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 bone compression assembly, comprising:
a first fixation element securable in a first bone portion, the first fixation member including a proximal screw head and a distal portion that extends from the proximal screw head;
a second fixation element securable in a second bone portion, the second fixation member including a distal threaded portion and a proximal receiving portion into which the distal portion of the first fixation element can be received; and
an adjustable suture construct extending between the first fixation element and the second fixation element, the adjustable suture construct including a suture with a free end that extends longitudinally through a longitudinal passage in the suture to form an adjustable loop that includes a summit,
wherein the adjustable suture construct is coupled to the first fixation element and the second fixation element such that, with the free end extending through the longitudinal passage in the suture to form the adjustable loop, the free end can be pulled through the longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the adjustable loop for pulling the first fixation element and the second fixation element toward one another,
wherein the adjustable suture construct being coupled to the first fixation element includes the summit being retained within the distal portion of the first fixation element.
2. The bone compression assembly 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 suture further including a second free end that extends through a second longitudinal passage in the suture to form a second adjustable loop.
3. The bone compression assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first free end extends through the first longitudinal passage without extending through the second longitudinal passage, and wherein the second free end extends through the second longitudinal passage without extending through the first longitudinal passage.
4. The bone compression assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first free end extends into the suture through a first aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the first longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through a fourth aperture in the suture to form the first adjustable loop, and wherein the second free end extends into the suture through a second aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the second longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through a third aperture in the suture to form the second adjustable loop, the first aperture, the second aperture, the third aperture, and the fourth aperture all being separate apertures in the suture.
5. The bone compression assembly of claim 4 , wherein, with the first free end extending into the suture through the first aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the first longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through the fourth aperture in the suture to form the first adjustable loop and with the second free end extending into the suture through the second aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the second longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through the third aperture in the suture 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 without decreasing a size of the second adjustable loop and the second free end can be pulled through the second longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the second adjustable loop without decreasing a size of the first adjustable loop.
6. The bone compression assembly of claim 1 , wherein the distal portion of the first fixation element extends from the proximal screw head to a distal end of the distal portion.
7. The bone compression assembly of claim 6 , wherein the summit is retained within the distal portion of the first fixation element proximate the distal end of the distal portion such that when the first fixation element is secured in the first bone portion the summit is positioned in the first bone portion below an outer surface of the first bone portion and spaced a distance from the proximal screw head.
8. The bone compression assembly of claim 1 , wherein the summit is positioned inside the distal portion of the first fixation element at a location that also allows the summit to be positioned inside the proximal receiving portion of the second fixation element when the distal portion of the first fixation element is received in the proximal receiving portion of the second fixation element.
9. A bone compression assembly, comprising:
a first fixation element securable in a first bone portion, the first fixation element including a proximal screw head;
a second fixation element securable in a second bone portion, the second fixation element including a distal threaded portion; and
an adjustable suture construct including a suture with a free end that extends longitudinally through a longitudinal passage in the suture to form an adjustable loop that includes a summit,
wherein the first fixation element is coupled to the second fixation element with the adjustable suture construct such that, with the free end extending through the longitudinal passage in the suture to form the adjustable loop, the free end can be pulled through the longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the adjustable loop for pulling the first fixation element and the second fixation element toward one another, the first fixation element further including a distal portion through which the adjustable suture construct extends to couple the first fixation element to the second fixation element, the second fixation element further including a proximal receiving portion through which the adjustable suture construct extends to couple the first fixation element to the second fixation element; the first fixation element and the second fixation element being mateable together which includes the distal portion of the first fixation element being received in the proximal receiving portion of the second fixation element,
wherein the summit is positioned inside the distal portion of the first fixation element such that when the first fixation element and the second fixation element are mated together the summit is also positioned inside the proximal receiving portion of the second fixation element.
10. The bone compression assembly of claim 9 , 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 suture further including a second free end that extends through a second longitudinal passage in the suture to form a second adjustable loop.
11. The bone compression assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first free end extends through the first longitudinal passage without extending through the second longitudinal passage, and wherein the second free end extends through the second longitudinal passage without extending through the first longitudinal passage.
12. The bone compression assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first free end extends into the suture through a first aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the first longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through a fourth aperture in the suture to form the first adjustable loop, and wherein the second free end extends into the suture through a second aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the second longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through a third aperture in the suture to form the second adjustable loop, the first aperture, the second aperture, the third aperture, and the fourth aperture all being separate apertures in the suture.
13. The bone compression assembly of claim 12 , wherein, with the first free end extending into the suture through the first aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the first longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through the fourth aperture in the suture to form the first adjustable loop and with the second free end extending into the suture through the second aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the second longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through the third aperture in the suture 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 without decreasing a size of the second adjustable loop and the second free end can be pulled through the second longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the second adjustable loop without decreasing a size of the first adjustable loop.
14. The bone compression assembly of claim 9 , wherein the summit of the adjustable loop is retained within the distal portion of the first fixation element proximate a distal end of the distal portion.
15. The bone compression assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first fixation element retains the free end of the adjustable suture construct.
16. A bone compression assembly, comprising:
a first fixation element securable in a first bone portion, the first fixation element including a proximal screw head and a distal portion that extends from the proximal screw head with a first longitudinal pathway passing through the distal portion and the proximal screw head;
a second fixation element securable in a second bone portion, the second fixation element including a distal threaded portion and a proximal portion with a second longitudinal pathway passing through the proximal portion; and
an adjustable suture construct including a suture with a free end that extends longitudinally through a longitudinal passage in the suture to form an adjustable loop that includes a summit,
wherein the first fixation element is coupled to the second fixation element with the adjustable suture construct such that, with the free end extending through the longitudinal passage in the suture to form the adjustable loop; the free end can be pulled through the longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the adjustable loop for pulling the first fixation element and the second fixation element toward one another, the adjustable suture construct extending through the first longitudinal pathway in the first fixation element and through the second longitudinal pathway in the proximal portion of the second fixation element with the summit of the adjustable loop being concurrently, positioned inside the first longitudinal pathway and the second longitudinal pathway.
17. The bone compression assembly of claim 16 , 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 suture further including a second free end that extends through a second longitudinal passage in the suture to form a second adjustable loop.
18. The bone compression assembly of claim 17 , wherein the first free end extends through the first longitudinal passage without extending through the second longitudinal passage, and wherein the second free end extends through the second longitudinal passage without extending through the first longitudinal passage.
19. The bone compression assembly of claim 17 , wherein the first free end extends into the suture through a first aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the first longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through a fourth aperture in the suture to form the first adjustable loop, and wherein the second free end extends into the suture through a second aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the second longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through a third aperture in the suture to form the second adjustable loop, the first aperture, the second aperture, the third aperture, and the fourth aperture all being separate apertures in the suture.
20. The bone compression assembly of claim 19 , wherein, with the first free end extending into the suture through the first aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the first longitudinal passage, and Out of the suture through the fourth aperture in the suture to form the first adjustable loop and with the second free end extending into the suture through the second aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the second longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through the third aperture in the suture 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 without decreasing a size of the second adjustable loop and the second free end can be pulled through the second longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the second adjustable loop without decreasing a size of the first adjustable loop.
21. The bone compression assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first fixation element and the second fixation element are mateable together.
22. The bone compression assembly of claim 16 , wherein the distal portion of the first fixation element is receivable in the proximal portion of the second fixation element.
23. The bone compression assembly of claim 16 , wherein the summit of the adjustable loop is retained within the distal portion of the first fixation element proximate a distal end of the distal portion.