Drill guide and method for avoiding intramedullary nails in the placement of bone pins

Claim 2

A drill guide apparatus for guiding placement of external fixation pins in the bone of a human limb while avoiding an implanted intramedullary nail, comprising: a) a drill guide body with a plurality of guide holes therethrough, each adapted to receive a drill bit and bone pins; b) connecting means for connecting the drill guide body to the intramedullary nail implanted in the bone while aligning the guide holes in a fixed position relative to the nail so that the hole centerlines extend along a side of the nail, enabling a drill to track a selected opening during drilling, and avoid the nail; c) the connecting means including a beam having a beam outer surface adapted to extend laterally between the top of the nail and the body; and d) the body having a beam opening therethrough that conforms to the outer surface of the beam, so that the body is attachable to the beam at the beam opening, the body being slidably mounted on the beam and movable into multiple lateral positions along the beam, whereby the body may be spaced from the nail axis at a selected distance.

Claim 3

The drill guide of claim 1, wherein the drill guide body is elongated in shape with the plurality of guide holes oriented in two parallel rows positioned on the longitudinal axis of the drill guide body.

Claim 4

The drill guide of claim 1, wherein the connecting means includes a slotted keyed hole on the body for connecting and aligning the drill guide body on the beam.

Claim 5

The drill guide of claim 3, wherein the keyed hole cooperates with a keyway on the beam for aligning the drill guide body with the implanted nail.

Claim 6

The drill guide of claim 3, wherein the connecting means includes a screw means for tightening the slotted keyed hole.

Claim 7

The drill guide of claim 1, wherein the guide body is formed of a radiolucent or radiotransparent material.

Claim 8

The drill guide of claim 1, wherein the plurality of guide holes are positioned on the drill guide body to allow use on a selected side of a human body.

Claim 9

The drill guide of claim 2, wherein the plurality of holes are angled in relation to the longitudinal axis of the drill guide body, the angle being in the range of 0° to 50° .

Claim 10

A drill guide for guiding placement of external fixation pins in the bone of a human limb while avoiding an implanted intramedullary nail having a central longitudinal axis, comprising: a) a drill guide means for guiding a drill bit so that external fixator pin holes can be formed in the bone of a human limb, the drill guide means including a drill guide body with a plurality of guide holes and a handle opening therethrough, each adapted to receive a drill bit and bone pins, the drill guide means having a central longitudinal axis; b) connecting means for connecting the drill guide means to the implanted intramedullary nail, while aligning the guide holes in a fixed position relative to the nail so that the hole centerlines extend along a side of the nail, enabling a drill to track a selected opening during drilling, and simultaneously avoid the nail; c) the connecting means including a drill guide handle having an outer surface adapted to extend laterally between the top of the nail and the drill guide body, a handle free end portion, an attachment portion, and an elongated central portion having a central longitudinal axis; d) the central longitudinal axis of the drill guide handle forming a first right angle with the central longitudinal axis of the implanted intramedullary nail and the central longitudinal axis of handle forming a second right angle with the central longitudinal axis of the drill guide means when the drill guide means is connected to the free end of the drill guide handle so as to provide parallel alignment of the central axis of the intramedullary nail with the central axis of the drill guide means; and e) the drill guide body handle opening conforming generally to the outer surface of the handle, so that the drill guide body is attachable to the handle at the handle opening; f) the drill guide body being movable along the length of the elongated central portion of the handle into various adjustment positions, whereby the axis of the nail and body remain in parallel alignment in each adjustment position.

Claim 11

A drill guide for guiding placement of external fixation pins in the bone of a human limb while avoiding an implanted intramedullary nail having a central longitudinal axis, comprising: a) a drill guide means for guiding a drill bit so that external fixator pin holes can be formed in the bone of a human limb, the drill guide means including a drill guide body with a plurality of guide holes and a handle opening therethrough, each adapted to receive a drill bit and bone pins, the drill guide means having a central longitudinal axis; b) connecting means for connecting the drill guide means to the implanted intramedullary nail, while aligning the guide holes in a fixed position relative to the nail so that the hole centerlines extend along a side of the nail, enabling a drill to track a selected opening during drilling, and simultaneously avoid the nail; c) the connecting means including a drill guide handle having an outer surface adapted to extend laterally between the top of the nail and the drill guide body, a handle free end portion, an attachment portion, and an elongated central portion having a central longitudinal axis; d) the central longitudinal axis of the drill guide handle forming a first right angle with the central longitudinal axis of the implanted intramedullary nail and the central longitudinal axis of handle forming a second right angle with the central longitudinal axis of the drill guide means when the drill guide means is connected to the free end of the drill guide handle so as to provide parallel alignment of the central axis of the intramedullary nail with the central axis of the drill guide means; and e) the drill guide body handle opening conforming generally to the outer surface of the handle, so that the drill guide body is attachable to the handle at the handle opening; f) the drill guide body being movable along the length of the elongated central portion of the handle into various adjustment positions, whereby the axis of the nail and body remain in parallel alignment in each adjustment position.

Claim 12

A drill guide apparatus for guiding placement of external fixation pins in the bone of a human limb, comprising: a) an implantable intramedullary nail that can be surgically placed in the intramedullary canal of the patient's bone; b) a drill guide body with one or more guide holes therethrough, each adapted to receive a drill bit and bone pins; c) beam means extending between the drill guide body and the intramedullary nail for supporting the drill guide body in a desired position adjacent the patient's limb; d) connecting means for connecting the drill guide body to the implantable intramedullary nail while aligning the guide holes in a fixed position relative to the nail so that the hole centerlines extend along a side of the nail, enabling a drill to track a selected opening during drilling, and avoid the nail; e) the connecting means including a beam having an outer surface adapted to extend laterally between the top of the nail and the body; e) a drill sleeve that interfaces with each of the holes opening; and f) connecting means interlocking the sleeve and the body for preventing longitudinal and lateral movement of the drill sleeve relative to the body.

Claim 13

A drill guide apparatus for guiding placement of external fixation pins in the bone of a human limb, comprising: a) an implantable intramedullary nail that can be surgically placed in the intramedullary canal of the patient's bone; b) a drill guide body with one or more guide holes therethrough, each adapted to receive a drill bit and bone pins; c) beam means extending between the drill guide body and the intramedullary nail for supporting the drill guide body in a desired position adjacent the patient's limb; d) connecting means for connecting the drill guide body to the implantable intramedullary nail while aligning the guide holes in a fixed position relative to the nail so that the hole centerlines extend along a side of the nail, enabling a drill to track a selected opening during drilling, and avoid the nail; e) the connecting means including a beam having an outer surface adapted to extend laterally between the top of the nail and the body; e) a drill sleeve that interfaces with each of the holes opening; and f) connecting means interlocking the sleeve and the body for preventing longitudinal and lateral movement of the drill sleeve relative to the body.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the connecting means comprises a threaded connection.

Claim 15

The drill guide apparatus of claim 10 wherein the connecting means comprises internal threads on each of the guide holes and a corresponding external thread on the drill sleeve.

Claim 16

The drill guide apparatus of claim 10 wherein the drill sleeve is generally cylindrically shaped and provides a distal end portion having teeth thereon.

Claim 17

The drill guide apparatus of claim 10 wherein an drill sleeve has an external diameter that is substantially that of the internal diameter of each of the drill guide holes and the connecting means comprises corresponding threaded portions on the drill sleeve and on the drill guide body within each of the guide holes that interlock upon connection of the drill sleeve to the guide holes.

Claim 18

The drill guide apparatus of claim 10 wherein the drill guide sleeve has proximal and distal end portions, and the proximal end portion is positioned adjacent the drill guide body upon assembly of the drill sleeve to the drill guide body at the opening.