Granted Patent B2

US 8,303,598 · App. 11/616,714 · Granted Nov 6, 2012

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. A method of aspirating a fluid from a bone, comprising:

preparing an opening in a bone using a bone tap, wherein the bone tap comprises a body, a passage extending along at least a portion of the body, one or more openings located at a distal end of the body and communicating with the passage, and threading located near the distal end of the body of the bone tap;

aspirating a first fluid from the bone through at least one of the openings and the passage of the bone tap, wherein the first fluid comprises bone marrow;

after the aspirating step, introducing a second fluid to the bone through the passage and at least one of the openings of the bone tap, wherein the second fluid comprises bone cement;

allowing the bone cement to spread to a portion of the bone, wherein the bone cement is allowed to harden at least partially before the bone tap is removed from the opening in the bone formed by the bone tap: and

removing the bone tap from the opening in the bone.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein preparing the opening in the bone using the bone tap further comprises:

attaching a driver to the bone tap;

placing the bone tap at an initial opening formed in the bone; and

rotating the bone tap to thread the bone tap into the bone.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein aspirating the first fluid from the bone comprises:

coupling a fluid retrieval system to the bone tap; and

activating the fluid retrieval system to move the first fluid through from the bone and throughout the bone tap.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the bone tap from the opening in the bone further comprises:

coupling a driver to the bone tap; and

using the driver to remove the bone tap from the bone.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second fluid further comprises at least one of medicine, synthetic bone material, a dye, a bone healing substance, and bone growth proteins.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bone comprises one of a pelvis, a sacrum and a vertebral body.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after the bone tap is removed from the opening in the bone formed by the bone tap, introducing a bone fastener into the opening in the bone formed by the bone tap.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

before the aspirating step, introducing a third fluid to the bone through the passage and at least one of the openings of the bone tap.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

before introducing the bone cement to the bone, introducing a third fluid, a gas, an emulsion, or a suspension to the bone through the passage and at least one of the openings of the bone tap.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the third fluid comprises medical adhesive, epoxy, bone healing substance, bone growth promotion substance, radio-opaque dye, medicine, antibacterial agents, or a combination thereof.

11. A method of aspirating a fluid from a bone, comprising:

preparing an opening in a bone using a bone tap, wherein the bone tap comprises a body, a passage extending along at least a portion of the body, one or more openings located at a distal end of the body and communicating with the passage, and threading located near the distal end of the body of the bone tap;

aspirating a first fluid from the bone through at least one of the openings and the passage of the bone tap, wherein the first fluid comprises bone marrow;

introducing a second fluid to the bone through the passage and at least one of the openings of the bone tap;

allowing the second fluid to spread to a portion of the bone, wherein the second fluid comprises a bone filler and a medicament;

removing the bone tap from the opening in the bone; and

introducing a bone fastener into the opening in the bone formed by the bone tap.

12. A method of aspirating a fluid from a bone, comprising:

preparing an opening in a bone using a bone tap, the bone tap comprising:

a body;

a passage through at least a portion of the body;

threading located near a distal end of the body; and

one or more openings through the threading in communication with the passage, the one or more openings configured to introduce bone filler into the bone;

aspirating a first fluid from the bone through at least one of the openings and the passage of the bone tap, wherein the first fluid comprises bone marrow;

introducing a second fluid to the bone through the passage and the one or more openings in the bone tap, wherein the second fluid comprises bone cement;

partially withdrawing the bone tap from the opening in the bone formed by the bone tap;

introducing additional bone cement one or more times in the opening in the bone formed by the bone tap; and

withdrawing the bone tap from the bone, wherein the bone tap is removed from the opening after the bone cement begins to cure.

Assignments (6)