The invention relates to an interlocking nail, particularly for fractures of the proximal femur.
For a repair of trochanteric fractures and fractures of the femoral neck or femoral head, it is known to provide an interlocking nail which is driven into the femur from the proximal end and, in a an oblique through bore, guides a femoral neck pin which is introduced into the femoral head via the femoral neck of the femur. It is known to provide the femoral neck pin with a thread to allow it to be screwed into the femoral head (femoral neck screw); however, it is also known to design the femoral neck pin as a blade. In the proximal part of the interlocking nail, it is further known to provide a bore which interacts with the femoral neck pin in such a way that it can axially move in the oblique through bore, but cannot rotate. Such a nail is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,681.
The weight force of a patient who is provided with such an implant is essentially directed into the interlocking nail from the femoral neck pin. The nail cross-section, when under a load, is subjected to a combined stress which is composed of bending and tensile stresses. In case of an overload, a crack or fissure may develop, namely at the site at which the highest tensile stress occurs. The highest concentration of stress results on the sharp lateral edges on opposed sides of the femoral neck pin when it is in the oblique through bore. Thus, the so-called fatigue strength of the implant depends on the critical area having edges with a sharp-edged geometry. The highest tensile stresses occur at the screw inlet end of the bore.
It is one object of the invention to improve an interlocking nail of the aforementioned type by enhancing its fatigue strength.
An interlocking nail of the present invention has an edge formed around an oblique through bore formed in the interlocking nail. The edge may have four portions. Regarding the individual edge portions at the inlet end of the bore, the edge portions directed towards the proximal and distal ends of the nail are discriminated from those which are located towards the sides of the nail. In the interlocking nail of the present invention, the edges located towards the sides of the nail are flattened at the inlet end and/or outlet end of the bore to form flattened edge surface portions. The edge portions directed towards the distal and proximal ends of the nail are rounded. It is preferred that the surface portions defined by the rounded edges in the distal and proximal end areas are formed to be essentially concave in a side view.
The edge portions located towards the sides of the nail, for known nails, constitute the most critical portions for a load because they are in an area of reduced cross-section. In the invention, some material is removed from these edge portions in a way that avoids a notch effect and, hence, the risk of stress peaks forming in this area. Load-bearing capacity increases although material is removed. In addition, this essentially maintains the entire support area for the pin in the hole, particularly that of the femoral neck pin in the oblique through bore as is predetermined by the geometry of the nail and bore.
It is possible to provide for the removal of material by flattening the aforementioned edge. However, according to an aspect of the invention, it is preferred that a notch be formed which machines the entire edge at least of the inlet end, to define flattened edge portions located towards the sides of the nail. Also, it may be configured in geometry so as to maintain the sliding surface of the pin essentially over the entire length.
Preferably, the outer perimeter of the notch is rectangular or square and has rounded corners.
The relatively narrow, elongate surface portions on the opposed lateral edge portions preferably pass over, towards the proximal and distal sides of the inlet end or outlet end, into rounded surface portions which exhibit a concave run as seen from the side.
The invention is particularly useful for interlocking nails which receive a femoral neck pin in a proximal oblique hole. Also, the inventive relief of stress from the inlet end of the oblique hole is sufficient here. However, it is also suited for holes of the interlocking nail which are perpendicular to the nail axis and are distally disposed.
In the nail of the present invention, the fatigue strength of the implant is enhanced by varying the external geometry of the bore at the ends so as to bypass the stresses provoked by the load when in a clinical use. Critical areas are relieved of stress that arises because of sharp-edged geometries. The sharp edges are removed and the stress is spread over a larger surface. This advantage is attained with no harm caused to the sliding mechanism for the pin.
As discussed above, the stress lines run along the weakest cross-section in a through bore of a nail. By flattening the lateral edge portions of the inlet end of the oblique hole, the stress lines are bypassed around the cross-section in the area of higher strength. In another embodiment (
These and other objects of the invention are achieved by a nail for insertion into the medullary canal of the long bone, such as a femur, which nail has an elongated shank extending along the longitudinal axis from a first and to a second end of the nail shank. A cross-bore extends through the nail shank along an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis. The cross-bore is for receiving a bone fastener, such as a bone screw or a bone pin from an inlet side of the cross-bore to an outlet side thereof. When used in conjunction with the femur, the cross-bore may be at an oblique angle and extend through the proximal end of the nail into the head of the femur. An outer surface surrounding the bore inlet end has recessed edges along first and second sides thereof with at least central portions of the recessed edges being substantially planar and extending in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shank. Where the recessed edges intersect the edges of the throughbore, the sharp corners may be relieved such as by rounding or blending the recessed edge into the inner bore.
The recessed edges form first and second sides of a notch in the outer surface surrounding the bore with the first and second recessed edges being connected by a third side of the notch with the third side extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the nail axis. Preferably, the third side is rounded. When the nail is a femoral nail, the rounding is at least on the distal side of the outer surface surrounding the bore. The first and second recessed sides are also connected by a fourth side located closer to the first end of the nail, which, in the femur is the proximal end. The fourth side may also be rounded. The first and second sides have portions which are parallel and, similarly, the third and fourth sides have edges which are parallel to each other. Preferably, the parallel portions of the first and second sides are perpendicular to the parallel portions of the third and fourth sides.
The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings.
An interlocking nail 10 as is illustrated in
The nail 12 is completely formed with an axial through bore 20 and the proximal end has provided thereon two threaded portions 22, 24 which are different in diameter, the internal one 24 serving for the reception of an interlocking pin or set screw, which is not shown, for the femoral neck pin and the thread 22 serving for the reception of an insertion and targeting instrument, which is not shown, for fixing the nail via the proximal femur. A radial recess 26 at the proximal end serves for orienting the insertion and targeting instrument on the nail 10 in a rotary sense. These constructional features mentioned are known in the state of the art. The description which follows is focused on the oblique bore 18. As shown
As shown in the Figures the area of the inlet end 30, in a plan view, has formed therein a notch 31 (
The above described configuration of the notch 31 to be made in the oblique hole 18 in the inlet area for the femoral neck pin can be produced by a relatively easy manufacturing technique. The notch 31 ensures a marked reduction of the stress peaks in the end portions of the bore 18 when the femoral neck pin in the bore 18 is loaded by the force of the patient's weight, specifically at the inlet end, with no noticeable reduction to the sliding surface of the femoral neck pin, i.e. the support surface for the femoral neck pin in the oblique bore 18. The removal of material from the inlet end 30 can be readily seen from
A similar surface preparation may be performed on outlet end 32 of bore 18.
Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
203 01 902 U | Feb 2003 | DE | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5176681 | Lawes et al. | Jan 1993 | A |
5346492 | Morgan | Sep 1994 | A |
5374235 | Ahrens | Dec 1994 | A |
5472444 | Huebner et al. | Dec 1995 | A |
5733287 | Tepic et al. | Mar 1998 | A |
5743908 | Kim | Apr 1998 | A |
6224601 | Friedl | May 2001 | B1 |
6808527 | Lower et al. | Oct 2004 | B2 |
6942665 | Gambale | Sep 2005 | B2 |
20020173792 | Severns et al. | Nov 2002 | A1 |
20030073999 | Putnam | Apr 2003 | A1 |
20040172026 | Ekholm et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
20040172027 | Speitling et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
43 18 150 | Dec 1994 | DE |
43 41 677 | Jul 1995 | DE |
203 01 902 | Jun 2003 | DE |
2209947 | Jun 1989 | GB |
WO-01 39679 | Jun 2001 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20040172027 A1 | Sep 2004 | US |