Patent ID: 6932818

Claim:
A bone fracture treatment apparatus for stabilizing a fracture in a long bone of the body, the long bone having a proximal end, a distal end and a bone shaft extending between the proximal end and the distal end, the fracture being located adjacent one of the proximal end and the distal end, the apparatus comprising: an intramedullary nail insertable in the long bone through one of the proximal end and the distal end to extend longitudinally along the long bone toward a corresponding other of the distal end and the proximal end, the intramedullary nail having a first end, a second end and an elongate shank extending along a central longitudinal axis and having a longitudinal length between the first end and the second end of the intramedullary nail for locating the first end adjacent the corresponding other of the distal end and the proximal end of the long bone when the second end is placed at the one of the proximal end and the distal end of the long bone; at least one socket extending transversely into the shank intermediate the first and second ends of the intramedullary nail, the socket being spaced away from each of the first and second ends a distance sufficient to assure that upon insertion of the intramedullary nail into the long bone the socket is juxtaposed with the bone shaft and is located adjacent the one of the proximal end the distal end of the long bone; at least one anchoring pin dimensioned and configured relative to the socket for being secured within the socket, located and secured to the shaft of the intramedullary nail so as to extend transversely from the shaft of the long bone adjacent the one of the proximal end and the distal end of the long bone; a drill guide having at least one drill guide passage for alignment with the fracture; and a coupling arrangement for coupling the drill guide with the anchoring pin such that upon securing the anchoring pin within the socket and coupling the drill guide with the anchoring pin, the drill guide passage is aligned with the fracture for guiding a drill to the fracture and creating a hole in the long bone for the subsequent insertion of a stabilizing fastener to stabilize the fracture.