Patent ID: 8133226

Claim:
A method for intramedullary fixation of a fracture with an intramedullary fixation device comprising: (a) a core guide wire; (b) distal and proximal petal segments mountable on the core guide wire and being able to be moved towards each other, each petal segment having multiple petals able to be expanded for gripping an internal wall of a medullary canal; (c) distal and proximal expansion segments mountable on the core guide wire, each expansion segment having a tapered engagement surface for engaging with and expanding the petals of the distal and proximal petal segments, with the distal expansion segment having a chamfer; (d) a distal connecting segment with a counter-sink at one end to mate with the chamfer of the distal expansion segment, the other end being counter-bored; and (e) a proximal connecting segment having a counter-sink at one end to mate with the proximal expansion segment, the other end of the proximal connecting segment having a protrusion to mate with the counter-bored end of the distal connecting segment, with the method comprising: (a) passing the core guide wire with the distal petal segment mounted thereon into the medullary cavity such that the distal petal segment is in the medullary canal on a far side of the fracture; (b) passing the distal expansion segment along the core guide wire until it engages the distal petal segment; (c) passing the distal connecting segment along the core guide wire until it engages the distal expansion segment; (d) passing at least one optional additional segment along the core wire until it engages the distal connecting segment; (e) passing the proximal expansion segment along the core guide wire; (f) passing the proximal petal segment along the core guide wire until it engages the proximal expansion segment on a near side of the fracture; and (g) rotating the core guide wire to cause the distal and proximal petal segments to expand under the influence of the distal and proximal expansion segments such that the proximal and distal petal segments will securely engage the medullary cavity wall.