Inventors:
Heber Saravia - Santa Rosa CA, US
Brian A. Hauck - Windsor CA, US
Trung Ho Pham - Santa Rosa CA, US
Charles L. Nelson - Santa Rosa CA, US
William W. Bowen - Willits CA, US
Stephen R. McDaniel - Bodega Bay CA, US
Assignee:
Sonoma Orthepedic Products, Inc. - Santa Rosa CA
International Classification:
A61B 17/56
Abstract:
A bone fixation device is provided with an elongate body having a longitudinal axis and having a flexible state and a rigid state, a plurality of grippers disposed at longitudinally spaced locations of the elongated body, a curved rigid hub connected to the elongated body, and an actuator operably connected to the grippers to deploy the grippers from a first shape to an expanded second shape. Methods of repairing a fracture of a bone are also disclosed. One such method comprising inserting a bone fixation device into an intramedullary space of the bone to place at least a portion of an elongate body of the fixation device in a flexible state on one side of the fracture and at least a portion of a curved rigid hub on another side of the fracture, and operating an actuator to deploy a plurality of grippers of the fixation device to engage an inner surface of the intramedullary space to anchor the fixation device to the bone.