EP0218492B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Drilling probe for an intramedullary nail, and suitable intramedullary nail
Assignee: Zimmer SA
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Filing: 1986-08-26
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Granted: 1989-11-08
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Expires: 2006-08-26
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Christian Tanguy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 02:31
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/56; A61B17/58; A61B17/68; A61B17/72; A61B17/16; A61B17/164; A61B17/7283
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
204 words
Boring sensor intended to be housed within an intramedullary tubular nail from an accessible end of the nail in order to drill a passage or a bore in the cortical wall of a bone that bears the nail, characterized in that it comprises a guiding and positioning unit (15) which is guided and axially movable in the internal recess (16) of the nail (1) and which bears a sheath 9, 17, 49) through which passes a flexible shaft (8) bearing at its distal end a boring head (12) and at its proximal end means (13) for coupling to a rotary motor (14) and in that said sheath (9, 19, 49) issues at its proximal end axially from the internal recess (16) of the nail and respectively at its distal end, laterally in the direction of the internal wall of the nail by a distal orifice (22) facing a screw hole (2) provided in the wall of the nail (1), the said unit (15) furthermore comprising positioning means (18, 19, 20) adapted to cooperate with the complementary positioning means (21) of the intramedullary nail (1), so as to set in position the proximal outlet of the sheath (9, 17, 49) facing the corresponding screw hole.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
204 words
Boring sensor intended to be housed within an intramedullary tubular nail from an accessible end of the nail in order to drill a passage or a bore in the cortical wall of a bone that bears the nail, characterized in that it comprises a guiding and positioning unit (15) which is guided and axially movable in the internal recess (16) of the nail (1) and which bears a sheath 9, 17, 49) through which passes a flexible shaft (8) bearing at its distal end a boring head (12) and at its proximal end means (13) for coupling to a rotary motor (14) and in that said sheath (9, 19, 49) issues at its proximal end axially from the internal recess (16) of the nail and respectively at its distal end, laterally in the direction of the internal wall of the nail by a distal orifice (22) facing a screw hole (2) provided in the wall of the nail (1), the said unit (15) furthermore comprising positioning means (18, 19, 20) adapted to cooperate with the complementary positioning means (21) of the intramedullary nail (1), so as to set in position the proximal outlet of the sheath (9, 17, 49) facing the corresponding screw hole.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
179 words
Sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that the said positioning means for the guiding unit comprise a ball (20) mounted so as to be movable within a housing (18) provided within said unit (15) according to an axis substantially transversal to the sliding direction of the said unit in the nail (1) and angularly shifted with respect to the distal outlet orifice or opening (22) of the sheath (2, 17, 49), this ball (20) being urged by a spring (19), in order to protrude from the external surface of the said unit in such a way as to be able to cooperate with the said complementary positioning means of the nail (1) that are constituted by a positioning recess (21) provided in the wall of the nail in a position determined with respect to the screw hole (2) of the nail, so that the engagement of the ball (20) within the positioning recess (21) is produced when the distal orifice (22) of the sheath (9, 17, 49) is substantially aligned upon the screw hole (2) of the nail.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
Guiding sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that the said positioning recess is constituted by a positioning hole or passage (21) crossing through the wall of the nail (1).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
Guiding sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that the housing (18) as well as the distal orifice (22) of the sheath (9, 17, 49) issue into zones of the guiding unit (15) that are in direct contact with the internal wall of the nail (1) when the said unit (15) is introduced into said nail.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
78 words
Guiding sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the guiding unit (15) is provided with an axial handling rod or tube (23) extending in the same general direction as the proximal part of the sheath (9, 17, 49) and comprises a gripping surface (24, 10, 50) that projects out of the proximal end of the said nail (1) for any given longitudinal position of the said guiding unit (15) within the nail.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
116 words
Boring sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the guiding and positioning unit (15) is provided with an internal passage (17) that is associated to the bore of the sheath (9) and presents a cross-section identical to that of said bore, the said passage (17) comprising a first portion (17a) aligned upon the bore of the sheath (9) and a second portion (17b) forming, with the said first portion (17a), an obtuse angle (a) and issuing towards the surface of the said guiding unit (15) through an orifice or opening (22) adapted to be aligned upon an inlet screw hole (2) provided in the wall of the intramedullary nail (1).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
Claim according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the sheath (49, 17) presents, in the guiding unit (15), a rigid wall and issues opposite the internal wall of the nail (1) in a position substantially perpendicular to this wall.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
Sensor according to claim 7, characterized in that the sheath (49, 17) presents, along its whole length a rigid wall within which is axially moved the flexible shaft (8) in order to control the feed and withdrawal movements of the boring head (12).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
89 words
Sensor according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the flexible shaft (8) comprises a flexible sheath (48), rigid or quasi rigid in compression, axially movable and inside of which is mounted a rotary flexible rod (51) presenting a high resistance to flexion-rotation stresses, and respectively bearing at its distal end, a boring head (12) intended to drill the cortical of the bone from the drilling passage (2, 3), provided in the wall of the nail (1), and at its proximal end, a driving in rotation head (13).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
53 words
Sensor according to claim 9, characterized in that the boring head (12) presents a bearing surface (12a) allowing the flexible sheath (48) to push the boring head in order to provoke its moving forward during its driving in rotation by the flexible rod (51), without exerting any axial effort upon this flexible rod.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
Sensor according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the boring head (12) and/or the driving in rotation head (13) is (are) secured onto the flexible rod (51) by crimping.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
173 words
Intramedullary nail with an internal cavity adapted to receive a boring sensor according to any one of claims 7 to 11 and presenting a substantially constant transversal outline having a generally tubular form and aligned inlet and outlet screw or pin holes, its distal end being slightly pointed while its proximal end is provided with at least one screw passage inclined with respect to the longitudinal median axis of the said nail, wherein it comprises at its distal end (1 b), prior to the pointed zone, on the one hand at least two pairs of holes or passages (2, 3; 2a, 3a) transversally aligned with respect to the axis (7) of the nail (1) for the passage of fixation screws of the bone crossing through the nail and on the other hand, positioning and locking means (21, 21 a) provided in the wall of the nail and adapted to cooperate with corresponding means, the said positioning means of the boring sensor, the positioning means each corresponding to one of the pairs of holes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
46 words
Nail according to claim 12, characterized in that the positioning means are constituted by a specific hole (21, 21a) different from those of the pairs of holes (2, 3; 2a, 3a) and intended to receive a protruding ball (20) or rod borne by the guiding sensor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
205 words
Intramedullary nail with an internal cavity that is adapted to receive the boring sensor according to claim 6, presenting a non-circular transversal outline, constant on the major portion of its length and provided, at least in the distal portion of its wall, with at least one inlet screw hole and at least one outlet screw hole aligned according to a common axis upon the inlet screw hole wherein the common axis of alignment (6) of the inlet (2) and outlet (3), screw holes is inclined with respect to the longitudinal median axis (7) of the said nail (1) under an angle alpha equal to the slope angle of the second portion (17b), of the passage (17) of the said guiding unit (15) of said boring sensor with respect to the first portion (17a), of this passage and in that a positioning recess (21) adapted to cooperate with the positioning ball (20) of the said unit (15) is provided in the wall of the nail in a part of the latter that is adapted to enter into direct contact with the surface of the said unit (15) when said unit is brought, through sliding in the nail, into the zone of this portion of the wall.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
Intramedullary nail according to claim 14, characterized in that the said positioning recess is constituted by a positioning hole (21) crossing through the wall of the nail (1).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
Intramedullary nail according to claim 15, characterized in that the axis of the positioning hole (21) is situated in the same plane as the common axis (6) of the said inlet and outlet screw holes (2, 3).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
Intramedullary nail according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the diameter of the positioning hole (21) is substantially larger than that of the outlet screw hole (3).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
Intramedullary nail according to one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the axis of the positioning hole (21) is situated in a plane that is angularly shifted with respect to the plane containing the common axis (6) of the inlet and outlet screw holes (2, 3).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
41 words
Intramedullary nail according to any one of claims 14 to 18, characterized in that its transversal cross-section presents a plurality of lobes (1a, 1b, 1c) the external outline of the guiding unit (15) matching at least one of the said lobes.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
37 words
Intramedullary nail according to claim 19, characterized in that there are three such lobes (1 a, 1 b, 1 c) the external outline of the guiding unit (15) matching two of these lobes (1 a, 1 c).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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