Claims
- 1. Device for securing bits of bone together, including small-sized bits of bone, comprising:
a spindle having an longitudinal axis and comprising an elongate shank (1) with a weakened region (2) the weakened region configured to allow the elongate shank to be broken, a fixator element (3) following the weakened region, the fixator element having a frustonconical surface extending frustoconically so that the fixator element reduces in diameter in a direction of a free anterior end (4) of the fixator element, and, a screw thread on the frustoconical surface, the screw thread having a pitch decreasing progressively from said anterior end and, bottoms formed by said frustoconical surface, crests which lie inside a geometric cylinder (D) coaxial with the axis of the spindle, the screw thread covering an entire length of the fixator element from said anterior end to a posterior end, said anterior end (4) being beveled and forming a drilling end, so as to allow said anterior end to be screwed into the bits of bone.
- 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein,
the weakened region is in the form of a groove (2) of roughly triangular cross section (4) with a point defining an acutely angled groove bottom, which groove facilitates breakage, by angular tilting, of the fixator element with respect to the shank, while at the same time being able to withstand stresses generated as the fixator element is driven into the bits of bone.
- 3. Device according to claim 1, wherein sections of the threads are roughly triangular with one face inclined toward a front of the fixator element and one face roughly perpendicular to the axis of the spindle toward a rear of the fixator element (3).
- 4. Device according to claim 1, wherein,
the device is one of a set of devices comprising a number of like devices, dimensions of the fixator element (3) of each of the like devices varying as to at least one of length, screw thread crest diameter, cone angle, and pitch.
- 5. Device according to claim 4, wherein,
the like devices in the set have different lengths of fixator element (3), and a diameter of a geometric cylinder in which the crests of the thread lie remains constant.
- 6. Device according to claim 2, wherein sections of the threads are roughly triangular with one face inclined toward a front of the fixator element and one face roughly perpendicular to the axis of the spindle toward a rear of the fixator element (3).
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a division of co-pending application Ser. No. 10/184,895, filed on Jul. 1, 2002, which claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application 60/301,858, filed Jul. 2, 2001, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60301858 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10184895 |
Jul 2002 |
US |
Child |
10885658 |
Jul 2004 |
US |