Daniel T Alexander

US Patent:

63093928, Oct 30, 2001

Filed:

Dec 29, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/474701

Inventors:

Daniel Alexander - Novi MI
Terrence R. Burns - Snyder NY
John Rooney - Williamsville NY

International Classification:

A61B 1772

US Classification:

606 64

Abstract:

An intramedullary device facilitates fixation after installing in a bone cavity by drilling a pilot opening from the interior of the device through the bone cortical to the exterior. The intramedullary device is equipped with an internal baffle system which is a stationary and can remain a permanent fixed element of the rod for unimpeded steering of a cutting tool from the interior of the device through the bone cortical to the bone exterior. The interior baffle may consist of a laterally inclined chute allowing a bone boring tool on an elongated power transmission cable to be guidedly advanced downwardly to the interior of the device to a pin opening for cutting the bone cortical from the inside and forming the all important initial pilot opening in the bone. The pilot opening can then be utilized to form a continuous channel by introducing a drill bit from the outside of the bone through the two predrilled openings in the device and then cutting through the opposite bone cortical. A pin is inserted to complete the fixation of the intramedullary device to the bone.