Patent ID: 7722611

Claim:
A method of treating a fracture of a clavicle bone having lateral and medial fragments, comprising: a) providing a first instrument having a first end and a second end; b) drilling with the first instrument in a first longitudinal direction from the medial side of the fracture and into a medullary canal of the lateral fragment such that the first instrument creates a pilot hole in the lateral fragment and the first end of the first instrument penetrates the skin surface; c) then retracting the first end of the first instrument from the lateral fragment in the first longitudinal direction until the second end is flush with the fracture or retracted within the lateral fragment; d) then, with the second end of the first instrument in the lateral fragment, orienting the lateral and medial fragments in an alignment of a reduced fracture; e) then advancing the second end of the first instrument in a second longitudinal direction opposite the first direction from the lateral fragment and into a medullary canal of the medial fragment to create a pilot hole in the medial fragment; f) enlarging a medial portion of the pilot hole in the lateral fragment and enlarging a lateral portion of the pilot hole in the medial fragment to define lateral and medial canals; g) first providing a clavicle nail; h) inserting substantially an entire length of the clavicle nail inside of the lateral canal of the lateral fragment; i) aligning the lateral and medial fragments; and j) second providing portions of the nail within each of the lateral and medial fragments.