FASTENING SYSTEM BETWEEN A MEDICAL DEVICE AND AT LEAST PART OF A BONE

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical sector of orthopedic surgery, and more particularly concerns a fixing system between a medical device and at least part of a bone.

[0002] A medical device is any device intended to remain in a patient's body for the long term, such as a trauma implant, or an orthopedic implant with a prosthetic stem, or an intramedullary nail, for example. PRIOR STATE OF THE ART

[0003] It is perfectly well known to a person skilled in the art to use different devices, commonly called placement ancillaries, for locking and fixing an implant on a bone, or conversely for fixing bone fragments on an implant.

[0004] For example, for intramedullary nailing, the intramedullary nail has a plurality of guide holes, at predetermined angular positions and heights, which are intended to be crossed by fixation screws which are screwed into the corresponding part of the bone to lock the intramedullary nail in position. To do this, the surgeon has a placement instrument, equipped with an external viewfinder allowing the alignment of a drilling device to make additional holes in the part of the bone in order to be able to engage fixation screws through the bone and the intramedullary nail.

[0005] The disadvantages of this technique lie in the need to use, on the one hand, a fitting ancillary to know the drilling axes and the axes of the holes intended to receive the fixing screws and, on the other hand, a control radiograph, to check the correct alignment and the correct engagement of the fixing screws.

[0006] This technique is relatively complex, and presents risks for the surgeon of not controlling the alignment between the bone holes and the intramedullary nail holes so that the fixation screws cannot be engaged.

[0007] It is also known to those skilled in the art, in order to reposition and compress bone fragments on a bone, to use sutures intended to be tied around the bone and the bone fragments.

[0008] This technique has the disadvantage that the sutures tend to cause a vascular laceration, which causes necrosis due to lack of irrigation of the bone.

[0009] It is known from the prior art, document US2009 / 182336 shows that meshes appear after deformation of a structure in a bone volume, so there is no control over the size of the meshes and, in addition, once deformed, the structure is no longer extractable from a patient.

[0010] Also known is document DE202006015414 which describes a medical device comprising screws and an intramedullary implant, the intramedullary implant being non-expandable and having a wall made up of meshes defined by a lattice formed by a plurality of rigid strands secured to each other at the intersections between the different strands, the meshes being adapted to be crossed by the screw in a non-predefined position and orientation. STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The invention is defined in the claims.

[0012] One of the aims of the invention is therefore to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a fixing system between a medical device and at least one part of a bone, possibly making it possible to dispense with the use of an insertion tool or an external viewfinder, while making it possible to reduce or even avoid the use of sutures and therefore reduce or even eliminate the risk of necrosis.

[0013] For this purpose, and according to the invention, a fixing system has been developed between a medical device and at least one part of a bone, remarkable in that the medical device comprises an elongated portion, for example made of a biocompatible polymer or metal, intended to be inserted into the bone, in particular into the medullary canal and / or into the proximal or distal ends. The elongated portion has a wall consisting of meshes, preferably non-expandable, adapted to be crossed by at least one fixing member, in a non-predefined position and orientation, while exerting by elastic, plastic or elasto-plastic deformation, a pressure force, for example axial and / or transverse, on said fixing member. The fixing member is intended to also pass through the part of the bone to ensure rigid fixing between the bone and the medical device.

[0014] In this way, to fix together a part of a bone and the medical device, the invention proposes to use a fixing member, such as a screw, a point, or a staple, possibly in combination with a wire, and to have this fixing member pass through the part of the bone to be fixed and the medical device. The elongated portion of the medical device, preferably rectilinear, is in particular designed to be crossed by at least one fixing member in a non-predefined position and orientation.

[0015] Thus, the advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that the fixation member passes through the meshes of the elongated portion of the medical device in a non-predefined position, whether in a diametrical plane or eccentric relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongated portion, in an orthogonal direction or with an incidence. In this way, the surgeon can freely choose the number and position of the fixation members to be used, and can freely choose the technique for fixing the bone part, for example by staples, screws, spikes, etc. By non-predefined position and orientation, it is understood that the surgeon can himself decide, during the operation, the orientation and position of the fixation member, he has a plurality of choices for the orientation and positioning of the fixation member.

[0016] Another advantage is that the use of an insertion tool or a control X-ray is no longer necessary, although in practice the surgeon can still use it to find the orientation of a fixation organ already inserted.

[0017] The meshes are non-expandable, that is to say they are fixed and rigid so that they are crossed by the fixing member while exerting, by deformation, a pressure force on said fixing member. This pressure force is for example transverse and generated by transverse deformation of the meshes of the elongated portion of the medical device. In this way, the transverse pressure force exerted on the fixing member makes it possible to hold it in position and lock it and, consequently, to fix the part of the bone to said medical device, or to fix the medical device to the bone.

[0018] For example, in the case of a fixation device in the form of a screw, the screw passes through the part of the bone, and is screwed inside the elongated portion of the medical device to fix them together. For optimal fixation, the screw passes right through the elongated portion of the medical device and is anchored in the bone.

[0019] In the case of a fixing member in the form of a screw, the meshes preferably have thicknesses substantially greater than the pitch of the screw, for example a few hundredths or tenths of a millimeter, to exert, by axial deformation of the thickness of the meshes, an axial pressure force on the screw when it passes through the meshes.

[0020] According to the invention, the meshes are defined by a lattice formed by a plurality of rigid strands. The lattice is for example made of a biocompatible polymer or metal, preferably with strands with circular sections.

[0021] The elongated portion is, for example, tubular, and is advantageously in the form of a part produced by a three-dimensional printing technique. Thus, it is easy to produce the mesh with rigid strands with circular sections. Furthermore, the ends of the strands are fixedly connected to each other. The three-dimensional printing technique makes it easy to produce this embodiment and to perfectly control the shape dimension and the dimension of the meshes to perfectly adjust the pressure forces, transverse and / or axial, on the fixing member.

[0022] To prevent bone growth inside the elongated portion, the latter is coated with a film or filled with a material that does not prevent the passage of the fixation organs but which prevents bone growth.

[0023] According to different embodiments, the medical device consists entirely of the elongated portion itself, intended to be inserted into the medullary canal of the bone and / or to be housed in the proximal or distal end of the bone, to fix bone fragments there after immobilization on a part of the healthy bone.

[0024] The medical device may also be an intramedullary nail, or a prosthetic rod, comprising on their part intended to be inserted into the medullary canal of the bone, the elongated portion according to the invention, to be crossed by fixing members and lock in position said intramedullary nail or the prosthetic rod relative to the part of the healthy bone in which they are implanted.

[0025] The medical device may also be an intramedullary nail, or a prosthetic rod, comprising on their part intended to be housed in the proximal or distal ends of the bone, the elongated portion according to the invention, to be crossed by fixing members and thus fix the bone fragments on said intramedullary nail or the prosthetic rod. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge clearly from the description given below, for information purposes only and in no way limiting, with reference to the appended figures in which: [ Fig. 1 ] there figure 1 represents, in longitudinal section, a bone with the elongated portion of a medical device inserted into the medullary canal, and screws allowing part of the bone to be fixed to the medical device by locking inside the elongated portion; [ Fig. 2 ] there figure 2is a schematic representation, illustrating in perspective, the elongated portion of the medical device with a wall constituted by a lattice formed of a plurality of braided wires; [ Fig. 3 ] there figure 3 is a view similar to that of the figure 2 , also illustrating fixing screws passing right through the lattice of the elongated portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The invention relates to a fixing system between a medical device (1) and at least one part of a bone. The invention finds, for example, an advantageous application for repositioning and compressing bone fragments on a bone, but also for fixing on a bone any type of medical device (1) intended to be inserted into the medullary canal of a bone and / or to be housed in the proximal or distal end of the bone.

[0028] For this purpose, according to the invention, the medical device (1) intended to be fixed to a bone, or to which bone fragments are intended to be fixed, comprises an elongated portion (2) intended to be inserted into the medullary canal of the bone and / or to be housed in the proximal or distal ends.

[0029] The elongated portion (2) can either constitute the medical device (1) itself, when it is a question of fixing bone fragments there, or constitute a part of a medical device (1), for example a part of a prosthetic rod or a centromedullary nail, which are intended to be inserted into the medullary canal and fixed to the bone.

[0030] For this purpose, the elongated portion (2), preferably tubular, has a wall made up of non-expandable meshes (4), adapted to be passed through, from one side to the other, by one or more fixing members (3), such as screws, staples, nails, etc., according to a non-predefined position and orientation, and by exerting, by deformation, a pressure force, in particular transverse and / or axial, on said fixing members (3).

[0031] The meshes (4) are defined by a lattice (5) formed by a plurality of rigid strands (5b). The rigid strands (5b) are braided and independent of each other at the intersections between the different strands (5b).

[0032] In this way, it is possible to produce a rigid, non-expandable elongated portion (2), with meshes (4) of controlled dimensions, while allowing it to adapt to any type of fixing member (3), regardless of its orientation, since, given that the strands (5b) are independent of each other at the intersections, the strands can move apart while continuing to exert the pressure force against the fixing member.

[0033] The invention thus makes it possible to fix the medical device (1) to a part of a bone, or bone fragments on the medical device (1), by means of the fixing members (3) passing through the bone and the elongated portion (2) of the medical device (1).

[0034] The invention allows the surgeon to freely choose the position (height, inclination and eccentricity) of the fixation members (3), while being able to do without the use of an insertion tool or a control radiograph. The fixation members (3) can pass through the meshes (4) of the elongated portion (2) in a non-predefined position and orientation, i.e. not necessarily in a diametrical plane, not necessarily perpendicular to the axis of the elongated part, at the surgeon's free choice.

[0035] In practice, during use, a fixing member (3) passes through a portion of the bone and then passes right through the elongated portion (2) by successively penetrating two meshes (4), which exert pressure, in particular transverse and / or axial, on said fixing member (3), in particular because one of their dimensions is in tight fit with the fixing member (3). For example, when the width of the meshes (4) is in tight fit, that is to say substantially less by a few tenths or hundredths of a millimeter compared to the section of the fixing member (3), the meshes (4) exert transverse pressure on the fixing member (3). For example, when the fixing member (4) is in the form of a screw, one of the dimensions of the meshes (4), in particular the width of the meshes (4) may be in tight fit with the thread root diameter of the screw to exert transverse pressure on the screw.

[0036] Alternatively or in combination, the thickness of the meshes (4) may be a tight fit, i.e. significantly greater by a few hundredths or tenths of a millimeter compared to the screw pitch so as to exert, by deformation, an axial force on the screw.

[0037] According to a particular embodiment, the elongated portion (2) is produced, for example, from a flat mesh rolled up to have a generally cylindrical shape, with or without axial welding.

[0038] An advantageous technique consists, with reference to the figures, in manufacturing, by additive manufacturing, layer by layer, a tube of which a portion is made by a lattice (5) with a plurality of rigid strands (5b), for example with circular sections.

[0039] Furthermore, the ends of the strands (5b) are fixedly connected to each other at the two ends of the elongated portion (2). The three-dimensional printing technique makes it easy to produce this embodiment and to perfectly control the shape and dimension of the meshes (4) in order to perfectly adjust the transverse and / or axial pressure forces on the fixing member.

[0040] The geometry of the meshes (4) is adapted to that of the fixing members (3). This geometry makes it possible to generate, by the deformation of the meshes (4), a transverse and / or axial pressure on the fixing members (3), allowing them to be locked in the elongated portion (2). The forces of introduction of said fixing members (3) must remain moderate, while ensuring an adjusted assembly, without play, allowing a slight deformation of the mesh (4).

[0041] In order to facilitate disassembly, the elongated portion (2) may be coated with a film, not shown, to prevent bone growth inside said elongated portion (2), or may be filled with a material which does not prevent the passage of the fixing members (3) but which prevents bone growth.

[0042] According to different embodiments, the meshes (4) can be produced by multiple laser drilling of the elongated portion (2), or from expanded metal, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0043] It is clear from the above that the invention provides a fixation system between a medical device (1) and at least one part of a bone, making it possible to possibly dispense with the use of an insertion instrument or an external viewfinder. To achieve the fixation, the surgeon chooses the number and orientation of the fixation members (3), while being certain of being able to penetrate the elongated portion (2) to achieve the locking. The invention makes it possible to fix bone fragments, while reducing or even avoiding the use of sutures and therefore reducing or even eliminating the risk of necrosis.

Claims

1. Medical device (1) comprising a fastening system to at least one part of a bone, the fastening system including at least one fastening element (3), the medical device (1) also comprising an elongated portion (2) that is non-expandable and designed to be inserted into the bone, particularly into the medullary canal and / or the proximal or distal ends of the bone, the elongated portion having a wall formed by meshes (4) defined by a lattice (5) made of a plurality of rigid strands (5b) woven and independent from one another at the intersections between the different strands (5b), such that the meshes (4) are configured to be traversed by the at least one fastening element (3), in a non-predefined position and orientation, while exerting, through elastic, plastic, or elasto-plastic deformation, a transverse and / or axial compressive force on said fastening element (3), the fastening element (3) being configured to also pass through the bone portion to ensure a rigid fixation between the bone and the medical device (1).

2. Medical device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the lattice (5) is made of strands (5b) with circular cross-sections.

3. Medical device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elongated portion (2) is tubular.

4. Medical device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elongated portion (2) is coated with a film to prevent bone growth inside said elongated portion (2) or filled with a material that does not impede the passage of fastening elements but prevents bone growth.

5. Medical device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening element (3) is a screw.

6. Medical device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that one dimension of the meshes (4) is in close fit with the cross-section of the fastening element (3) to exert transverse pressure on the fastening element (3).

7. Medical device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the meshes (4) have thicknesses in close fit with the thread pitch of the screw so as to exert an axial compressive force on the screw as it passes through the meshes (4).

8. Medical device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the medical device (1) is an intramedullary nail or a prosthetic rod.

9. Manufacturing method for the medical device of one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it involves creating the elongated portion (2) using a three-dimensional printing technique.