Modular femoral nail and method of use thereof

Abstract

An intramedullary nail includes a first nail module having an elongated body and at least one notch on a first connecting end, a second nail module having an elongated body and at least one notch on a second connecting end, and a key. The key has a ring having a first ridge on a top side and a second ridge on a bottom side, the key configured to be positioned between the connecting ends of the first and the second nail modules with the first ridge of the key fitting into the notch of the first nail module and the second ridge of the key fitting into the notch of the second nail module. The first ridge is offset from the second ridge and the offset between the first ridge and the second ridge determines a relative orientation between the first nail module and the second nail module.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An intramedullary nail, comprising:
 a first nail module having an elongated body and at least one notch on a first connecting end;   a second nail module having an elongated body and at least one notch on a second connecting end; and   a key comprising a ring having a first ridge on a top side and a second ridge on a bottom side, the key configured to be positioned between the connecting ends of the first and the second nail modules with the first ridge of the key fitting into the notch on the first connecting end of the first nail module and the second ridge of the key fitting into the notch on the second connecting end of the second nail module,   wherein the first ridge is offset from the second ridge,   wherein the offset between the first ridge and the second ridge determines a relative orientation between the first nail module and the second nail module.   
     
     
         2 . The intramedullary nail of  claim 1 , wherein the key further comprises a third ridge on either the top side or the bottom side of the key. 
     
     
         3 . The intramedullary nail of  claim 2 , wherein the key further comprises a fourth ridge on the other of the top side or the bottom side of the key. 
     
     
         4 . The intramedullary nail of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second ridges fitting into the notches of the first and second connecting ends, respectively, prevents relative rotation between the first and second nail modules. 
     
     
         5 . The intramedullary nail of  claim 1 , wherein the ring has a non-uniform width so as to alter an angle of the first nail module relative to the second nail module. 
     
     
         6 . The intramedullary nail of  claim 1 , further comprising an engagement mechanism configured to rigidly couple the first nail module to the second nail module to prevent relative movement between the first nail module and the second nail module. 
     
     
         7 . The intramedullary nail of  claim 1 , further comprising a shaft nail module configured to form the shaft of the intramedullary nail, wherein a first end and a second end of the shaft nail module is a connecting end. 
     
     
         8 . The intramedullary nail of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first nail module and the second nail module is configured to release a therapeutic. 
     
     
         9 . The intramedullary nail of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first nail module and the second nail module is configured to deliver at least one of an electric current or a magnetic field. 
     
     
         10 . A kit comprising:
 a plurality of nail modules, each nail module having an elongated body with a first end and a second end;   wherein, for each nail module, at least one of the first end or the second end is a connecting end configured to connect to a second connecting end on a second nail module; and   a plurality of keys, each key comprising a ring with a top side and a bottom side and at least one ridge formed on each of the top side and the bottom side, the key configured to be positioned between the connecting ends of two nail modules with the ridges of the key fitting in to notches in the connecting ends, wherein the ridge on the top side is offset from the ridge on the bottom side;   wherein a first key of the plurality of keys has a first offset between the ridge on the top side and the ridge on the bottom side to provide a first orientation between the first nail module and the second nail module; and   wherein a second key of a plurality of keys has a second offset between the ridge on the top side and the ridge on the bottom side to provide a second orientation between the first nail module and the second nail module; and   wherein the orientation of the first nail module relative to the second nail module is modified based on a selection between the first key and the second key.   
     
     
         11 . The kit of  claim 10 , wherein the first offset is different than the second offset. 
     
     
         12 . The kit of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first key and the second key further comprises at least two ridges on at least one of the top side or the bottom side. 
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 10 , wherein the ridges fitting into the notches of the connecting ends is configured to prevent relative rotation between a first and a second nail module. 
     
     
         14 . The kit of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of keys has a ring having a non-uniform width so as to alter an angle of a first nail module relative to a second nail module. 
     
     
         15 . The kit of  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of shaft nail modules configured to form a shaft of an intramedullary nail, each shaft nail module having a connecting end on both the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         16 . A method for building a customizable intramedullary nail, the method comprising:
 determining desired properties for the intramedullary nail;   based on the desired properties for the intramedullary nail, selecting two or more nail modules from a set of a plurality of nail modules, each nail module having an elongated body with a first end and a second end, wherein, for each nail module, at least one of the first end or the second end is a connecting end, and each connecting end comprises at least one notch;   based on the desired properties, including a desired orientation between a first nail module and a second nail module, selecting at least one key from a plurality of keys,
 each key comprising a ring with a top side and a bottom side and at least one ridge formed on each of the top side and the bottom side, and each key configured to be positioned between the connecting ends of two nail modules with the ridges of the key fitting in the notches of the connecting ends, wherein a ridge on the top side is offset from a ridge on the bottom side; 
 wherein a first key of the plurality of keys has a first offset between a ridge on the top side and ridge on the bottom side to provide a first orientation between a first nail module and a second nail module; and 
 wherein a second key of a plurality of keys has a second offset between a ridge on the top side and a ridge on the bottom side to provide a second orientation between the first nail module and the second nail module; 
 wherein the key is selected from the plurality of keys, based on the offset, to achieve the desired orientation between the first nail module and the second nail module; and 
   connecting the two or more selected nail modules together to form the intramedullary nail by connecting the selected key between at least one connecting end on a first nail module with a second connecting end on a second nail module.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first offset is different than the second offset. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of keys has a ring having a non-uniform width so as to alter an angle of a first nail module relative to a second nail module. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising selecting at least one key from the plurality of keys based on a desired angle of the first nail module relative to the second nail module. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising disconnecting the two or more selected nail modules and the selected key and replacing at least one of the two or more selected nail modules or the selected key with a different nail module or key to form a second intramedullary nail having a different configuration.