Trung Ho Pham;Nathan D. Brown;Vernon R. Hartdegen, Jr.;Charles L. Nelson
发明人:
Charles L. Nelson,Trung Ho Pham,Vernon R. Hartdegen, Jr.,Nathan D. Brown
申请号：
US13614523
公开号：
US09060820B2
申请日:
2012.09.13
申请国别(地区):
US
年份:
2015
代理人:
摘要：
A segmented bone fixation device is provided with an elongate body having a longitudinal axis and having a first state in which at least a portion of the body is flexible and a second state in which the body is generally rigid. Methods of repairing a fracture of a bone are also disclosed. One such method comprises inserting a segmented fixation device into an intramedullary space of the bone to place at least a portion of the fixation device in a flexible state on one side of the fracture, providing rigidity across the fracture, and operating an actuator to deploy at least one gripper to engage an inner surface of the intramedullary space to anchor the fixation device to the bone. Various configurations allow a segmented device body to change shape as it moves from a flexible state to a rigid state.
