Patent ID: 6966911

Claim:
A method for installing a staple into a bone, for correcting bone deficiencies by controlling the growth of the epiphyseal plate, the method comprising: i. providing a staple comprising a shape memory material body comprising a cross bar and at least two legs extending from the cross bar and normally diverging from each other, wherein the legs define spring legs tending to expand apart from each other when subject to a compression force; ii. applying a compression force to the legs and bringing the legs into a substantially parallel position; and iii. nailing the staple into the bone with at least one leg nailed at each side of the epiphyseal plate, whereby the legs exert a expansion force into the bone for lengthening the epiphyseal plate while the cross bar keeps a normal length thereof forming a tether for a periphery of the epiphyseal plate, thus causing the epiphyseal plate to grow around a focus.