Patent ID: 8137348

Claim:
Apparatus for treating a fracture of a bone of a subject, comprising: an intramedullary (IM) nail insertable into a medullary canal of the bone of the subject and comprising a proximal head that defines at least one hole therethrough; and at least one sleeve rotatably insertable into a respective one of the at least one hole, wherein: each of the at least one sleeve comprises a locking mechanism which engages a portion of the nail around the respective hole after the sleeve is inserted into the respective hole, the locking mechanism of each of the at least one sleeve being integral with the at least one sleeve, the locking mechanism cooperates with the portion of the nail around the respective one of the at least one hole after the sleeve is inserted into the respective hole to prevent further relative rotational movement between the sleeve and the nail and to prevent both inward longitudinal movement of the sleeve relative to the nail in a first direction and outward longitudinal movement of the sleeve relative to the nail in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the proximal head is shaped so as to define a female coupling element located on a surface around the hole, the female coupling element comprising a notch, and the locking mechanism comprises a depressible male coupling element, the male coupling element being configured to engage the female coupling element so as to prevent the further rotational and inward and outward longitudinal movement between the sleeve and the nail after the sleeve is inserted into the respective hole.