Compression brace

Abstract

A surgical device for pressing and retaining adjacent bones against one another comprising a compression brace and separate fasteners. The compression brace has at least two fastener retaining portions. Each fastener retaining portion has a fastener hole therethrough for receiving a fastener, such as a screw or pin. A pair of bridge members are positioned between the fastener retaining portions, and are spaced apart from one another to form a compression opening. The compression bracket can include a plurality of fastener retaining portions and a plurality of compression openings. In some embodiments, the fasteners are maintained in a substantially fixed relation with the fastener retaining portion. The brace is installed on adjacent bones such that a fastener engages each bone. The compression opening is spread apart to draw the fasteners toward one another, and thereby compress the adjacent bones together.

1 . A surgical device, in combination, comprising:
 a compression brace having an outer side and a substantially planar osteo side, the osteo side disposed opposite the outer side, the compression brace including
 first and second fastener retainers, each of the first and second fastener retainers defining a threaded opening, and 
 first and second bridge members disposed between the first and second fastener retainers and defining a first compression opening; and 
   first and second fasteners sized and configured to be received within the threaded openings defined by the first and second fastener retainers, each of the first and second fasteners including an elongate shaft extending from the head, the elongate shafts including a first threaded portion disposed adjacent to the head, the first threaded portion including threads sized and configured to engage the threaded openings defined by the first and second fastener retainers,   wherein the first and second bridge members are formed from a memory metal and are configured to be deformed such that a width of the first compression opening is adjusted to provide compression or distraction to adjacent bone segments when the compression brace is secured to the adjacent bone segments.   
   
   
       2 . The surgical device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second bridge members are spaced apart from one another in a substantially unbiased relationship. 
   
   
       3 . The surgical device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second fasteners include a second threaded portion along the elongate shaft, the second threaded portion sized and configured to engage bone. 
   
   
       4 . The surgical device of  claim 4 , wherein the first and second fasteners include a cutting means disposed at end opposite the head. 
   
   
       5 . The surgical device  claim 1 , wherein the first threaded portion of the first and second fasteners includes double lead threads. 
   
   
       6 . The surgical device of  claim 1 , wherein the compression brace includes:
 a third fastener retainer, and   third and fourth bridge members disposed between the second and third fastener retainers and defining a second compression opening, the third and fourth bridge members formed from a memory metal.   
   
   
       7 . The surgical device of  claim 6 , wherein the compression brace includes:
 a fourth fastener retainer, and   fifth and sixth bridge members disposed between the second and fourth fastener retainers, the fifth and sixth bridge members formed from a memory metal and defining a third compression opening.   
   
   
       8 . A method of installing a surgical device, comprising:
 inserting a first elongate shaft of a first fastener into a first threaded opening defined by a first fastener retainer of a compression brace, the compression brace including
 a second fastener retainer defining a second threaded opening defined by the second threaded opening, and 
 first and second bridge members disposed between the first and second fastener retainers and defining a first compression opening having a width, the first and second bridge members formed from a memory metal; 
   engaging a first threaded portion of the first elongate shaft with the threads of the first threaded opening to secure the first fastener to the compression brace and to a first bone segment; inserting a second elongate shaft of a second fastener into the second threaded opening of the compression brace;   engaging a second threaded portion of the second elongate shaft with the threads of the second threaded opening to secure the second fastener to the compression brace and to a second bone segment; and   deforming at least one of the first and second bridge members to adjust the width of the width of the first compression opening thereby providing one of distraction or compression to the first and second bone segments.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second bridge members are configured to maintain a width of the first compression opening after being deformed. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first fastener includes a third threaded portion along the first elongate shaft configured to engage bone. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second fastener includes a fourth threaded portion along the second elongate shaft configured to engage bone. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second threaded portions include double lead threads. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the compression brace includes an outer side and a substantially planar osteo side disposed opposite the outer side. 
   
   
       14 . A compression brace, comprising:
 a first fastener retaining portion defining a first threaded opening and including a first countersink that is axially aligned with an axis defined by the first threaded opening, the first countersink inwardly extending from an outer side of the compression brace;   a second fastener retaining portion defining a second threaded opening and including a second countersink that is axially aligned with an axis defined by the second threaded opening, the second countersink inwardly extending from the outer side of the compression brace;   a first bridge member extending from the first fastener retaining portion to the second fastener retaining portion; and   a second bridge member extending from the first fastener retaining portion to the second fastener retaining portion,   wherein the first and second bridge members are formed from a memory metal and define a first compression opening therebetween, the first and second bridge members configured to be deformed to adjust a width of the first compression opening thereby providing one of a compression or distraction force to adjacent bone segments when the compression brace is secured to the adjacent bone segments.   
   
   
       15 . The compression brace of  claim 14 , wherein the first threaded opening is configured to receive a first fastener including a first head and a first elongate shaft extending from the first head, the first elongate shaft having a first threaded portion adjacent to the first head. 
   
   
       16 . The compression brace of  claim 15 , wherein the second threaded opening is configured to receive a second fastener including a second head and a second elongate shaft extending from the second head, the second elongate shaft having a second threaded portion adjacent to the second head. 
   
   
       17 . The compression brace of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second threaded portions are double lead threads configured to respectively lock the first and second fasteners in the first and second threaded openings. 
   
   
       18 . The compression brace of  claim 14 , wherein the compression brace includes a substantially planar osteo side disposed opposite the outer side. 
   
   
       19 . The compression brace of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second bridge members are substantially parallel each other and include diametrically opposed distal curved portions. 
   
   
       20 . The compression brace of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a third fastener retaining portion defining a third threaded opening and including a third countersink that is axially aligned with an axis defined by the third threaded opening, the third countersink inwardly extending from the outer side of the compression brace, the third fastener opening disposed adjacent to the first fastener retaining portion;   a fourth fastener retaining portion defining a fourth threaded opening and including a fourth countersink that is axially aligned with an axis defined by the fourth threaded opening, the fourth countersink inwardly extending from the outer side of the compression brace;   a third bridge member extending from the third fastener retaining portion to the fourth fastener retaining portion; and   a fourth bridge member extending from the third fastener retaining portion to the fourth fastener retaining portion,   wherein the third and fourth bridge members are formed from a memory metal and define a second compression opening therebetween, the third and fourth bridge members configured to be deformed to adjust a width of the second compression opening thereby providing one of a compression or distraction force to adjacent bone segments when the compression brace is secured to the adjacent bone segments.