Patent ID: 7815647
Filing Date: 2010-10-19
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A coupling system for coupling an instrument to a bone nail comprising: a bone nail extending along a longitudinal axis and having an end with an internal axial circular bore having a first diameter including an axially extending recess formed in a wall of said bore, said recess open to said nail end and a groove intermediate ends of the internal axial bore having a diameter greater than the first diameter; and a connector engaged to the instrument and having an end insertable into the internal bore for coupling the instrument to said nail end, said end of said connector having an inwardly deformable spring element, at least a part of said spring element having a diameter greater than the first diameter of said bore when in a relaxed state for extending into the groove, the connector having a protrusion with an outwardly facing surface bounded by radially inwardly extending side surfaces for engaging the recess in the nail, the protrusion spaced further from the end of the connector insertable into the nail bore than the spring element, the protrusion has recessed areas adjacent the side surfaces thereof which recessed areas are flattened in a plane facing in the same direction as the outwardly facing surface to raise the protrusion radially outwardly.