Bone fracture repair apparatus and method

Claim 1

A method of repairing a fracture of a bone comprising the steps of: (a) driving a first guide wire substantially centrally of the bone through the fracture, (b) sliding onto the first guide wire a first guide comprising three parallel elongate bores, two of said elongate bores are bores of small diameter, each of said bores of smaller diameter have a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said first guide wire, one of said elongate bores is a bore of larger diameter than said bores of smaller diameter, (c) rotating the first guide around the first guide wire so that the bore of larger diameter is directed towards a suitable area to receive a screw, (d) introducing into the bore of larger diameter a second guide of elongate substantially cylindrical cross section having an outer diameter which permits a snug sliding fit in the bore, said second guide having an inside diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said bores of smaller diameter, (e) driving a second guide wire into the bone through the bore of the second guide into the fracture to a required depth as defined by a monitoring means, (f) noting the required depth, (g) passing a guide anchoring pin through another of said bores of smaller diameter into the bone to secure the first guide against rotation, (h) removing the second guide wire and second guide from the bore of larger diameter, (i) inserting a screw of length equal to said noted depth through the bore of larger diameter and driving said screw into the bone, (j) removing the guide anchoring pin, (k) rotating the first guide around the first guide wire so that the bore of larger diameter is directed towards another suitable area to receive a screw, and (l) repeat steps (d) to (j).

Claim 2

A method of repairing a fracture of a bone comprising the steps of: (a) driving a first guide wire substantially centrally of the bone through the fracture, (b) sliding onto the first guide wire a first guide comprising three parallel elongate bores, two of said elongate bores are bores of small diameter, each of said bores of smaller diameter have a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said first guide wire, one of said elongate bores is a bore of larger diameter than said bores of smaller diameter, (c) rotating the first guide around the first guide wire so that the bore of larger diameter is directed towards a suitable area to receive a screw, (d) introducing into the bore of larger diameter a second guide of elongate substantially cylindrical cross section having an outer diameter which permits a snug sliding fit in the bore, said second guide having an inside diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said bores of smaller diameter, (e) driving a second guide wire into the bone through the bore of the second guide into the fracture to a required depth as defined by a monitoring means, (f) noting the required depth, (g) passing a guide anchoring pin through another of said bores of smaller diameter into the bone to secure the first guide against rotation, (h) removing the second guide wire and second guide from the bore of larger diameter, (i) inserting a screw of length equal to said noted depth through the bore of larger diameter and driving said screw into the bone, (j) removing the guide anchoring pin, (k) rotating the first guide around the first guide wire so that the bore of larger diameter is directed towards another suitable area to receive a screw, and (l) repeat steps (d) to (j).