Patent ID: 8157803

Claim:
A method of bone fixation, comprising: placing an intramedullary nail proximally into a fractured femur; disposing a buttress member proximally on the femur such that a first aperture and a second aperture of the buttress member are arranged at least generally along the femur from each other, with the second aperture more distally disposed than the first aperture; placing a first fastener in the first aperture of the buttress member, into the femur, and through the nail such that the fastener is in threaded engagement with a pair of regions of the femur that are respectively disposed adjacent the buttress member and the nail and that are on opposite sides of the nail; placing a second fastener in the second aperture of the buttress member and into the femur; and placing a third fastener into a proximal region of the femur, the third fastener including a leading thread and a trailing thread, the leading thread having a greater pitch than the trailing thread and a fixed position relative to the trailing thread wherein the third fastener extends into a head of the femur and does not intersect the buttress member or the nail.