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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A compression brace, comprising:
 a first fastener retainer portion defining a first fastener opening;   a second fastener retainer portion defining a second fastener opening, wherein the first and second fastener retainers are annular in shape;   first and second bridge members disposed between and coupled to the first and second fastener retainer portions, wherein the bridge members are spaced apart to define a compression opening therebetween, and wherein the first and second bridge members are deformable to adjust a distance between the first fastener retainer portion and the second fastener retainer portion.   
     
     
         2 . The compression brace of  claim 1 , wherein the first fastener opening includes a locking feature configured to be coupled to a first fastener received in the first fastener opening. 
     
     
         3 . The compression brace of  claim 2 , wherein the locking feature comprises a thread. 
     
     
         4 . The compression brace of  claim 2 , wherein the second fastener opening defines a non-locking opening sized and configured to receive a second fastener received therein at an angle. 
     
     
         5 . The compression brace of  claim 4 , wherein the first fastener comprises a locking screw and the second fastener comprises a non-locking screw. 
     
     
         6 . The compression brace of  claim 4 , comprising a third fastener retainer portion defining a third fastener opening coupled to the first fastener retainer portion. 
     
     
         7 . The compression brace of  claim 6 , wherein the third fastener opening comprises a locking feature configured to be coupled to a locking fastener received in the second fastener opening. 
     
     
         8 . The compression brace of  claim 7 , comprising a fourth fastener retainer portion defining a fourth fastener opening coupled to the second fastener retainer portion. 
     
     
         9 . The compression brace of  claim 8 , wherein the fourth fastener opening defines a non-locking opening sized and configured to receive a fastener received therein at an angle. 
     
     
         10 . The compression brace of  claim 9 , wherein the first fastener retainer portion, the second fastener retainer portion, the third fastener retainer portion, and the fourth fastener retainer portion are linearly arranged. 
     
     
         11 . The compression brace of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second bridge members define an arcuate compression opening. 
     
     
         12 . A compression brace, comprising:
 at least two annular fastener retainer portions each defining a respective fastener opening, wherein at least one of the fastener openings comprises a non-locking opening;   first and second bridge members disposed between and coupled to the first and second fastener retainer portions, wherein the bridge members generally extend along a longitudinal axis, wherein the bridge members are spaced apart to define a compression opening, and wherein the bridge member are deformable to contract the compression brace along the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         13 . The compression brace of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the fastener openings comprises a locking feature configured to couple to a first fastener received therein. 
     
     
         14 . The compression brace of  claim 13 , wherein the locking feature comprises a thread. 
     
     
         15 . The compression brace of  claim 13 , wherein the non-locking opening is sized and configured to provide selective angulation of a second fastener received therein. 
     
     
         16 . The compression brace of  claim 15 , wherein the first fastener comprises a locking screw and the second fastener comprises a non-locking screw 
     
     
         17 . The compression brace of  claim 15 , wherein the at least two annular fasteners are linearly arranged along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         18 . The compression brace of  claim 12 , wherein the compression opening comprises an oblong opening in an un-deformed state.