Systems and methods for reducing fractured bone using a fracture reduction cannula

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for the fixation of osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic long bones, especially Colles' fractures. A cannula having a circumferential opening is inserted into cancellous bone and directed such that the circumferential opening faces the fracture. The cannula is further adapted to receive an expandable structure, the expandable structure being inserted through the cannula until it is in registration with the circumferential opening. The expandable structure is expanded through the circumferential opening into cancellous bone and toward the fracture. The expansion of the expandable structure through the circumferential opening toward the fracture causes compression of cancellous bone and moves fractured cortical bone, thus creating a cavity proximal to the fracture. The cavity is then filled with a flowable bone filling material and the material allowed to harden.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of co-pending application Ser. No. 10 / 001,937 filed 25 Oct. 2001 which is a Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09 / 804,107 filed 12 Mar. 2001 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,613,054), which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09 / 134,323 filed 14 Aug. 1998 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,734). This application also claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60.243,194 filed 25 Oct. 2000.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to the treatment of bone conditions of the human and other animal body systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for correcting such conditions. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Bone fractures, particularly osteoporotic bone fractures, are common in older adults. Due to the nature of osteoporotic bone, standard methods of fracture fixation yield unsatisfactory results. Such methods cannot adequately place the broken fragments back to their pre-fracture state. For inst...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] Because of the problems associated with treating distal radius fractures such as Colles' fractures, and other bone fractures similar thereto, there is a need for a method and apparatus that will improve the existing protocol for treating such fractures such as reducing the pain resulting from the fracture fixation method used, reducing the chance that an infection will occur at the site, improving the likelihood that the fracture will heal properly and minimizing degeneration of the adjacent joints and allows for sooner resumption of activity. The present invention provides apparatus and a method of fracture reduction which satisfies this need.

[0006] This invention provides a system that fixes or reduces osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic fractures in human and other animal body systems. Moreover, by immediately reducing and / or reinforcing the fractured bone, thereby rendering the bone capable of bearing limited loads, the present system promotes healing of the fractured bone while minimizing degeneration of the adjacent joints. It is particularly well suited for fractures of long bones such as the human distal radius.

Problems solved by technology

Due to the nature of osteoporotic bone, standard methods of fracture fixation yield unsatisfactory results.

Such methods cannot adequately place the broken fragments back to their pre-fracture state.

Osteoporotic bone generally cannot support such a method.

However, when used in elderly patients, the fixation pins may not remain within the weakened bone.

Moreover, such a device typically increases the likelihood of infection at the treatment site.

Further, because casts and / or an external fixation devices must be left in place for several weeks in order for the bone to heal, the lack of joint movement in the affected area often results in painful arthritis in the immobilized joints of the elderly patient.

This often requires immobilization of the joints adjacent to the fractured bone—often for extended periods of time.

However, such immobilization often causes the joints to degenerate over time.

Often, such treatment can result in temporary or permanent loss of joint motion.

At the very least, such immobilization of the joints requires extensive and often painful rehabilitation for an individual to recover the full range of their joint motion.

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