Importance

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Abstract

A surgical implant for the fixation of bone portions and methods for using the same to reduce bone fractures with or without the use of bone fixating plates and in a variety of surgical procedures where rigid fixation of bones or bone portions even under great stress is required. The implant has a generally frusto-conical head with a plurality of arms hingeably connected thereto, the arms capable of moving from a retracted position to and extended position. A rectilinear bore having a diameter slightly greater than the greatest effective transverse dimension of the implant device with the arms in the retracted position is drilled through the bone portions to be fixated. A guiding tube or shaft is provided to guide the head of the implant device with the connected arms in retracted position into the bore. After the head and arms have been inserted until the device spans the interspace between the bone portions to be fixated, a deployment arrangement is actuated to cause the arms to move from the retracted position to an extended position wherein the head and arms no longer fit through the hole and the implant device is anchored in the bone portions. The end of the implant device that protrudes from the hole is attached to a securing apparatus which applies compressive force to the outermost bone portions and creates tension in the implant device. A collapsing unit is provided so that, if removal of the implant is desired, the securing apparatus can be detached from the bone portions, the arms can be returned from the extended position to the retracted position and the implant can be removed from the bore.

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First Claim