Methods for creating a void within a bone. An elongate member is directed into a tube of an access cannula, and a handle is positioned adjacent the access cannula. A working tip and pre-bent elbow are disposed within the tube such that the pre-bent elbow is straightened. The device remains slidable relative to the access cannula. A control assembly is actuated to distally move the shaft relative to the handle. Bone adjacent the tube of the access cannula may resist the working tip from protruding from the access cannula so as to displace the handle of the device proximally, or the handle may be manually maintained adjacent the access cannula. The pre-bent elbow and the working tip are moved beyond the distal end of the tube to be freed from the constraint of the tube of the access cannula to assume a curve within the bone.

A bone fusion system including a collection vessel, an abrading and harvesting device, tubing and a probe. The abrading and harvesting device includes a needle portion and a sharpened tip. The needle portion has a central bore extending therethrough. The needle portion has a distal end. The sharpened tip is attached to the distal end of the needle portion. The tubing is operably connecting the collection vessel and the abrading and harvesting device. The probe has a threaded portion and a tip portion at a distal end of the threaded portion. The threaded portion has a thread on an outer surface thereof. The tip portion is unsharpened and does not have a thread on an outer surface thereof. The probe is extendible through the central bore.

Various articulating tools for endoscopic placement of fasteners are disclosed. The tool can comprise a multi-angle articulating screwdriver. The tool can have an elongate shaft with an articulating driver head at a distal end. The tool can rotate the articulating driver head to drive fasteners, such as screws, to a surgical site. The articulating driver head can articulate with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to enable the fastener to be driven at various angle. The tool can be coupled to a powered handpiece power and can transmit torque from the handpiece to the driver head.

The present invention provides an orthopaedic reamer handle that includes a reamer portion configured to transmit torque to a reamer head, a driver portion connected to the reamer portion that is configured to receive and transmit torque from a driver, and a drive train connecting the reamer portion to the driver portion to transmit torque from the driver portion to the reamer portion. The drive train includes a first drive shaft that defines a first axis and is connected to the driver portion at a first end and to a first intermediate connector at a second end. An offsetting member is connected to a second intermediate end of the first intermediate connector at an acute angle relative to the first axis and defines a second axis. The offsetting member connects to the reamer portion via a second intermediate connector at an acute angle relative to the second axis.

In a first embodiment, the present invention includes an instrument for use in preparing a femur for soft tissue repair or reconstruction, including a cannulated, curved guide tool having a cannulated body extending to a distal tip and a plane defined by a longitudinal axis of the cannulated body and distal tip; and a flange secured to the distal tip and extending from the distal tip in a direction transverse from the distal tip, the flange having a first curve along at least a portion of the flange and a degree of tilt, relative to the plane, along at least a portion of the flange. In an alternate embodiment, the present invention may also include a method of preparing a bone for reattachment of soft tissue thereto, including visualizing a reattachment site; selecting a guide tool from a plurality of cannulated curved guide tools, each of the plurality of guide tools having a distal tip that includes a flange; directing the distal tip of the selected guide tool towards the reattachment site; and placing the flange against the surrounding anatomy such that the distal tip is on the reattachment site.

An orthopaedic joint replacement system is shown and described. The system includes a number of prosthetic components configured to be implanted into a patient's knee. The system also includes a number of surgical instruments configured for use in preparing the bones of the patient's knee to receive the implants. A method or technique for using the surgical instruments to prepare the bones is also disclosed.

The present disclosure provides medical instruments and medical instrument components having targeted torsional failure. Such targeted torsional failure helps prevent a surgeon from applying excessive torque that may damage an implant or bone, and also helps avoid the problems and complications that arise when medical instruments break within patients during surgical procedures. To provide such targeted torsional failure, the disclosed medical instrument components include a breakaway section designed so that the component breaks at a desired amount of torque, at a desired location, and in a desired way. The provided medical instrument components may also include a sleeve to increase side-loading strength that may otherwise be reduced due to the breakaway section. The increased side-loading strength may help prevent accidental bending-type failures. The presently disclosed medical instrument component therefore provides targeted torsional failure without sacrificing side-loading strength.

Methods and devices that displace bone or other hard tissue to create a cavity in the tissue. Where such methods and devices rely on a driving mechanism for providing moving of the device to form a profile that improves displacement of the tissue. These methods and devices also allow for creating a path or cavity in bone for insertion of bone cement or other filler to treat a fracture or other condition in the bone. The features relating to the methods and devices described herein can be applied in any region of bone or hard tissue where the tissue or bone is displaced to define a bore or cavity instead of being extracted from the body such as during a drilling or ablation procedure.

A method of inserting a fastener into a fusion cage can include attaching a fastener head of a bone fastener to a flexible bone fastener driver. The method can also include inserting the bone fastener into a threaded throughhole of a fusion cage comprising a front wall, a pair of opposing side walls, a back wall, and top and bottom surfaces adapted for gripping opposed vertebral endplates, wherein the front wall comprises the threaded throughhole.

A method for implanting a medical device for implantation in a mammal joint. The method comprising the steps of creating an opening reaching from outside of the human body into the joint, providing said artificial contacting surface to said joint, fixating the artificial contacting surface to the joint, implanting said reservoir in the human body, and lubricating the artificial contacting surface with use of a lubricating fluid contained in said reservoir.