Intramedullary trial fixation device

An apparatus for securing a trial stem in a medullary canal of a resected humerus, comprising:

• a) a body having a proximal end and a distal end, the body adapted to receive a trial stem and adapted to be received in the medullary canal;
• b) a fixation portion for engaging the trial stem, the fixation portion comprising:
• a first capture member attached to the body having a first aperture;
• a second capture member having a second threaded aperture;
• and
• a first tension bolt, wherein the first tension bolt is adapted to extend through the first aperture and thread through the second aperture such that when the tension bolt is tightened the second capture member moves toward the first capture member to engage the trial stem;
• and
• c) a trial stem.

A system for surgical replacement of a joint articulating portion of a bone, comprising:

• a) a selection of prosthetic implants each having a stem member and a head member, the stem members being of various lengths and diameters, each stem member having a first end adapted to be received within the medullary canal of a resected bone and a second end connected to the head member, the head members being of various heights and diameters adapted to approximate the size and shape of the joint articulating surface requiring replacement;
• b) a selection of trials each having a trial stem member and a trial head member, the trial stem members being of various lengths and diameters corresponding to the lengths and diameters of the prosthetic implant stem members, the trial stem members each having a first end adapted to be received within the medullary canal of a resected bone and a second end connected to the trial head member, the trial head members being of various heights and diameters corresponding to the heights and diameters of the prosthetic implant head members;
• c) a selection of fixation devices of various sizes corresponding to the lengths and diameters of the trial stem for securing the trial stem in the medullary canal, comprising:
• a body having a proximal end and a distal end, the body adapted to be received in the bone and adapted to receive the trial stem;
• and
• a fixation portion attached to the body for engaging the trial stem;
• d) a trial fixation device driver for inserting the fixation device and attached trial stem in the medullary canal;
• and
• e) a trial fixation device extractor for removing the fixation device from the medullary canal.

A method for replacing a joint articulating portion of a bone in a patient comprising:

• (a) resecting an end of the patient's bone;
• (b) selecting a trial having a trial stem member and a trial head member, the trial stem member having a length and diameter that corresponds to the length of the resected bone and the diameter of the medullary canal of the resected bone, wherein the trial stem member comprises a first end adapted to be received in the medullary canal and second end coupled to the trial head member;
• (c) selecting the trial head member having a height and diameter that corresponds to the height and diameter of the joint articulating surface of the bone being replaced;
• (d) selecting a fixation device that corresponds to the trial stem member, the fixation device comprising a body portion adapted to be received in the resected bone and adapted to receive the trial stem member, and a fixation portion attached to the body for engaging the trial stem member;
• (e) engaging the fixation device on the trial stem member;
• (f) implanting the assembled trial and fixation device into the patient's bone and testing various orientations of the trial head member and trial stem member;
• (g) repeating steps (c) through (f) as necessary to select a desired head size and a desired orientation;
• (h) extracting the trial and fixation device from the patient;
• (i) selecting a prosthesis implant head and stem that correspond to the size and shape of the trial head member and trial stem member, wherein the prosthesis implant stem comprises a first end adapted to be received within the medullary canal of the resected bone and a second end connected to the implant head;
• (j) implanting the prosthesis implant into the patient's resected bone.