Apparatus and method for repairing the femur

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for repairing the femur. A connector is provided having a claw-like member to engage with the greater trochanter. Along the body of the connector are a plurality of cable apertures and cable screws to receive and engage with cables that loop around the femur. Along the inferior end of the connector are bone screw slots and bone screws engaging the connector with the femur. The bone screws provide added support to the re-attached greater trochanter and provide support for periprosthetic fractures. The connector may be used to re-attach the greater trochanter by impacting a connector onto the greater trochanter, positioning the greater trochanter onto the femur, passing cables around the femur and through the connector, tensioning the cables to provide engagement between the greater trochanter and the femur, and attaching the connector to the femur using at least one bone screw.

1 . A connector for engaging along a femur that has an upper head end thereof with a prosthetic hip implant including a stem extending in the femur and a ball projecting from the femur head end, the connector comprising: 
 an elongate lower portion for extending along the femur below the head end thereof;    a substantially rigid body of the lower portion;    a cable retaining structure in the rigid lower portion body for receiving cable extending therealong and about the femur;    a plurality of holding devices configured to be carried on the rigid lower portion body for securing the cable in the cable retaining structure to secure the lower portion to the femur;    an upper portion for greater trochanter reattachment to the femur upper head end;    a body of the upper portion that has a predetermined arcuate configuration to cradle the greater trochanter; and    at least one distal tip end of the arcuate upper portion body configured for biting into the greater trochanter so that the arcuate upper portion body securely cradles and grips the greater trochanter to avoid formation of screw through openings in the upper portion body and use of bone screws extending therethrough for securing the upper portion body to the greater trochanter and that may otherwise interfere with the prosthetic stem in the femur.    
   
   
       2 . The connector of  claim 1  wherein the cable retaining structure comprises a plurality of cable openings for receipt of cable therethrough.  
   
   
       3 . The connector of  claim 2  wherein each of the plurality of holding devices is configured to secure one cable received in at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of cable openings.  
   
   
       4 . The connector of  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of holding devices is configured to be advanced toward the cable to supply a force thereto in the cable retaining structure securing the cable therein.  
   
   
       5 . The connector of  claim 1  wherein the lower portion body includes bone screw slots extending therethrough with the lower portion body having a longitudinal axis and the slots being elongated along the lower portion body axis to allow bone screws to be extended through the slots at various angles to the axis to avoid contacting the prosthetic stem in the femur.  
   
   
       6 . The connector of  claim 1  wherein the lower portion body includes bone screw through openings having tapered walls extending thereabout to provide a compression fit with bone screws received and tightened therein and for drawing the arcuate upper portion body tightly against the greater trochanter.  
   
   
       7 . The connector of  claim 1  wherein the upper portion body includes at least one cable retaining structure for receiving cable extending therealong and about the greater trochanter and femur head end to secure the greater trochanter thereon and at least one holding device configured to be carried on the upper portion body for securing the cable in the cable retaining structure to secure the upper portion body to the femur.  
   
   
       8 . The connector of  claim 7  wherein the cable retaining structure comprises a cable opening in the upper portion body for receipt of the cable therethrough.  
   
   
       9 . The connector of  claim 7  wherein the at least one holding device is configured to be advanced toward the cable to supply a force thereto in the cable retaining structure for securing the cable.  
   
   
       10 . The connector of  claim 1  wherein the upper portion body includes a portion proximal to the lower portion that is narrower than the lower portion body.  
   
   
       11 . The connector of  claim 1  wherein the upper portion body includes a driver opening generally aligned with and opposite the distal tip end allowing a driver tool to engage therewith for driving the tip end into the greater trochanter from a remote position relative thereto.  
   
   
       12 . The connector of  claim 1  wherein the upper portion body and the lower portion body are integral.  
   
   
       13 . A connector for reattaching a greater trochanter to a femur, the connector comprising: An arcuate member for cradling the greater trochanter; 
 an elongate member for extending along the femur;    one of bone screw openings and cable retaining structure provided in at least one of the members;    an adjustable connection between the members at adjacent mating ends thereof that allows the members to be secured in different predetermined positions relative to each other; and    portions of the ends of the members that are configured to be in interference with each other in a direction extending away from and transverse to the femur with the members secured together at the ends by the adjustable connection.    
   
   
       14 . The connector of  claim 13  wherein one of the mating ends comprises a tongue having a generally T-shaped cross-sectional configuration and the other end comprises a groove having a generally T-shaped cross-sectional configuration complementary to that of the tongue to allow the tongue to slide in the groove with the tongue secured against being shifted out from the groove in a direction transverse to the sliding of the tongue.  
   
   
       15 . The connector of  claim 14  wherein the tongue end and the groove end both include screw apertures for being aligned to receive a screw fastener extending therethrough.  
   
   
       16 . The connector of  claim 13  wherein the arcuate member includes cable retaining structure and has a portion including the cable retaining structure that is narrower than the elongate member to minimize bending of a cable as the cable exits the retaining structure for extending about the femur and greater trochanter.  
   
   
       17 . The connector of  claim 16  wherein the cable retaining structure includes a cable opening in the arcuate member portion, and the arcuate member portion includes a cable holding device carried on the narrow arcuate member for securing the cable in the cable opening.  
   
   
       18 . A connector for reattaching a greater trochanter to a femur, the connector comprising: 
 an elongate lower portion for extending along the femur;    a plurality of bone screw openings in the elongate lower portion for fastening the lower portion along the femur;    an arcuate upper portion configured for cradling the greater trochanter; and    cable retaining structure of the arcuate upper portion for receiving a cable extending therealong and about the greater trochanter and femur for securing the arcuate upper portion thereto.    
   
   
       19 . The connector of  claim 18  wherein the lower and upper portions have a transverse width dimension with the arcuate upper portion being narrower in the width dimension than the elongate lower portion to minimize bending of the cable as the cable exits the retaining structure for extending about the femur and greater trochanter.  
   
   
       20 . The connector of  claim 19  wherein the cable retaining structure comprises a cable opening, and the narrow arcuate upper portion includes an aperture and a cable holding device carried in the aperture of the narrow arcuate upper portion for being advanced in the aperture to secure the cable in the cable opening.  
   
   
       21 . The connector of  claim 20  wherein the narrow arcuate upper portion includes an enlarged width end portion having a tooth for biting into the greater trochanter.  
   
   
       22 . The connector of  claim 18  wherein the arcuate upper portion includes a driver opening for allowing a driver tool to engage therewith and manipulate the arcuate upper portion from a remote position relative to the greater trochanter and femur.  
   
   
       23 . The connector of  claim 18  wherein the elongate lower portion and the arcuate upper portion are either integral with each other or distinct members from each other.