Patent ID: 11925345
Assignee: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method for performing a surgical procedure on a patient, comprising:
surgically exposing one or more bones or bone segments;
cutting said at least one or more bones or bone segments to create an opening;
providing an orthopedic implant, the orthopedic implant comprising:
a first staple portion formed of a metal material that has superelastic properties at body temperatures, the first staple portion comprising first leg portions that converge from a first crown portion;
a second staple portion formed of a metal material that has superelastic properties at body temperatures, the second staple portion comprising second leg portions that converge from a second crown portion; and
a spacer portion positioned between and connected to the first crown portion and the second crown portion, the spacer portion extending beyond the first and second crown portions generally towards respective distal ends of the first and second leg portions;

using an insertion tool to position the spacer portion of the orthopedic implant in the opening and to position both the first leg portions in a first of the one or more bones or bone segments and the second leg portions in a second of the one or more bones or bone segments, the first leg portions and the second leg portions imparting a compressive biasing force on the first and second of the one or more bones or bone segments, and the spacer portion maintaining a spaced apart relationship between the first and second of the one or more bones or bone segments; and
releasing the orthopedic implant from the insertion tool.