Hammertoe implant and instrument

A surgical system, comprising:

• a surgical tool, comprising:
• a shaft sized and configured to be received within a canal formed in a bone, the shaft having a conical head with a pointed tip at a distal end of the shaft;
• and
• at least one expandable cutting edge formed integrally with the shaft, wherein the expandable cutting edge comprises a collapsed position configured for insertion into the canal with the expandable cutting edge extending away from the pointed tip, in a proximal direction toward a proximal end of the shaft and an expanded position configured to form a reverse countersink in the canal with the expandable cutting edge extending in a direction having a radial component and a component in the proximal direction, and wherein the expandable cutting edge is configured to be deployed to the expanded position after being inserted into the canal;
• and
• a surgical implant, comprising:
• a first end configured to couple to a first bone;
• a second end;
• a first expandable section comprising at least one expandable feature, wherein the first expandable section is sized and configured to be received within a reverse countersink formed in a second bone in a collapsed state, and wherein the first expandable section is configured to expand within the reverse countersink such that the at least one expandable feature couples to a bearing surface of the reverse countersink, wherein the at least one expandable feature comprises a plurality of expandable arms each having a connection end and a free end, the connection end coupled to a distal portion of the second end and the free end being proximally disposed relative to the connection end to couple to the bearing surface of the reverse countersink, wherein the free ends of the plurality of expandable arms define a first diameter when in a collapsed state and a second diameter when fully expanded, and further wherein the countersink defines a countersink diameter, the second diameter being equal to or greater than the countersink diameter;
• and
• an elongate shaft extending longitudinally between the first end and the second end, wherein a proximal portion of the second end is coupled to the elongate shaft.

A method for correcting hammertoe, comprising the steps of:

• forming a first canal in a first bone;
• forming a second canal in a second bone;
• inserting a surgical instrument into the second canal, wherein the surgical instrument comprises a shaft, a conical head with a pointed tip located at a distal end of the shaft, and an expandable cutting edge formed integrally with the shaft and deployable from a collapsed position with the expandable cutting edge extending away from the pointed tip, in a proximal direction toward a proximal end of the shaft, to an expanded position with the expandable cutting edge extending in a direction having a radial component and a component in the proximal direction;
• and
• rotating the surgical tool to form a reverse countersink in the second canal of the second bone
• inserting a first end of the implant into the first canal in the first bone;
• inserting a second end of an implant into the second canal in the second bone, the implant comprising an expandable section wherein the expandable section comprises at least one expandable feature, wherein the expandable section is inserted through the second canal to the reverse countersink in a collapsed position, wherein the at least one expandable feature expands within the reverse countersink such that the at least one expandable feature couples to a bearing surface of the reverse countersink, and wherein the at least one expandable feature comprises a plurality of expandable arms each having a connection end and a free end, the connection end coupled to a distal portion of the second end and the free end being proximally disposed relative to the connection end to couple to the bearing surface of the reverse countersink, wherein the free ends of the plurality of expandable arms define a first diameter when in a collapsed state and a second diameter when fully expanded, and further wherein the countersink defines a countersink diameter, the second diameter being equal to or greater than the countersink diameter.

A method for correcting hammertoe, comprising the steps of:

• forming a first canal in a first bone;
• forming a second canal in a second bone;
• inserting a surgical instrument into the first canal, wherein the surgical instrument comprises a shaft, a conical head with a pointed tip located at a distal end of the shaft, and an expandable cutting edge formed integrally with the shaft and deployable from a collapsed position with the expandable cutting edge extending away from the pointed tip, in a proximal direction toward a proximal end of the shaft, to an expanded position with the expandable cutting edge extending in a direction having a radial component and a component in the proximal direction;
• rotating the surgical tool to form a reverse countersink in the first canal of the first bone;
• inserting the surgical instrument into the second canal;
• rotating the surgical tool to form a reverse countersink in the second canal of the second bone;
• and
• inserting a first end of an implant into the first canal in the first bone, the implant comprising a first expandable section having at least one expandable feature, wherein the first expandable section is inserted through the first canal to the reverse countersink in a collapsed position, and wherein the at least one expandable feature expands within the reverse countersink such that the at least one expandable feature couples to a bearing surface of the reverse countersink, and wherein the at least one expandable feature comprises a plurality of expandable arms each having a connection end and a free end, the connection end coupled to a proximal portion of the first end and the free end being distally disposed relative to the connection end to couple to the bearing surface of the reverse countersink, wherein the free ends of the plurality of expandable arms define a first diameter when in a collapsed state and a second diameter when fully expanded, and further wherein the countersink defines a countersink diameter, the second diameter being equal to or greater than the countersink diameter.