Intramedullary bone stent

1. A bone fixation device comprising:

(a) an elongated body, the elongated body being a length of wire having a consistent thickness,

a first end portion of the length of wire having said thickness being wound helically to form a single coil that throughout its extent intermediate opposed ends of the first end portion is free of any intersection with itself and any intersection with any other portion of the bone fixation device, the first end portion being configured to be disposed substantially on a first side of a bone fracture, and

an opposite second end portion of the length of wire being formed as an elongated tail having said thickness with an attachment portion configured for engagement with a fastener, the elongated tail having a generally straight shape, the second end portion being configured to be disposed substantially on a second side of the bone fracture; and

(b) a fastener having a central shaft with a thread configured to extend into and engage cortical tissue of a bone piece so as to be held in the bone piece,

the attachment portion being configured as a loop so as to extend around and engage an exterior surface of the fastener when the thread of the fastener is extending into and engaging the cortical tissue of the bone piece, thereby to fix the second end portion of the length of wire to an extramedullary portion of the bone piece;

wherein the first end portion and the second end portion extend along a longitudinal axis, the fastener being configured to extend through the loop transverse to said longitudinal axis.

2. The bone fixation device of claim 1 , wherein the bone piece is a second bone piece, the first end portion of the elongated body being configured to be inserted into an intramedullary canal of a first bone piece such that the first end portion engages a wall of the intramedullary canal.

3. The bone fixation device of claim 2 , wherein the coil is the sole mechanism for anchoring the bone fixation device within the intramedullary canal.

4. The bone fixation device of claim 1 , wherein the first end portion of the elongated body extends from the second end portion of the elongated body in a first direction, and the second end portion of the elongated body extends from the first end portion of the elongated body in a second direction.

5. The bone fixation device of claim 1 , wherein the bone piece is a second bone piece, the second end portion of the elongated body being configured to extend out of the intramedullary canal of the second bone piece through a hole formed into cortical tissue of the second bone piece.

6. The bone fixation device of claim 1 , wherein the second end portion of the elongated body is configured to extend across a bone fracture.

7. The bone fixation device of claim 1 , wherein the bone piece is a second bone piece, the bone fixation device being configured to extend from an intramedullary portion of a first bone piece, across a bone fracture, and into an intramedullary canal of the second bone piece.

8. The bone fixation device of claim 1 , wherein the attachment portion of the second end portion of the elongated body is disposed at a terminal end of the second end portion.

9. The bone fixation device of claim 1 , wherein the elongated body is configured to have tension applied to at least the second end portion during installation of the bone fixation device.

10. A bone fixation device comprising:

(a) an elongated body, the elongated body being a filament of biocompatible material having a consistent thickness,

a first end portion of the filament having said thickness being wound helically to form a single coil that throughout its extent intermediate opposed ends of the first end portion is free of any intersection with itself and any intersection with any other portion of the bone fixation device, the first end portion being configured to be disposed substantially on a first side of a bone fracture; and

an opposite second end portion of the filament being formed as an elongated tail having said thickness with an attachment portion configured for engagement with a fastener, the elongated tail having a generally straight shape, the second end portion being configured to be disposed substantially on a second side of the bone fracture; and

(b) a fastener having a central shaft with a thread configured to extend into and engage cortical tissue of a bone piece so as to be held in the bone piece,

the attachment portion being configured as a loop so as to extend around and engage an exterior surface of the fastener when the thread of the fastener is extending into and engaging the cortical tissue of the bone piece, thereby to fix the second end portion of the filament to an extramedullary portion of the bone piece;

wherein the first end portion and the second end portion extend along a longitudinal axis, the fastener being configured to extend through the loop transverse to said longitudinal axis.

11. A method of promoting healing of a fractured bone using the bone fixation device of claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:

inserting the first end portion of the elongated body into an intramedullary portion of a first bone piece such that the first end portion engages a wall of an intramedullary canal of the first bone piece;

extending the second end portion of the elongated body from the intramedullary portion of the first bone piece, across a bone fracture, and into an intramedullary canal of a second bone piece;

passing the attachment portion of the second end portion of the elongated body into an opening formed in cortical tissue of the second bone piece; and

fixing the attachment portion of the second end portion to an extramedullary portion of the second bone piece with the fastener.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of applying tension to the second end portion to cause the bone pieces to contact each other.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of deploying the bone fixation device into the intramedullary portion of the first bone piece within a sheath.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the step of removing the sheath from the bone fixation device after the bone fixation device is deployed into the intramedullary portion of the first bone piece.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of disposing the first end portion of the elongated body on a first side of the fracture.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of extending the fastener through an exterior surface of the second bone piece.