System and method for surgical implant positioning and fixation

Abstract

A positioning device for positioning an orthopedic implant in a patient during a surgical procedure includes a first orthopedic fastener and a device body. The orthopedic fastener penetrates into a bone of the patient to secure the orthopedic implant to the bone. The device body is removably positionable at least partially subcutaneously within the patient. The device body can retract tissue of the patient and includes a first fastener guide that guides positioning of the first orthopedic fastener relative to the bone of the patient. The device body releasably secures the orthopedic implant during positioning of the orthopedic implant. The positioning device can also include an implant attacher that removably secures the orthopedic implant to the device body. The implant attacher movably extends through the device body along an attacher axis. The positioning device can also include a tissue locator that movably extends through the implant attacher along the attacher axis. The first fastener guide is angled relative to the attacher axis. The positioning device can include a second orthopedic fastener and a second fastener guide.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A positioning device for positioning an orthopedic implant in a patient during a surgical procedure, the positioning device comprising:
 a first orthopedic fastener that is configured to penetrate into a bone of the patient to secure the orthopedic implant to the bone; and   a device body that is removably positionable at least partially subcutaneously within the patient during the surgical procedure, the device body being configured to retract tissue of the patient during the surgical procedure, the device body including a first fastener guide that is configured to guide positioning of the first orthopedic fastener relative to the bone of the patient.   
     
     
         2 . The positioning device of  claim 1  wherein the device body is configured to releasably secure the orthopedic implant during positioning of the orthopedic implant in the patient. 
     
     
         3 . The positioning device of  claim 1  wherein the device body is inflatable. 
     
     
         4 . The positioning device of  claim 1  further comprising an implant attacher that removably secures the orthopedic implant to the device body, the implant attacher movably extending through the device body along an attacher axis. 
     
     
         5 . The positioning device of  claim 4  further comprising a tissue locator that movably extends through the implant attacher along the attacher axis. 
     
     
         6 . The positioning device of  claim 4  wherein the first fastener guide is angled at least 3 degrees relative to the attacher axis. 
     
     
         7 . The positioning device of  claim 4  further comprising a second orthopedic fastener, and wherein the device body further comprises a second fastener guide so that the fastener guides are positioned on opposing sides of the implant attacher, and wherein each fastener guide is configured to guide positioning of one corresponding orthopedic fastener relative to the bone of the patient. 
     
     
         8 . The positioning device of  claim 7  wherein the fastener guides are non-parallel to one another. 
     
     
         9 . The positioning device of  claim 4  wherein the implant attacher includes threads that selectively engage the orthopedic implant to removably secure the orthopedic implant to the device body. 
     
     
         10 . The positioning device of  claim 1  wherein the orthopedic implant is a growth plate. 
     
     
         11 . The positioning device of  claim 1  wherein the orthopedic fastener is threaded. 
     
     
         12 . The positioning device of  claim 1  further including a body positioner that is coupled to the device body, the body positioner having visual indicia to position the device body relative to the bone of the patient. 
     
     
         13 . The positioning device of  claim 1  further including a body positioner that is coupled to the device body, the body positioner being configured to cooperate with an imaging system to position the device body relative to the bone of the patient. 
     
     
         14 . The positioning device of  claim 1  wherein the device body has a somewhat frustoconical configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The positioning device of  claim 1  wherein the device body has a somewhat cylindrical configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The positioning device of  claim 1  wherein the orthopedic implant is formed from metal. 
     
     
         17 . The positioning device of  claim 1  wherein the orthopedic implant is formed from a polyester fiber material. 
     
     
         18 . A positioning device for positioning an orthopedic implant in a patient during a surgical procedure, the positioning device comprising:
 a device body that is removably positionable at least partially subcutaneously within the patient during the surgical procedure, the device body being configured to retract tissue of the patient during the surgical procedure, the device body including a pair of fastener guides that are each configured to guide positioning of a corresponding orthopedic fastener relative to the bone of the patient.   
     
     
         19 . The positioning device of  claim 18  further comprising an implant attacher that removably secures the orthopedic implant to the device body, the implant attacher movably extending through the device body along an attacher axis. 
     
     
         20 . A positioning device for positioning an orthopedic implant in a patient during a surgical procedure, the positioning device comprising:
 two orthopedic fasteners that are each configured to penetrate into a bone of the patient to secure the orthopedic implant to the bone, at least one of the orthopedic fasteners being threaded,   a device body that is removably positionable at least partially subcutaneously within the patient during the surgical procedure, the device body being configured to retract tissue of the patient during the surgical procedure, the device body being configured to releasably secure the orthopedic implant during positioning of the orthopedic implant in the patient, the device body including two fastener guides that are each configured to guide positioning of one of the orthopedic fasteners relative to the bone of the patient, the fastener guides being non-parallel to one another; and   a body attacher that removably attaches the device body to the patient, the body attacher movably extending through the device body along an attacher axis that is approximately orthogonal relative to the bone of the patient.