Offset Double Helix Screw Secures Intramedullary Nail in Long Bone Fractures
This locking fastener system fixes into place an intramedullary nail or rod, fusing bones or bone segments across a joint to treat long bone fractures. Locking intramedullary nails have been orthopedist’s standard tools in fracture fixation and bone fusion, particularly for the treatment of long bones, for decades. These nails have seen great success in both human and veterinary patients. For the intramedullary nails to properly function, they are fastened to the bone, or portions of the bone, securely in a repeatable and minimally invasive manner. In conventional fixation, the screws pass through prefabricated holes in the nail with a clearance, making it difficult to ensure a stable interface between the nails and locking screws. If the nail is not properly secured, it can loosen, resulting in poorly healed or unhealed bone or misaligned fracture fixation or fusion. A stable interface between the screws and the nails is necessary.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed an offset double helix ¼-turn locking fastener system for the treatment of long bone fractures. The operation to implant intramedullary nails is lengthy and requires the measurement and cutting of the screws securing the nail. This locking fastener system reduces the number of steps and time required to fix in place the intramedullary nails, shortening the length of surgery and offering a more secure lock for the nail.
Application
Locking fastener system with an offset double helix ¼- turn that fixes into place intramedullary nails in bones or bone fragments to treat long bone fractures
Advantages
- Continuous thread runs through entire length of the nail, eliminating need to cut screws to length
- Reduces the number of steps required for surgery, making long bone fracture repair surgery shorter and more efficient
- Offset double helix design allows for a faster and more secure screw locking
Technology
This locking fastener system comprises stainless, titanium, or titanium alloy nails, with prefabricated holes, and screws of the same material. Surgeons can drill through the nail with a single pass of a single drill, glide the screw through, and lock it in with a single ¼-turn maneuver. The off-set double helix screw allows the screws to be rotated approximately 90 degrees to securely and rigidly lock into the nail hole at any position along the shaft.
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