Staples and staple delivery and drill guides
The present disclosure provides staples, and corresponding staple guides, for applying a compressive force between biological elements. The staples may include a bridge portion and a pair of tines extending from the bridge portion configured for implantation into biological elements. The tines may be spaced a first distance in a first state of the bridge portion. The bridge portion may be elastically deformable into a second state with the pair of tines spaced a second distance that is greater than the first distance and the tines pre-loaded to apply a compressive force therebetween. The guides may include a staple engagement portion operable to maintain the biased state of the staple, and/or a drill guide portion operable to facilitate the formation of apertures spaced the second distance in the biological elements.
1. A method of compressing biological elements, comprising:
forming a first pair of apertures within a pair of biological elements, wherein the forming the first pair of apertures comprises forming the first pair of apertures within the pair of biological elements via a pair of openings in a drill guide portion of a guide;
elastically deforming a substantially horseshoe shaped bridge portion of a staple from a first state to a second state to increase a separation distance between a pair of tines of the staple from a first distance in the first state to a second distance in the second state, wherein the pair of openings in the drill guide portion of the guide are spaced the second distance;
the bridge portion connecting the pair of tines and comprising a curved portion and opposite leg portions, the curved portion having an arched inner surface and an arched outer surface, the inner surface and the leg portions bounding an open space;
the pair of tines extending from the bridge portion and including free ends configured to be implanted into the biological elements;
each tine of the tines extending along a first direction defined between the bridge portion and a free end of the free ends thereof;
maintaining the second state of the bridge portion;
implanting the pair of tines of the staple into the pair of apertures formed in the pair of biological elements to allow engagement of a plurality of engagement mechanisms of the pair of tines with the biological elements, the plurality of engagement mechanisms positioned on portions of the tines that substantially face the other tine of the pair of tines along the first direction;
releasing the potential energy of the elastic deformation of the second state of the bridge portion to apply a compressive force to the pair of biological elements via the tines and to engage the plurality of engagement mechanisms with the biological elements.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying the compressive force to the pair of biological elements via the tines comprises the compressive force closing a space between the biological elements.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the second state of the bridge portion comprises engaging the staple with a staple engagement portion of a guide.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein releasing the energy of the elastic deformation of the second state of the bridge portion comprises disengaging the staple from the staple engagement portion of the guide.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bridge and the pair of tines comprise substantially rectangular cross-sections.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the leg portions comprise linear portions extending opposite the open space relative to each other.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the curved portion is angled downwardly toward the free end relative to a longitudinal dimension of a tine of the pair of tines.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pair of tines extend from opposing ends of the bridge portion, the ends having inner surfaces opposite each other about the open space.
9. A method of compressing biological elements, comprising:
forming a first pair of apertures within a pair of biological elements;
elastically deforming a substantially horseshoe shaped bridge portion of a staple from a first state to a second state to increase a separation distance between a pair of tines of the staple from a first distance in the first state to a second distance in the second state;
the bridge portion connecting the pair of tines and comprising a curved portion and opposite leg portions, the curved portion having an arched inner surface and an arched outer surface, the inner surface and the leg portions bounding an open space;
the pair of tines extending from the bridge portion and including free ends configured to be implanted into the biological elements;
each tine of the tines extending along a first direction defined between the bridge portion and a free end of the free ends thereof;
the curved portion being angled downwardly toward the free end relative to a longitudinal dimension of a tine of the pair of tines;
maintaining the second state of the bridge portion;
implanting the pair of tines of the staple into the pair of apertures formed in the pair of biological elements to allow engagement of a plurality of engagement mechanisms of the pair of tines with the biological elements, the plurality of engagement mechanisms positioned on portions of the tines that substantially face the other tine of the pair of tines along the first direction;
releasing the potential energy of the elastic deformation of the second state of the bridge portion to apply a compressive force to the pair of biological elements via the tines and to engage the plurality of engagement mechanisms with the biological elements.