Compression brace

Abstract

A surgical device for pressing and retaining adjacent bones against one another comprising a compression brace and separate fasteners. The compression brace has at least two fastener retaining portions. Each fastener retaining portion has a fastener hole therethrough for receiving a fastener, such as a screw or pin. A pair of bridge members are positioned between the fastener retaining portions, and are spaced apart from one another to form a compression opening. The compression bracket can include a plurality of fastener retaining portions and a plurality of compression openings. In some embodiments, the fasteners are maintained in a substantially fixed relation with the fastener retaining portion. The brace is installed on adjacent bones such that a fastener engages each bone. The compression opening is spread apart to draw the fasteners toward one another, and thereby compress the adjacent bones together.

1 - 15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . A surgical device for pressing and retaining adjacent bones against one another, such as to reduce a fracture, comprising: 
 a compression brace, 
 said compression brace having at least two fastener retaining portions, each said fastener retaining portion having a fastener hole therethrough for receiving a fastener, said fastener hole having an internal thread,  
 a pair of bridge members positioned between said fastener retaining portions, said bridge members spaced apart from one another to thereby form a compression opening between said fastener retaining portions, and  
   at least two fasteners, each said fastener having 
 a lengthwise shaft sized to pass through said fastener hole and a head portion sized and configured to retain said fastener in said fastener hole,  
 an upper thread on said shaft adjacent said head of said fastener for engaging said internal thread in said fastener hole to thereby maintain said fastener in a substantially fixed relation to said fastener retaining portion.  
   
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein said substantially fixed relation between said fastener and said fastener retaining portion is substantially perpendicular.  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein said upper thread comprises double lead threads, said double-lead threads providing selective locking of said fastener in said fastener hole  
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of said fasteners is a screw, said shaft of said screw having a lower thread positioned to engage bone.  
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein said lower thread is self-drilling in bone.  
   
   
       21 . The device of  claim 20 , further comprising a cutting means along said tip of said screw for facilitating initial engagement of bone by said lower thread.  
   
   
       22 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of said fasteners is a pin.  
   
   
       23 . The device of  claim 16 , further comprising each said fastener retaining portion having a counterbore formed in an upper surface thereof, said counterbore substantially in axial alignment with said fastener hole, said counterbore sized and configured to provide countersinking of said upper retainer portion of said fastener in said fastener retaining portion.  
   
   
       24 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein each said bridge member is substantially V-shaped.  
   
   
       25 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein said compression brace includes a plurality of fastener retaining portions and a plurality of compression openings.  
   
   
       26 . A method of compressing and retaining first and second adjacent bones together, such as to reduce a fracture, comprising: 
 providing a compression brace, said compression brace having at least two fastener retaining portions, each said fastener retaining portion having a fastener hole therethrough for receiving a fastener, said fastener hole having an internal thread, a pair of bridge members positioned between said fastener retaining portions, said bridge members spaced apart from one another to thereby form a compression opening between said fastener retaining portions;    providing at least two fasteners, each said fastener having a lengthwise shaft sized to pass fastener hole, and an upper thread on said shaft adjacent said head of said fastener for engaging said internal thread in said fastener hole to thereby maintain said fastener in a substantially fixed relation to said fastener retaining portion;    placing the compression brace on the bones such that one of said fastener holes is on the first bone and one of said fastener holes is on the second bone;    securing the compression brace on the first bone by threading one of said fasteners into one of said fastener holes and into the first bone;    securing the compression brace on the second bone by threading one of said fasteners into a second one of said fastener holes and into the second bone; and    spreading the bridge members of the compression brace apart to thereby draw said fasteners and said bones toward one another.    
   
   
       27 . The method of claim  1 , further comprising, prior to said step of securing the compression bracket on the bones, forming a hole in each of the bones for receiving the fasteners.  
   
   
       28 . The method of claim  1 , wherein said bridge members are spread until said bones contact one another.