Importance

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Abstract

An all-mechanical system for bone-drilling alignment of a blind distal bone-screw hole of an installed intra-medullary nail, wherein the system provides (i) a drill jig that features a longitudinally adjustable nail-contactable contact-rod mounting in the jig and (ii) a drill-guide which can align with the blind distal bone-screw hole for a correct nail-contactable adjustment of the contact rod. The system enables the surgeon to check-out the drill jig in assembled relation to a selected intramedullary nail, prior to nail installation, and to perform an adjustment to compensate for nail diameter when the contact end of the rod engages the nail. He can then either visually satisfy himself of the drill-guide/bolt-hole alignment, or he can use a plug-gage or trocar tool having guidance in the drill guide, and checking for whether the plug gage has entry into the bone-screw hole in the intramedullary nail. Having thus ascertained that the adjusted contact-rod position can correctly identify drill-guide alignment with one or more bone-screw holes of the intramedullary nail, it is only necessary, after installing the nail and connecting the jig to the proximal end of the nail, to make a small local surgical incision through flesh and bone sufficient to enable direct stabilizing (contact-rod) contact with the nail, whereupon it is known that the drill guides are in correctly drillable alignment with the targeted bone-screw holes of the installed nail. Drilling and setting of bone screws can immediately proceed in customary manner.

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First Claim