Patent ID: 7588577

Claim:
A method of repairing a fractured long bone, wherein the long bone includes a medullary canal, said method comprising: defining a side aperture in the long bone subjacent cartilage and near an end of the long bone, said side aperture extending into the medullary canal of the long bone; attaching a guide attachment member of a guide frame to an end of a fixation member, including; mating a pair of opposite, generally converging surfaces defined on the guide attachment member with opposite, generally converging surfaces defined on the end of the fixation member; and extending a guide attachment fastener through the guide frame and securing the guide attachment fastener to the fixation member so as to draw the converging surfaces of the guide attachment member and the end of the fixation member together into a positive fit; inserting the fixation member through the side aperture until the fixation member is positioned in the medullary canal and side aperture with the guide frame attached thereto; and advancing bone fasteners through guide openings defined in the guide frame, the long bone and into openings defined in the fixation member so as to secure fragments of the long bone together, wherein advancing comprises advancing a bone fastener through a guide opening defined in the guide attachment fastener.