Patent ID: 9192415
Filing Date: 2015-11-24
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A guide assembly for introducing a bone anchor to an operative target site, the bone anchor including a housing having a pair of opposed arms defined by first and second opposed slots formed in the housing, comprising: an outer sleeve having a distal end, a proximal end, a central passage extending from the distal end to the proximal end, a third slot open at the distal anchor engaging end and a fourth slot opposite the third slot and open at the distal anchor engaging end, wherein the distal end of the outer sleeve includes first and second lateral projections dimensioned to engage first and second recesses formed in the housing arms and first and second longitudinal ridges dimensioned to be received within first and second longitudinal grooves formed in the housing arms; and an inner sleeve having a distal end, a proximal end, a fifth slot open at the distal end and aligned with the third slot of the outer sleeve and a sixth slot open at the distal end and aligned with the fourth slot of the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve being situated in the central passage and moveable along a longitudinal axis between an open position and a closed position for temporarily fixing the housing to the guide assembly, the inner sleeve further including a third and fourth longitudinal ridges that are received within third and fourth longitudinal grooves in the housing arms when the inner tube is in the closed position, and wherein the third and fifth slot are aligned with the first slot of the housing and the fourth and sixth slot are aligned with the second slot of the housing when the first and second lateral projections of the outer sleeve are engaged in the first and second recesses of the housing.