Orthopedic implant
An orthopedic device includes a fixator body having a first part and a second part that are connected by a joint and having an internally threaded bore extending longitudinally therethrough. A first pair of opposed longitudinally extending slots is provided in the first part and a second pair of opposed longitudinally extending slots is provided in the second part. A first and second pin-holders are received within and threadably engage the internally threaded bore of the first part and the second part, respectively, and are configured to removably hold a first and second sets of one or more bone fixation pins extending through the first and second pairs of opposed longitudinally extending slots, respectively.
1. An orthopedic device for fixating bone parts using two sets of one or more bone fixation pins, said device comprising:
an elongated fixator body having a first end and a second end and having an internally threaded bore extending longitudinally therethrough and having a longitudinal axis;
a pair of opposed longitudinally extending slots provided in the fixator body near the first end;
a slidable sleeve slidably provided over the fixator body for capturing and translating a first set of the one or more bone fixation pins, the slidable sleeve comprising:
a longitudinally extending bore in which the fixator body is slidably received; and
a pair of diametrically opposed holes provided for receiving each of a first set of one or more bone fixation pins, the pair of opposed holes being aligned with said pair of opposed longitudinally extending slots, each pair of opposed holes receiving one of the bone fixation pins from the first set of one or more bone fixation pins, the bone fixation pins being translated and locked by the slidable sleeve; and
a pin-holding set screw received in the first end of the fixator body and having a longitudinal axis that is in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the fixator body;
wherein the pin-holding set screw causes translation of the slidable sleeve along the longitudinal axis in a first longitudinal direction in response to rotation of the pin-holding set screw in a first rotational direction, and wherein the pin-holding set screw causes translation of the slidable sleeve along the longitudinal axis in a second longitudinal direction that is opposite the first longitudinal direction in response to rotation of the pin-holding set screw in a second rotational direction.
2. The orthopedic device of claim 1 , wherein the pin-holding set screw comprises:
a cannulated threaded head portion threadably engaging the internally threaded bore of the fixator body and having a longitudinal axis that is in alignment with the fixator body; and
an elongated pin holder rotatably attached to the cannulated threaded head portion and having at least one pin hole for passing at least one of the first set of one or more bone fixation pins therethrough, wherein the elongated pin holder is in axial alignment with the longitudinal axes of the cannulated threaded head portion and the threaded bore of the fixator body whereby the threaded head portion can freely rotate about the longitudinal axis of the pin-holding set screw with respect to the elongated pin holder.
3. The orthopedic device of claim 2 , wherein the diametrically opposed holes in the slidable sleeve and the pin holes in the elongated pin holder are aligned with the pair of opposed longitudinally extending slots of the fixator body whereby the first set of bone fixation pins can be inserted through each pair of the diametrically opposed holes in the slidable sleeve while passing through the pin holes in the elongated pin holder.
4. The orthopedic device of claim 2 , wherein the pin-holding set screw further comprises a cam that is configured for locking the position of the bone fixation pin received in said at least one pin hole provided in the elongated pin holder.
5. The orthopedic device of claim 4 , wherein the cam of the pin-holding set screw locks the position of the bone fixation pin received in said at least one pin hole provided in the elongated pin holder by urging against the slidable sleeve.
6. The orthopedic device of claim 4 , wherein the cam of the pin-holding set screw locks the position of the bone fixation pin received in said at least one pin hole provided in the elongated pin holder by urging against the bone fixation pin.
7. The orthopedic device of claim 2 , wherein the elongated pin holder includes a stem extending through a cannula of the threaded head portion.
8. The orthopedic device of claim 7 , wherein an end of the stem of the elongated pin holder is flared to hold the elongated pin holder and the threaded head portion together.
9. The orthopedic device of claim 4 , wherein the cam includes a camshaft portion and the camshaft portion is oriented orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the fixator body.