Small joint fixation

1. A method of joining adjacent bone structures comprising, in order, the steps of:

(a) providing a medical device having:

a first implant portion;

a second implant portion attached to the first implant portion; and

a driver assembly having an instrument adapted to form an opening in bone, the driver assembly being integrally connected to and removably attached to the second implant portion at a connection, distal from the first implant portion and the driver assembly further having a wire driver extending therefrom, distal from the first implant portion;

(b) inserting the wire driver into a wire driver tool;

(c) placing the first implant portion against a first bone structure;

(d) inserting the first implant portion into the first bone structure;

(e) removing the second implant portion from the driver assembly;

(f) using the driver assembly to form an opening in a second bone structure, adjacent to the first bone structure; and

(g) inserting the second implant portion into the opening.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (d) is performed in the absence of pre-drilling the first bone structure.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the driver assembly comprises a drill at a proximal end thereof, and wherein step (f) comprises using the drill to drill the opening into the second bone structure.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein, after step (f) and before step (g), a second opening, adjacent to the opening, is formed in the second bone structure.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the driver assembly further comprises a broach, and wherein the method further comprises, after step (f), the step of using the broach to widen the opening and the second opening.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second implant portion comprises a void adjacent to the connection, and wherein step (e) comprises removing the second implant portion from the driver assembly at the void.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the driver assembly comprises a through-opening extending therethrough, and wherein step (e) further comprises inserting the second implant portion through the through-opening and rotating the driver assembly.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the driver assembly comprises a face cutter, and wherein the face cutter is used to smooth the second bone structure prior to step (g).

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second implant portion comprises a first prong, a second prong, and a gap between the first prong and the second prong, and wherein, after step (e), the first prong biases away from the second prong.

10. A method of joining adjacent bone structures comprising, in order, the steps of:

(a) providing a unitary construction medical device having:

a first implant portion;

a second implant portion attached to the first implant portion; and

a driver assembly removably attached to the second implant portion at a connection, distal from the first implant portion;

(b) using a wire driver attached to the driver assembly, inserting the first implant portion into a first bone structure;

(c) separating the second implant portion from the driver assembly;

(d) with the wire driver still attached to the driver assembly, using the driver assembly to form an opening in a second bone structure, adjacent to the first bone structure; and

(e) inserting the second implant portion into the opening.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the driver assembly comprises a through-opening formed therein and wherein step (c) further comprises inserting the second implant portion through the through-opening and rotating the driver assembly, the second implant portion engaging the through-opening and rotating with the driver assembly to further insert the first implant portion into the first bone structure.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the wire driver is integrally connected to the driver assembly and the driver assembly contains at least one additional instrument required to complete a secondary step in the procedure, the method further comprising:

separating the driver assembly from the wire driver; and

using the at least one additional instrument to perform step (d).

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein step (c) comprises the driver assembly being non-reattachable to the second implant portion.