Fracture fixation device
Assemblies for securing a fractured or weakened bone within a subject's body are provided. The assembly includes a frame having an adjustable flexible member construct thereon. The adjustable flexible member construct is disposed in the frame such that the adjustable flexible member and the frame encircle the fractured or weakened bone.
1. A method for securing a fixation assembly to bone, comprising:
positioning a first side of a fixation plate against a first bone surface which is opposite a second bone surface;
arranging an adjustable suture construct so that the adjustable suture construct extends through an opening in the fixation plate and through bone located between the first bone surface and the second bone surface with a first button coupled to the adjustable suture construct being situated along and in contact with the second bone surface and with a second button coupled to the adjustable suture construct being situated on a second side of the fixation plate, wherein the adjustable suture construct includes a free end that extends through a longitudinal passage in the suture construct to form an adjustable loop, and wherein, with the free end extending through the longitudinal passage in the suture construct to form the adjustable loop, the free end can be pulled through the longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the adjustable loop; and
pulling on the free end of the suture construct while the adjustable suture construct is extending through the opening in the fixation plate and through bone located between the first bone surface and the second bone surface so as to decrease the size of the adjustable loop,
wherein the adjustable loop of the adjustable suture construct passes through the first button and through the second button so that the adjustable loop extends all the way from the first bone surface to the second bone surface during said pulling,
wherein the second button includes at least a first hole, a second hole, and a third hole with a summit of the adjustable suture construct passing through the first hole and the second hole and with the free end of the adjustable suture construct passing through the third hole.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said positioning positions at least part of the fixation plate over fractured or weakened bone.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fixation plate is elongated, and wherein said positioning positions a first part of the fixation plate over fractured bone and a second part of the fixation plate over healthy bone adjacent the fractured bone.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising fastening the fixation plate to underlying bone with a fastener that extends through a second opening in the fixation plate.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the free end is a first free end, the longitudinal passage is a first longitudinal passage, and the adjustable loop is a first adjustable loop, the adjustable suture construct further including a second free end that extends through a second longitudinal passage in the suture construct to form a second adjustable loop.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second free end passes through a fourth hole in the second button.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first longitudinal passage is separate from the second longitudinal passage in the adjustable suture construct.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein, with the first free end extending through the first longitudinal passage in the adjustable suture construct to form the first adjustable loop and with the second free end extending through the second longitudinal passage in the adjustable suture construct to form the second adjustable loop, the first free end can be pulled through the first longitudinal passage to decrease the size of the first adjustable loop without decreasing a size of the second adjustable loop and the second free end can be pulled through the second longitudinal passage to decrease the size of the second adjustable loop without decreasing the size of the first adjustable loop.
9. The method of claim 5 further comprising pulling on the second free end of the adjustable suture construct while the adjustable suture construct is extending through the opening in the fixation plate and through bone located between the first bone surface and the second bone surface so as to decrease the size of the second adjustable loop.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first longitudinal passage and the second longitudinal passage maintain positioning relative to the first button during said pulling on the first free end of the adjustable suture construct and said pulling on the second free end of the adjustable suture construct.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second button is disposed in the opening in the fixation plate.
12. A method for securing a fixation assembly to bone, comprising:
locating a fixation assembly relative to a first bone surface and a second bone surface that is opposite the first bone surface, wherein the located fixation assembly includes:
a fixation plate with a first side secured against the first bone surface;
an adjustable suture construct that extends through an opening in the fixation plate and through bone that is located between the first bone surface and the second bone surface, the adjustable suture construct including a first free end that extends through a first longitudinal passage in the suture construct to form a first adjustable loop and a second free end that extends through a second longitudinal passage in the suture construct to form a second adjustable loop, wherein, with the first free end extending through the first longitudinal passage in the suture construct to form the first adjustable loop and with the second free end extending through the second longitudinal passage in the suture construct to form the second adjustable loop, the first free end can be pulled through the first longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the first adjustable loop and the second free end can be pulled through the second longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the second adjustable loop;
a first button coupled to the adjustable suture construct and situated along and in contact with the second bone surface; and
a second button coupled to the adjustable suture construct and situated on a second side of the fixation plate; and
pulling on the first free end of the suture construct and the second free end of the suture construct while the adjustable suture construct is extending through the opening in the fixation plate and through bone that is located between the first bone surface and the second bone surface so as to decrease the size of the first adjustable loop and the size of the second adjustable loop,
wherein, in the located fixation assembly, the adjustable suture construct passes through the first button outside of bone and through the second button outside of bone so that the adjustable suture construct extends all the way from the first bone surface to the second bone surface during said pulling,
wherein the second button includes at least a first hole, a second hole, and a third hole with a summit of the adjustable suture construct passing through the first hole and the second hole and with the first free end of the adjustable suture construct passing through the third hole.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein, in the located fixation assembly, the summit of the adjustable suture construct is positioned outside of bone at the second button.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein said locating positions at least part of the fixation plate over fractured bone.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein, in the located fixation assembly, the second free end of the adjustable suture construct passes through and a fourth hole in the second button.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein, in the located fixation assembly, the second button is disposed in the opening in the fixation plate.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein said pulling draws the first button against the second bone surface and draws the second button against the fixation plate along the second side of the fixation plate so as to compress bone between the first bone surface and the second bone surface.
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first longitudinal passage is separate from the second longitudinal passage in the adjustable suture construct.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein, with the first free end extending through the first longitudinal passage in the adjustable suture construct to form the first adjustable loop and with the second free end extending through the second longitudinal passage in the adjustable suture construct to form the second adjustable loop, the first free end can be pulled through the first longitudinal passage to decrease the size of the first adjustable loop without decreasing a size of the second adjustable loop and the second free end can be pulled through the second longitudinal passage to decrease the size of the second adjustable loop without decreasing the size of the first adjustable loop.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first longitudinal passage and the second longitudinal passage maintain positioning relative to the first button during said pulling on the first free end and the second free end of the adjustable suture construct.
21. A method for securing a fixation assembly to bone, comprising:
positioning a first side of a fixation plate against a first bone surface which is opposite a second bone surface;
arranging an adjustable suture construct so that the adjustable suture construct extends through an opening in the fixation plate and through bone located between the first bone surface and the second bone surface with a first button coupled to the adjustable suture construct being situated along and in contact with the second bone surface and with a second button coupled to the adjustable suture construct being situated on a second side of the fixation plate, wherein the adjustable suture construct includes a suture having a suture body, a first free end, and a second free end, the suture body defining a hollow passage in the suture body that is situated between the first free end and the second free end of the suture, the first free end of the suture extending through a first aperture in the suture body, along a first longitudinal portion of the hollow passage, and out a second aperture in the suture body to form a first adjustable loop, the second free end of the suture extending through a third aperture in the suture body, along a second longitudinal portion of the hollow passage, and out a fourth aperture in the suture body to form a second adjustable loop, wherein the first aperture, the second aperture, the third aperture, and the fourth aperture are all separate apertures in the suture body, wherein, with the first free end extending along the first longitudinal portion of the hollow passage to form the first adjustable loop and with the second free end extending along the second longitudinal portion of the hollow passage to form the second adjustable loop, the first free end can be pulled through the first longitudinal portion of the hollow passage to decrease a size of the first adjustable loop and the second free end can be pulled through the second longitudinal portion of the hollow passage to decrease a size of the second adjustable loop; and
pulling on the first free end of the suture and the second free end of the suture while the adjustable suture construct is extending through the opening in the fixation plate and through bone located between the first bone surface and the second bone surface so as to decrease the size of the first adjustable loop and the size of the second adjustable loop,
wherein said arranging includes the first adjustable loop and the second adjustable loop passing: (i) through the first button as the first button is situated along and in contact with the second bone surface; and (ii) through the second button as the second button is situated on the second side of the fixation plate so that the first adjustable loop and the second adjustable loop extend all the way from the first bone surface to the second bone surface during said pulling,
wherein the second button includes at least a first hole, a second hole and a third hole with a summit of the adjustable suture construct passing through the first hole and the second hole and with the first free end of the suture passing through the third hole.
22. The method of claim 21 further comprising fastening the fixation plate to underlying bone with a fastener that extends through a second opening in the fixation plate.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein said positioning positions at least part of the fixation plate over fractured bone.
24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first longitudinal portion of the hollow passage and the second longitudinal portion of the hollow passage maintain positioning relative to the first button during said pulling on the first free end and the second free end of the suture.
25. The method of claim 21 , wherein, with the first free end extending through the first aperture in the suture body, along the first longitudinal portion of the hollow passage, and out the second aperture in the suture body to form the first adjustable loop and with the second free end extending through the third aperture in the suture body, along the second longitudinal portion of the hollow passage, and out the fourth aperture in the suture body to form the second adjustable loop, the first free end can be pulled through the first longitudinal portion of the hollow passage to decrease the size of the first adjustable loop without decreasing a size of the second adjustable loop and the second free end can be pulled through the second longitudinal portion of the hollow passage to decrease the size of the second adjustable loop without decreasing the size of the first adjustable loop.
26. The method of claim 21 , wherein said pulling draws the first button against the second bone surface and draws the second button against the fixation plate along the second side of the fixation plate so as to compress bone between the first bone surface and the second bone surface.
27. The method of claim 21 , wherein said arranging includes the second free end of the suture passing through a fourth hole in the second button.