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US 5,928,267 AGranted
Interconnecting bone across a fracture
AssigneePeter M. Bonutti
InventorsPeter M. Bonutti, Mark V. Brillhart
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AssigneePeter M. Bonutti
InventorsPeter M. Bonutti, Mark V. Brillhart
Estimating the term…
Surgical devices such as implants or suture fastenings are assembled from a plurality of discrete components, one of which components includes a heat bondable plastic material for bonding the components together. At least two components are bonded to each other by the applying heat to the heat bondable plastic material of one component. The heat bondable plastic material is preferably a polymeric or composite material suitable for surgical applications and implantation in humans, and may be a biodegradable material. A laser may be used as the heat source. The present invention is advantageously embodied in heat bonded fastenings for sutures or K-wires, in which a variety of different suture anchors are usable, including expandable distal suture anchors. Other embodiments include a metal bone plate which is held to bone by a metal bone screw and a nut of bondable material bonded to the plate to secure the connection; a piece of bondable material bonded to a metal prosthesis to custom fit the prosthesis; and a surgical implant custom formed by bonding together a plurality of discrete elements one or more of which is bondable.
A method of interconnecting first and second portions of a bone from one side of the bone and across a fracture between the first and second portions of the bone, said method comprising the steps of forming a passage which extends through the first portion of the bone from a first opening on the one side of the bone to the fracture and which extends from the fracture through the second portion of the bone to a second opening on the one side of the bone, connecting a first suture anchor with a first end portion of a suture, inserting the suture through the passage so that the first end portion of the suture extends through the first opening on the one side of the bone and a second end portion of the suture extends through the second opening on the one side of the bone with a portion of the suture between the first and second end portions of the suture extending across the fracture, connecting a second suture anchor with the second end portion of the suture so that the first and second suture anchors are disposed adjacent to the one side of the bone, and pressing the first and second portions of the bone together at the fracture under the influence of force transmitted through the suture to the first and second suture anchors.
A method of treating a fractured bone, said method comprising the steps of moving a suture through bone disposed on opposite sides of the fracture, tensioning the suture to transmit force from a first suture anchor to bone on a first side of the fracture with the suture extending across the fracture, and transmitting force from a second suture anchor to bone on a second side of the fracture under the influence of force transmitted from the first suture anchor and across the fracture through the suture to the second suture anchor.
A method of interconnecting first and second portions of a bone disposed on opposite sides of a fracture, said method comprising the steps of forming a first portion of a passage in the first portion of the bone, forming a second portion of the passage in a second portion of the bone, positioning a first suture anchor adjacent to a surface on the first portion of the bone, positioning a second suture anchor adjacent to a surface on the second portion of the bone, and tensioning a suture extending between the first and second suture anchors through the first and second portions of the passage to press the first portion of the bone against the second portion of the bone.
A method of interconnecting first and second portions of a bone disposed on opposite sides of a fracture, said method comprising the steps of forming a first opening in the first portion of the bone, forming a second opening in the second portion of the bone, moving a suture through the first and second openings, connecting a first suture anchor with a first end portion of the suture, tensioning the suture to transmit force from the suture to the first suture anchor, connecting a second suture anchor with a second end portion of the suture, and pressing the first portion of the bone against the second portion of the bone at the fracture under the influence of force transmitted between the first and second suture anchors through the suture.
A method of interconnecting first and second portions of a bone across a fracture between the first and second portions of the bone, said method comprising the steps of forming a passage which extends through the first portion of the bone from a first opening to the fracture and which extends from the fracture through the second portion of the bone to a second opening, connecting a first suture anchor with a first end portion of a suture, inserting the suture through the passage so that the first end portion of the suture extends through the first opening and a second end portion of the suture extends through the second opening with a portion of the suture between the first and second end portions of the suture extending across the fracture, connecting a second suture anchor with the second end portion of the suture, and pressing the first and second portions of the bone together at the fracture under the influence of force transmitted through the suture to the first and second suture anchors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.