to permit reading off the diameter of the isthmus of said bone canal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.