Apparatus and method for prophylactic hip fixation

A method of strengthening and supporting a proximal femur of a patient, the patient's proximal femur including a shaft that defines an intramedullary canal and a head that extends medially from the shaft, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an apparatus including a housing, a support member, and an actuator operably coupled to the support member, the housing having a proximal end and a distal end, the housing defining an opening at a location between the proximal end and the distal end;
• implanting the distal end of the housing into the intramedullary canal of the patient's proximal femur with the support member in a first configuration, the support member being located substantially within the housing in the first configuration;
• and
• operating the actuator to adjust the support member from the first configuration to a second configuration, the support member extending through the opening in the housing and into the head of the patient's proximal femur in the second configuration, wherein the operating step comprises at least one of pulling the actuator proximally and pushing the actuator distally.

A method of strengthening and supporting a proximal femur of a patient, the patient's proximal femur including a shaft that defines an intramedullary canal, a greater trochanter that extends proximally from the shaft and a head that extends medially from the shaft, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an apparatus including a housing, a support member, and an actuator operably coupled to the support member, the housing having a proximal end and a distal end, the housing defining an opening at a location between the proximal end and the distal end;
• identifying the patient as being at high risk of experiencing a fracture of the proximal femur:
• forming an aperture in the patient's proximal femur, wherein the aperture is the only aperture formed in the patient's proximal femur;
• implanting the distal end of the housing through the aperture and into the intramedullary canal of the patient's proximal femur with the support member in a first configuration, the support member being located substantially within the housing in the first configuration;
• and
• operating the actuator to adjust the support member from the first configuration to a second configuration, the support member extending through the opening in the housing and into the head of the patient's proximal femur in the second configuration.