Abstract:
An apparatus for locating interlocking intramedullary nails comprises a slide device which is disposed at the near end of the nails and is capable of adjustment in various directions. The slide device is provided with a locking structure, a locating rod, or drilling guide sleeve. The relative positions of the near end and the far end threaded holes of the interlocking intramedullary nails of various hole intervals and specifications are adjusted by the slide device in accordance with the body size of a patient under treatment. The drilling position of the drilling guide sleeve can be attained with precision and speed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for use in an orthopedic surgery, and more particularly to an apparatus for locating the interlocking intramedullary nails. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,561 of the same applicant has disclosed an all positional and universal guiding device for interlocking intramedullary nail. Under such a prior art, the applicant devotes himself and creates a further development and precision apparatus for locating interlocking intramedullary nails. 
     The interlocking intramedullary nails are often used in treatment of deformities, diseases, and injuries of bones, such as humerus, femur, tibia, etc. The interlocking intramedullary nails are used in conjunction with the fixation nails for the rehabilitation of the deformed bone. Such restorative operation is often complicated by the fact that there are a variety of interlocking intramedullary nails, which are different in specification and are made by various manufacturers. 
     It is technically difficult to implant an interlocking intramedullary nail with precision. In order to minimize the technical difficulty that is involved in the implanting of the interlocking intramedullary nail, the X-ray machine is often used to help the surgeon to align the nail with the threaded hole. It is conceivable that the constant exposure to the X-rays is hazardous to the health of the surgeon. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an adjustable apparatus enabling the interlocking intramedullary nails of various specifications to be aligned with the near end and the far end threaded holes without the use of the X-ray machine. 
     The features and the advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following detailed description of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the present invention in combination. 
     FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the inclined near end threaded hole of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of another near end threaded hole of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of the far end threaded hole of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a locating embodiment of another near end threaded hole of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a drilling embodiment of another near end threaded hole of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of the embodiment of the inclined near end threaded hole of the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 shows a schematic view of a locating embodiment of the far end threaded hole of the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of a drilling embodiment of the far end threaded hole of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention comprises a curved main body  10  and a vertical seat  11 , which is perpendicular to the bone nail and is provided with and inner recessed hole  12  and a plurality of fastening holes  13 . The main body  10  is provided with a parallel seat  14  which is parallel to the bone nail and is provided with a long slide slot  15  and a swaying seat  16  which is in turn provided with a locking hole  17 . The locking hole  17  is provided at the outer end thereof with a protruded pillar  18 . The inner recessed hole  12  of the vertical seat  11  of the main body  10  is provided with an extension seat  20  which is provided with an expandable rod  21  having a plurality of fitting holes  22  corresponding to the locking hole  13 . The extension seat  20  is provided at other end thereof with a carrying seat  23  which is provided in the midsegment thereof with a through hole  24  which is provided at the bottom end thereof with a locating block  25  projecting therefrom. The extension seat  20  is further provided with a near end inclined hole  26  as desired. The locking hole  13  end of the main body  10  is provided with two threaded rods  27  to cooperate with the fitting hole  22 . In light of various bone nail designs, the carrying seat  23  is provided at the bottom end thereof with a rotary connection block  30  which is in turn provided at the bottom end with an orientation locating block  32  for connecting the threaded rod  35  end of a nail connection rod  34 . The parallel seat  14  is provided with two slide blocks  40  fastened thereto. The slide block  40  is provided with two retaining holes  41  in cooperation with the slide slot  15 . The slide block  40  is provided in one side with a fixation thread  42  to cooperate with a threaded rod  43 . The swaying seat  16  is provided with an adjustment swing arm  50  which is provided with an axial hole  51  to cooperate with the locking hole  17  so as to set up a threaded rod  52 . The adjustment swing arm  50  is provided with a slide hole  53  and a locking hole  54  to cooperate a threaded rod  55 . The protruded pillar  18  of the main body  10  is provided with an arcuate restriction slot  56 . The adjustment swing arm  50  is provided at the bottom end thereof with an adjustment block  60  extending therefrom and having a locating slide shaft  61  to cooperate the slide hole  53  of the adjustment swing arm  50 . The locating slide shaft  61  is provided at one end with a retaining face  62 . The adjustment block  60  is provided at the front end with an axial hole  63  which is provided at the outer end with a recessed restriction slot  64 . The axial hole  63  of the adjustment block  60  is connected with the locking hole  72  of the rotary seat  71  of a slide seat  70  by a threaded rod  65 . The locking hole  72  is provided at the outer end with a protruded pillar  73  to cooperate with the restriction slot  64 . The slide seat  70  is provided with a slide through hole  74  and a fitting hole  75 . A threaded rod  77  is provided to fasten the locking hole  76  of the slide hole  74  in which an adjustment rod  80  is received. An opening hole  81  is corresponding to the fitting hole  75  of the slide seat  70 . The adjustment rod  80  is provided at the front end with a fitting hole  82 . Finally, the near end inclined hole  26 , the retaining hole  41 , the fitting holes  75 ,  82  are provided with a guide rod  36  or drilling guide sleeve  37 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 3-5, in conjunction with FIGS. 6-10, the component parts of the present invention can be easily separated or combined. They can be stored separately in an orderly manner. They can be stored separately in an orderly manner. They can be put together as required in cooperation with the interlocking intramedullary nails of various specifications. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, in light of the near end threaded hole of the interlocking intramedullary nail being of an inclined construction, only the extension seat  20  is called for such that the locating block  25  of the extension seat  20  is fitted with the interlocking intramedullary nail of an appropriate specification, and that it is fastened with the threaded rod  35  of the nail connection rod  34 . The near end inclined hole  26  is provided with the drilling guide sleeve  37  for drilling the near end threaded hole, as shown in FIG.  8 . The expandable rod  21  of the extension seat  20  can be cooperated with the body size of a patient such that it can be fixed in the inner recessed hole  12  by two threaded rods  27 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, in light of the near end threaded hole of the interlocking intramedullary nail being perpendicular to the interlocking intramedullary nail end, the slide block  40  is fastened with the parallel seat  14  of the main body  10  after being fastened onto humerus, femur, or tibia. The interlocking intramedullary nails of various specifications are thus fastened by means of two guide rods  36  and the threaded rod  43 , as shown in FIG.  6 . The near end threaded holes of various intervals of interlocking intramedullary nails of various brands are thus located. Upon completion of the implanting of the nails onto humerus, femur, or tibia, the drilling guide sleeve  37  is connected to facilitate the work of drilling the near end threaded hole, as shown in FIG.  7 . 
     As shown in FIG. 5, the far end threaded hole is located by the present invention. Upon completion of the fastening of the interlocking intramedullary nail, the adjustment swing arm  50  of an appropriate length is selected and then fastened by the threaded rod  55 . The far end threaded hole member is formed of the adjustment block  60 , the slide seat  70 , and the adjustment rod  70 . The far end threaded holes of the interlocking intramedullary nails are connected by two guide rods  36  in conjunction with the fitting holes  75  and  82 . As the threaded rods  65  and  52  are unfastened, the protruded pillars  18  and  73  are located in the restriction slot  56 ,  64  respectively. The present invention is capable of cooperating with the curvature of the interlocking intramedullary nails. Upon completion of the fastening of the threaded rods  77 ,  65 ,  55 , and  52 , the parallel locating of the far end threaded holes is thus attained, as shown in FIG.  9 . After the implantation of the interlocking intramedullary nail into femur, tibia, or humerus, the drilling guide sleeve  37  is fastened to facilitate the work of drilling the far end threaded hole, as shown in FIG.  10 . In light of the interlocking intramedullary nails being various in length, it is necessary to unfasten the threaded rod  55  so as to adjust the relative positions of the locating slide shaft  61  and the slide hole  53  of the adjustment swing arm  50 . For the purpose of locating the far end threaded holes of various brands, the threaded rod  77  is first unfastened so as-to adjust the two guide rods  36  in relation to the hole interval of various far end threaded holes of the interlocking intramedullary nails. The locating of the far end threaded holes of various brands can be also attained by adjusting the sliding distance of the adjustment rod  80  in the slide hole  74  of the slide seat  70 . Finally, the threaded rod  77  is fastened to conclude the adjusting of the hole interval of the far end threaded holes of various brands. 
     Depending on the body size of a patient, the adjustment of the near end and the far end threaded holes of the interlocking intramedullary nails of various specifications is attained by changing the adjustment swing arm  50  and the adjustment block  60 . The locating blocks  25  of various specifications can be adjusted by means of the expandable rod  21  of the extension seat  20 . According to the bone size of the patient, the locating of the threaded holes, the drilling of the threaded holes, and the fastening of the threaded holes can be done by adjusting the distance between the deformed bone and the horizontal seat  14  of the main body  10 , without the help of the X-ray machine.