Patent ID: 7488320

Claim:
A method for the fixation of an orthopaedic implant in bone, wherein the orthopaedic implant is at least comprised of a preformed element and an in-situ formed anchor, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming in the bone a pilot hole with entry in bone, the pilot hole having a first diameter; (b) forming in the bone a cavity connected to said pilot hole, said cavity having a second diameter that is substantially larger than the first diameter of said pilot hole, wherein said cavity is distal to the entry in bone; (c) positioning a preformed element within said pilot hole and said cavity, said preformed element comprising: a shank having a length, a proximal end and a distal end, the length of said shank being sized so that the distal end of said shank extends into said cavity when said shank is positioned within said pilot hole; a proximal aperture disposed at the proximal end of said shank; a distal aperture disposed at the distal end of said shank; and a passage extending within said shank from said proximal aperture to said distal aperture; and one or more interlocking elements which are at least partially within the cavity, wherein there is a substantial space between the one or more interlocking elements and the boundary of the cavity; (d) injecting a hardenable material in a flowable state into said proximal aperture so that said hardenable material in a flowable state flows through said passage and flows out of said distal aperture to at least partially fill said cavity; (e) allowing said hardenable material to transition from a flowable state to a hardened state within said cavity for forming an in-situ formed anchor, wherein a diameter of the in situ formed anchor is substantially larger than said first diameter of said pilot hole, thereby fixing the orthopaedic implant to the bone.