Retrograde tibial nail

A tibial nail for retrograde insertion into a tibia comprising:

• a proximal portion extending along a longitudinal axis including at least one cross-bore for receiving a locking screw;
• a tubular shank portion, said shank portion having a distal portion with a longitudinal axis extending at an angle a with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tubular portion the angle a being between 5° and 30°, the distal portion having a diameter larger than a diameter of the tubular shank portion;
• and
• a connecting portion connecting the proximal portion and a proximal end of said tubular shank portion, said connecting portion having a cross-section with a moment of inertia in an anterior-posterior direction less than 50% of the moment of inertia in the medial-lateral direction.

A method for stabilizing broken bones of the tibia comprising:

• making an incision between the lower leg and the upper ankle joint and exposing the anterior cortex of the tibia;
• opening the cortex of the tibia to expose the medullary canal;
• placing a guide wire up the medullary canal of the tibia;
• and
• inserting a cannulated nail in the canal, said nail having a proximal portion and a distal portion connected by an intermediate portion in which the nail has a cross-section wherein the moment of inertia in the anterior-posterior direction is less than half that in the medial-lateral direction so that the nail can flex anteriorly-posteriorly on insertion and movement in the proximal direction within the tibial medullary canal.