Head screw construction for use in fixing the position of an intramedullary nail

Claim 2

A headed screw (1) with a bone-engaging screw thread, comprising an elongate shank (3) having an external thread (4) for bone-engaged anchorage of said screw (1), and a drive head (2) at one end of said shank (3), wherein: (a) the shank thread (4) is close to said head (2) and extends for only a portion of the length of said shank (3); (b) the head (2) has a key formation that is externally accessible for selective rotation of the headed screw (1) in a first direction of advancing screw-thread engagement in bone; and (c) the head (2) has an external thread (5) having a direction of thread advance which is opposite to the direction of shank-thread (4) advance.

Claim 3

The headed screw of claim 1, in which said key formation is a concave polygonal socket that is adapted for rotary drive via a convex polygonal tool.

Claim 4

The headed screw of claim 1, in which said key formation is a concave cruciform socket that is adapted for rotary drive via a convex cruciform tool.

Claim 5

The headed screw of claim 2, in which the polygonal tool is an Allen-head wrench.

Claim 6

The headed screw of claim 3, in which said convex cruciform tool is a Phillips-head screwdriver.

Claim 7

The headed screw of claim 1, in which the pin shank (3) has a free unthreaded end extending away from the shank thread (4) in the direction that is away from said head (2), the shank thread being at longitudinal offset from said free unthreaded end.

Claim 8

The headed screw of claim 1, in which the root diameter of the head thread (5) is also approximately the external diameter of the shank thread (4).

Claim 9

The headed screw of claim 6, in which the axial length of the free unthreaded end of the shank is greater than the axial length of the shank thread (4).

Claim 10

The headed screw of claim 6, in which the external diameter of the shank thread (4) decreases in approach to the free unthreaded end.

Claim 11

In combination, the headed screw of claim 1, and a nut having an internally threaded bore adapted for removable engagement to the external thread (5) of said head, said threaded bore terminating at an internal stop, whereby nut rotation in the direction to advance said nut on the thread of said head to the point of internal-stop engagement will, on continued rotation in the same direction, thereafter drive the medullary pin in the direction of unthreading retraction from engaged bone.

Claim 12

In combination the headed screw of claim 2, and a nut having an internally threaded bore that is open at one axial end of the nut and at least partially closed at the other axial end of the nut, said internally threaded bore being adapted for removable engagement to the external thread (5) of said head, and the at least partially closed portion of the bore establishing an internal stop against further threaded advance of the thread (5) of said head into the bore of said nut, whereby nut rotation in the direction to advance said nut on the thread of said head to the point of internal-stop engagement will, on continued rotation in the same direction, thereafter drive the medullary pin in the direction of unthreading retraction from engaged bone.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 11, in which, at its axially outer end, said head has a key formation, and the partial closure of said nut establishes a circular rim of diameter to clear an inserted key-engaging tool into head engagement with said key formation.