Patent ID: 7066943

Claim:
An apparatus for locating and stabilizing an orthopedic intramedullary nail having a longitudinal axis and inserted longitudinally within the medullary cavity of a fractured long bone in an animal extremity, said apparatus comprising: a. an intramedullary nail having a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of target apertures therein disposed about said longitudinal axis, a portion of said apertures above a fracture in said bone and a portion of said apertures below a fracture in said bone, each of said apertures having a predetermined cross-sectional geometry; b. a removable handle for inserting and removing the nail; c. an adjustable jig removably secured to said handle comprising a proximal target arm having a plurality of apertures therein adapted to align with a plurality of apertures in a distal arm, said proximal target arm and said distal target arm adjustable relative to one another along said longitudinal axis; d. apparatus to drill apertures through the near cortex and the far cortex of said bone on both sides of a target aperture in said nail such that said apertures in the cortex of said bone are aligned with target apertures in said nail and apertures in said jig; and e. a slot finder inserted through said aperture in the near cortex of said bone and adapted to engage said target aperture, said slot finder having a cross-sectional geometry substantially identical to the cross-sectional geometry of said target apertures in said nail, such that the slot finder securely engages the target aperture in said nail, in a manner that limits the rotational movement of the slot finder when engaged with said target aperture.