Orthopedic system having detachable bone anchors
OwnerTimothy M. Sellersinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides an improved orthopedic system in which the part of a device that attaches to the bone is detachable from the rest of the device. The system includes a proximal bone anchor, associated proximal fastener, a distal bone anchor, and associated distal fastener. The bone anchors are affixed to the bone on opposing sides of the bone repair site, which may be an osteotomy. The fasteners serve to releasably mechanically couple the orthopedic device, which may be a distractor, to the bone anchors. In a preferred embodiment, the bone anchors are made from a resorbable material.
Claims36
An orthopedic system for use in moving a first bone section with respect to a second bone section, the system comprising:
- at least two bone anchors for anchoring the system to the first and second bone sections, respectively, each anchor having a bone-contacting surface and a fastener-connecting portion;
- and
- an orthopedic device for interconnecting and moving the at least two bone anchors with respect to one another, the orthopedic device including a plurality of fasteners, each fastener having an anchor-connecting portion, the anchor-connecting portion of each fastener and the fastener-connecting portion of the associated bone anchor providing a mechanical coupling of the orthopedic device to the bone anchor;
- whereby the mechanical coupling of the orthopedic device to the bone anchors can be released allowing the orthopedic device to be removed from the patient without removal of the bone anchors;
- wherein one of the anchor-connecting portion and the fastener connecting portion is a shoe, and the other one of the anchor-connecting portion and the fastener connecting portion is an engagement cavity;
- the shoe being sized and shaped to be slidingly received by the engagement cavity.
A method for treating a bone repair site in a patient comprising:
- making an incision for access to the bone repair site;
- providing at least two bone anchors;
- wherein the bone anchors each include one of a projection and an engagement cavity;
- attaching the bone anchors to the bone on each side of the bone repair site;
- providing an orthopedic device comprising a pair of fasteners having the other one of the projection and the engagement cavity;
- the projection being sized and configured to be slidably receivable within the engagement cavity;
- mechanically coupling the orthopedic device to each of the bone anchors;
- performing an orthopedic procedure using the orthopedic device;
- detaching the bone anchors form the fasteners so that the orthopedic device is separable from the bone anchors;
- and
- closing the incision.
An orthopedic distraction system for distracting two osteotomically separated bone sections of a patient, the system comprising:
- at least two bone anchors for subcutaneous implantation and attachment to the bone sections, each anchor having a bone-contacting surface and provided with a fastener-connecting portion;
- and
- an orthopedic distractor including a plurality of fasteners, each fastener having an anchor-connecting portion and a device-connecting portion for connecting to the orthopedic distractor the anchor-connecting portion of each fastener and the fastener-connecting portion of the associated bone anchor providing a releasable mechanical coupling of the distractor to the bone anchor;
- whereby the mechanical coupling of the orthopedic distractor to the bone anchors can be released allowing the orthopedic distractor to be removed from the patient without removal of the bone anchors;
- wherein the device-connecting portion of one of the fasteners comprises threads to mate with threads provided on the orthopedic distractor.
A linear distractor for moving a first bone section with respect to a second bone section, the distractor comprising:
- a first bone engaging member for subcutaneous implantation and attachment to the first bone section, the first bone engaging member including a bone contacting surface and an engaging cavity for receiving a first fastener;
- a second bone engaging member for subcutaneous implantation and attachment to the second bone section, the second bone engaging member including a bone contacting surface and an engaging cavity for receiving a second fastener;
- and
- a threaded distracting screw having an externally threaded portion, the threaded distracting screw being coupled to the first and second fasteners;
- wherein the first fastener is releasably coupled to the first bone engaging member and the second fastener is releasably coupled to the second bone engaging member so that rotation of the threaded distracting screw moves the first bone engaging member with respect to the second bone engaging member and wherein the first bone engaging member and the second bone engaging member are configured to remain attached to the respective first and second bone section after removal of the first and second fasteners.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.