Apparatus, System, and Method for Intra-Oral Distraction

Abstract

Described herein are various embodiments of a bone distraction osteogenesis system and associated apparatus and methods that overcome at least some shortcomings of the prior art. According to one representative embodiment, a bone distraction system for distracting a portion of bone from a source bone includes a first anchor portion couplable to an anchor bone and a second anchor portion couplable to a distractable bone segment of the source bone. The system includes a distractor coupling the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion. The overall length of the distractor is decreasable to pull the distractable bone segment toward the anchor bone for distracting the bone segment.

1 . A bone distraction system for distracting a portion of bone from a source: bone, comprising:
 a first anchor portion couplable to an anchor bone;   a second anchor portion couplable to a distractable bone segment of the source bone; and   a distractor coupling the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion, wherein an overall length of the distractor is decreasable to pull the distractable bone segment toward the anchor bone for distracting the bone segment.   
   
   
       2 . The bone distraction system of  claim 1 , wherein the distractor comprises a first end portion couplable to the first anchor portion, a second end portion couplable to the second anchor portion, and a telescoping portion extendable between the first and second end portions. 
   
   
       3 . The bone distraction system of  claim 2 , wherein the telescoping portion is rotatable relative to the first and second end portions, and wherein rotation of the telescoping portion reduces a distance between the first and second portions. 
   
   
       4 . The bone distraction system of  claim 2 , wherein the telescoping portion comprises a first threaded rod and a second threaded rod, the first and second threaded rods being rotatable relative to each other. 
   
   
       5 . The bone distraction system of  claim 2 , wherein the distractor comprises at least one support member adjacent the telescoping portion and extendable between the first and second end portions. 
   
   
       6 . The bone distraction system of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a maximum range of linear motion of the distractor to a minimum overall length of the distractor is greater than about 11:15. 
   
   
       7 . The bone distraction system of  claim 1 , wherein the overall length of the distractor is adjustable between a maximum length and a minimum length, and wherein a ratio of the maximum length to the minimum length is at least about 21:9. 
   
   
       8 . The bone distraction system of  claim 1 , wherein the anchor bone comprises one of the maxilla jaw bone and mandible jaw bone and the source bone comprises the other of the maxilla jaw bone and mandible jaw bone. 
   
   
       9 . The bone distraction system of  claim 1 , wherein when the first anchor portion is coupled to the anchor bone and the second anchor portion is coupled to the distractable bone segment, the distractor is external relative to the anchor bone, bone segment, and any tissue covering the anchor bone and bone segment. 
   
   
       10 . The bone distraction system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second anchor portions comprises a generally Y-shape having at least two spaced-apart eyelets each configured to receive a respective anchor. 
   
   
       11 . The bone distraction system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second anchor portions each comprise at least one anchor comprising a threaded portion and a head portion, the threaded portion being embeddable within one of the anchor bone and bone segment and the head portion comprising a plurality of flexible members. 
   
   
       12 . A distractor for distracting a bone segment cut from a first jaw bone, comprising:
 a first end portion couplable to one of the bone segment and a second jaw bone spaced apart from the first jaw bone;   a second end portion couplable to the other of the bone segment and the second jaw bone; and   at least one telescoping member extending between the first and second end portions, the telescoping member being actuatable to decrease the distance between the first and second end portions and increase the distance between the bone segment and the source bone.   
   
   
       13 . The distractor of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one telescoping member comprises a first telescoping member comprising a first threaded portion threadably engageable with a second threaded portion. 
   
   
       14 . The distractor of  claim 13 , wherein the first threaded portion comprises a first rod having a series of external threads and a bore having a series of internal threads, and the second threaded portion comprises a second rod having a series of external threads, and wherein the external threads of the second rod are threadably engageable with the internal threads of the first rod. 
   
   
       15 . The distractor of  claim 14 , wherein one of the first and second end portions comprises a bore having a series of internal threads, wherein the external threads of the second rod are threadably engageable with the internal threads of the bore of the one of the first and second end portions. 
   
   
       16 . The distractor of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one telescoping member comprises a second telescoping member comprising a first non-threaded portion slidably engageable with a second non-threaded portion. 
   
   
       17 . The distractor of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one telescoping member comprises a third telescoping member comprising a third non-threaded portion slidably engageable with a fourth non-threaded portion, and wherein the first telescoping member is positioned between the second and third telescoping members. 
   
   
       18 . The distractor of  claim 12 , wherein the distractor is adjustable between a minimum overall length and a maximum overall length, and wherein a ratio of a maximum distance between the first and second end portions to the minimum overall length is greater than about 14:9. 
   
   
       19 . A method for distracting a segment of bone from a source bone, the method comprising:
 providing a bone distractor comprising a first end portion and a second end portion movable relative to each other;   coupling the first end portion to the segment of bone;   coupling the second end portion to an anchor bone opposing the source bone; and   actuating the bone distractor to move the first and second end portions closer to each other and pull the segment of bone toward the anchor bone.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising fixing the source bone relative to the anchor bone. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the bone distractor comprises a threaded telescoping portion extending between the first and second end portions, and wherein actuating the bone distractor comprises rotating the threaded telescoping portion relative to the first and second end portions. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 at least one of the first and second end portions comprises internal threads;   the threaded telescoping portion comprises a first member having external threads and internal threads and a second member having external threads; and   rotating the threaded telescoping portion comprises at least one of threadably engaging the internal threads of the first member with the external threads of the second member and threadably engaging the external threads of the first member with the internal threads of the at least one of the first and second end portions.   
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 coupling the first end portion to the segment of bone comprises coupling the first end portion to at least one anchor embedded within the segment of bone and extending from a side of the segment of bone; and   coupling the second end portion to the anchor bone comprises coupling the second end portion to at least one anchor embedded within the anchor bone and extending from a side of anchor bone.   
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising positioning the bone distractor to the sides of the source bone, anchor bone, and a gingival layer covering the bones.