Surgical fastener assembly

A surgical fastener assembly for coupling first and second bone portions across a fracture therebetween, said fastener assembly comprising:

• an elongated anchor endwise insertable within the first bone portion such that a first end region of said anchor is disposed on one side of the fracture while a second end region of the anchor is disposed on an opposite side of the fracture and wherein said anchor includes external threading extending along a lengthwise portion thereof for effecting securement of said anchor within the first bone portion;
• a series of pins operably associated with said first end of said anchor for movement between extended and retracted positions, wherein when pins are in said retracted position they have no operable anchoring effect between said anchor and the first bone portion, and wherein when said pins are in said extended position they radially extend outwardly from said anchor while remaining in operable association therewith thereby securing said anchor within the first bone portion;
• a mechanism for positively moving said pins in opposite directions between said extended and retracted positions;
• a guide adapted to be fixedly secured to the second bone portion, with a projection on said guide being guided by and along the second end region of said anchor;
• a fastener including an enlarged head portion and an externally threaded shank portion wherein, in an operative position, the shank portion of said fastener extends into threaded engagement with said anchor while the head portion of said fastener operably engages with said guide such that rotation of said fastener draws the first and second bone portions into relationship relative to each other.

A surgical fastener assembly for coupling first and second bone portions across a fracture therebetween, said fastener assembly comprising:

• an elongated anchor endwise insertable within the first bone portion such that a first end region of said anchor is disposed on one side of the fracture while a second end region of the anchor is disposed on an opposite side of the fracture;
• a series of pins operably associated with said first end of said anchor for movement between extended and retracted positions, wherein when said pins are in said retracted position they have no operable anchoring effect between said anchor and the first bone portion, and wherein when said pins are in said extended position they radially extend outwardly from said anchor while remaining in operable association therewith thereby securing said anchor within the first bone portion;
• a mechanism for positively moving said pins in opposite directions between said extended and retracted positions, wherein said mechanism comprises a driver mounted for free rotation within a cavity defined toward the first end of said anchor, said driver having external threading for engaging serrations on each of said pins whereby each pin is endwise and positively displaced in either direction of travel upon as a function of turning movements being imported to said driver;
• a guide adapted to be fixedly secured to the second bone portion, with a projection on said guide being guided by and along the second end region of said anchor;
• a fastener including an enlarged head portion and an externally threaded shank portion wherein, in an operative position, the shank portion of said fastener extends into threaded engagement with said anchor while the head portion of said fastener operably engages with said guide such that rotation of said fastener draws the first and second bone portions into relationship relative to each other.

A surgical fastener assembly for coupling first and second bone portions across a fracture therebetween, said fastener assembly comprising:

• an elongated anchor endwise insertable within the first bone portion such that a first end region of said anchor is disposed on one side of the fracture while a second end region of the anchor is disposed on an opposite side of the fracture and wherein said anchor defines a series of axially elongated channels each channel having a blind forward end and an opposite end opening to the periphery of said anchor;
• a series of pins, said pins accommodated within said series of axially elongated channels for endwise sliding movement therewithin and wherein said pins are operably associated with said first end of said anchor for movement between extended and retracted positions, wherein when said pins are in said retracted position they have no operable anchoring effect between said anchor and the first bone portion, and wherein when said pins are in said extended position they radially extend outwardly from said anchor while remaining in operable association therewith thereby securing said anchor within the first bone portion;
• a mechanism for positively moving said pins in opposite directions between said extended and retracted positions;
• a guide adapted to be fixedly secured to the second bone portion, with a projection on said guide being guided by and along the second end region of said anchor;
• a fastener including an enlarged head portion and an externally threaded shank portion wherein, in an operative position, the shank portion of said fastener extends into threaded engagement with said anchor while the head portion of said fastener operably engages with said guide such that rotation of said fastener draws the first and second bone portions into relationship relative to each other.

A surgical fastener assembly for coupling first and second bone portions across a fracture therebetween said fastener assembly comprising:

• an axially elongated bone screw defining an elongated axis and having external threading for anchoring a leading end of said bone screw endwise within the first bone portion such that the leading end portion of said anchor is disposed on one side of the fracture while a trailing end portion of the bone screw is disposed on an opposite side of the fracture, said bone screw defining an elongated bore and a series of axially elongated openings disposed about said axis, each opening being configured to intersect with said bore between opposite ends thereof and one end opening to the exterior of the bone screw;
• a series of elongated pins configured for endwise reception and movement within said series of openings defined by said bone screw such that a lengthwise portion of each pin passes proximate to the elongated axis of said screw and moves between a retracted position, wherein said pins offer no operable anchoring effect for said bone screw, and an extended position, wherein said pins radially extend outwardly from said screw to significantly enhance anchorage of said screw within the bone;
• a manually operated mechanism for effecting positive displacement of said pins in opposite direction relative to each other;
• a guide adapted to be fixedly secured to the second bone portion, with a projection on said guide being guided by and along the second end portion of said bone screw;
• and
• a fastener including an enlarged head portion and an externally threaded shank portion, wherein the shank portion of said fastener extends into threaded engagement with the trailing end portion of said bone screw while the head portion of said fastener operably engages with said guide such that rotation of said fastener draws the first and second bone portions into relationship relative to each other.

A hip pinning system for compressively interconnecting first and second fractured bones segments, said hip pinning system comprising:

• an axially elongated bone screw defining an elongated axis and having external threading extending axially therealong for anchoring a leading end portion of said bone screw endwise within the first bone segment such that the leading end portion of said bone screw is disposed on one side of the fracture while a trailing end portion of said bone screw is disposed on an opposite side of the fracture, said bone screw defining an elongated axial bore and a series of elongated arcuate openings intersecting with said bore between opposite ends thereof and having one end opening to an exterior of said bone screw;
• a series of elongated and arcuate shaped pins configured for endwise reception within said series of arcuate openings defined by said bone screw such that a lengthwise portion of each pin passes through said bore and is movable between a retracted position, wherein said pins offer substantially no anchoring effect, and an extended position, wherein said pins radially extend from said bone screw to significantly enhance securement of said bone screw within said bone;
• a driver arranged for turning movement in said bore of the bone screw and which is operably associated with each pin whereby turning movements of said driver positively effects endwise and substantially concomitant displacement of said pins in opposite directions within their respective openings and radially relative to said bone screw as a function of the direction of rotation of said driver;
• a guide adapted to be fixedly secured to the second bone segment, with a projection on said guide being guided by and along the trailing end portion of said bone screw;
• and
• a fastener including an enlarged head portion and an externally threaded shank portion, wherein the shank portion of said fastener extends into threaded engagement with the trailing end portion of said bone screw while the head portion of said fastener operably engages with said guide such that rotation of said fastener draws the first and second bone segments into compressive relationship relative to each other.

A surgical fastener for coupling first and second bone portions together across a fracture, comprising:

• an anchor member, said anchor member including external threading extending along a first portion thereof and having a bore extending substantially axially therethrough between first and second ends of the anchor member wherein, when in an operative position, the first portion of the anchor member including the first end thereof is mounted in the first bone portion and a second portion of the anchor member extends away from the first bone portion into the second bone portion;
• a guide adapted to be fixedly coupled to the second bone portion, wherein the guide includes a sleeve which, in the operative position, is received around the second portion of the anchor member;
• a compression screw which, in the operative position, engages an abutting surface of the guide and extends into the bore to threadably engage the anchor member so that rotation of the compression screw in a first direction draws the guide toward the anchor member while rotation of the compression screw in a second direction opposite to the first direction allows movement of the guide member with respect to the anchor member;
• a pin movably received within the anchor member for movement between an insertion/retraction position in which the pin is received within the anchor member and an extended position in which at least a tissue anchoring end of the pin extends from an outer surface of the anchor member;
• and
• a pin retraction/extension mechanism extending from the anchor member to the guide for moving, in an extension mode, the tissue anchoring end of the pin away from the insertion/retraction position and, in a retraction mode for drawing the tissue anchoring end of the pin toward the insertion/retraction position.