Patent ID: 8062297

Claim:
A bone fixation apparatus comprising: a bridge member defining a topmost portion and forming a generally planar, closed trapezoidal figure having four sides and an open center portion, and comprising a shape memory effect material having at least two temperature-dependent states, at least a portion of each of the sides defining a curve having a respective first radius when the shape memory effect material is in a first of the temperature-dependent states, and a respective second radius larger than a corresponding first radius when the shape memory effect material is in a second of the temperature-dependent states, an intersection of each pair of the sides forming a respective intersection curve that, relative to the open center portion of the bridge member, curves in a direction opposite to the curves defined by the sides of the bridge member, the topmost portion remaining generally planar in both the first and second temperature dependent states; and a plurality of elongate members connected to the bridge member and extending out of a plane that includes the bridge member, each of the elongate members being connected to the bridge member at an approximate intersection of a respective two of the sides, such that each of the elongate members is subject to a force from each of the respective two intersecting sides and moves toward the open center portion of the bridge member when the shape memory effect material changes from the second temperature-dependent state to the first temperature-dependent state.