Patent ID: 8034056

Claim:
A guide assembly for facilitating placement of a plurality of bone fasteners of an intramedullary fixation assembly through predefined locations on a fixation member of the intramedullary fixation assembly, said fixation member extending through a medullary canal defined within a long bone and having an exposed end accessible through a side aperture defined by the long bone, said guide assembly comprising: a guide frame having a first end and a second end and a pair of opposing surfaces extending therebetween, the opposing surfaces defining a guide plane; a guide attachment member engaged with the guide frame proximate the first end thereof and extending therefrom, outwardly of the guide frame and non-parallel to the device plane, to a distal end, the guide attachment member cooperating with the guide frame to define a single guide attachment fastener guide opening extending through the opposing surfaces and through the distal end of the guide attachment member, the distal end of the guide attachment member including one or more prongs adapted for forming a positive fit with the mating surface of the exposed end of the fixation member, so as to prevent rotation between the guide attachment member and the fixation member about an axis defined by the guide attachment fastener guide opening, and such that the guide attachment member provides a single attachment and spacing arrangement between the guide frame and the fixation member; and a guide attachment fastener configured to extend through the guide attachment fastener guide opening, and through the distal end of the guide attachment member, to engage the exposed end of the fixation member and secure the guide frame thereto via the guide attachment member, the guide attachment fastener defining an opening extending axially therethrough and configured to allow passage of a bone fastener therethrough and into one of the predefined locations on the fixation member while the guide attachment fastener is attached to the fixation member.