Guidewire and method for surgical procedures

Abstract

A surgical guide wire or K-wire and method of use are provided. The K-wire, or guide wire, has opposite end portions and a shank portion in between. One end portion has a deformable end portion that, once outside of a confining guide passage, can be deformed to present a projected forward facing area that is larger than the transverse cross section of the K-wire, or guide wire, while in the passage. The increased area will provide increased resistance to additional forward axial movement into the surgical site.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire, the method comprising the steps of: placing a surgical tool at a surgical site, said surgical tool having a guiding through bore which terminates in a distal end opening; passing a guide wire having a manipulative end, a center portion and an operative end through said guiding through bore, said operative end configured to be traversable between a first configuration and a second configuration configured to limit forward axial motion of said guide wire into said surgical site; and traversing said guide wire from said first configuration to said second configuration by passing said guide wire operative end beyond said opening of said through bore, said second configuration defined by said operative end having a deformed projected area that is greater than the cross sectional area of the guide wire when in said first configuration, wherein said operative end includes two equally sized deployable free ends which diverge from a common region of said guide wire, each said free end having a first linear portion and a second portion which diverges from the longitudinal axis of said guide wire at a bend, said bend positioned between said common region of said guide wire and a distal end of said free end, wherein each said bend is positioned at a predetermined location within said free end to provide a predetermined separation angle, wherein each said free end contains at least one bone or tissue engagement member. 
     
     
       2. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  further including the step of traversing said guide wire from said second configuration to said first configuration by retracting said guide wire from said surgical site, whereby retracting said operative end from a position extending past said opening of said surgical tool to a position within said through bore results in a cross sectional area that is less than the area of said projected area when in said second configuration. 
     
     
       3. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein said treatment site is bone or bone tissue. 
     
     
       4. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein said tissue engagement member includes a plurality of teeth provided on an inner surface of the free end. 
     
     
       5. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein said bend of each said free end is positioned closer to said distal end of said free end. 
     
     
       6. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein said bend of each said free end is positioned closer to said point where said free ends diverge from a common region of said guide wire. 
     
     
       7. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein each said bend is positioned at a predetermined location within said free ends to provide an angle of at least 30 degrees. 
     
     
       8. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein each said bend is positioned at a predetermined location within said free ends to provide an angle of at least 50 degrees. 
     
     
       9. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein each said free end is constructed from a flexible material. 
     
     
       10. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein each said free end is constructed from a memory metal alloy. 
     
     
       11. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein said memory metal alloy is a super-elastic material. 
     
     
       12. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein the memory metal alloy includes Nitinol. 
     
     
       13. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein each said deployable end is constructed from a memory metal alloy. 
     
     
       14. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein each said deployable end is constructed of a resiliently deformable spring material. 
     
     
       15. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein each said deployable end has a deformable portion made of a plastically deformable material. 
     
     
       16. The method of conducting a medical procedure on a surgical site using a guide wire according to  claim 1  wherein each said free end is self deployable. 
     
     
       17. A method of conducting a surgical procedure using a guide wire comprising the steps of:
 placing a surgical tool at a surgical site, the surgical tool having a guiding through bore which terminates at a distal end opening;   passing a guide wire having a manipulative end, a center portion and an operative end through the guiding through bore, the guide wire being monolithic and bifurcating into two portions at the operative end, the two portions being equal in length, the operative end being in a first configuration while in the through bore; and   manipulating the manipulative end to pass the operative end beyond the distal end opening, the operative end moving to a second configuration outside of the through bore,   wherein the second configuration of the operative end is configured to limit movement of the guide wire in the surgical site.    
     
     
       18. The method of claim 17, wherein the surgical site is a vertebral body.  
     
     
       19. The method of claim 17, wherein a projected area of the operative end is greater in the second configuration than in the first configuration.  
     
     
       20. The method of claim 17, wherein the two portions have first and second sized deployable free ends which diverge from a common region of the guide wire, each free end having a first linear portion and a second portion which diverges from the longitudinal axis of said guide wire at a bend, wherein each said bend is positioned at a predetermined location to provide a predetermined separation angle between the first and second linear portions in the second configuration.  
     
     
       21. The method of claim 17, further including the step of moving the operative end from the second configuration to the first configuration by retracting the operative end at least partially into the through bore.  
     
     
       22. The method of claim 17, further including the step of removing the surgical tool by pulling on the surgical tool and pushing down on the guide wire.  
     
     
       23. The method of claim 17, further including the step of using the operative end of the guide wire as a marker or a stop for placing a second surgical tool.