In one embodiment, an intramedullary nail has a body that includes proximal and distal ends and an inner surface that defines at least one locking hole that extends into an outer surface of the body so as to receive a bone anchor to lock the nail in a medullary canal of a bone. The body has a first biocompatible material that defines at least a portion of the outer surface. The nail has a second material that is different from, and at least partially encapsulated in, the first material. The second material can produce at least one of an electrical current and a magnetic field, and is supported by the nail body such that a position of the at least one bone-anchor locking hole can be detected based on the at least one of the electrical current and the magnetic field.

Systems and methods for joint replacement are provided. The systems and methods include a surgical orientation device and at least one orthopedic fixture. The surgical orientation device and orthopedic fixtures can be used to locate the orientation of an axis in the body, to adjust an orientation of a cutting plane or planes along a bony surface, to distract a joint, or to otherwise assist in an orthopedic procedure or procedures.

Disclosed herein are device and methods for determining an orientation of an instrument for inserting a medical device. One such method includes simulating an insertion point and an orientation of a simulated surgical hardware installation on a diagnostic representation of the bone, and then using an electronic device to align an instrument for inserting a surgical hardware installation at a desired orientation through an insertion point by indicating when an orientation of the electronic device is within a threshold of the simulated orientation.

Systems and methods for joint replacement are provided. The systems and methods include a surgical orientation device and at least one orthopedic fixture. The surgical orientation device and orthopedic fixtures can be used to locate the orientation of an axis in the body, to adjust an orientation of a cutting plane or planes along a bony surface, to distract a joint, or to otherwise assist in an orthopedic procedure or procedures.

A medical device for penetrating an anatomic structure, e.g., a bone structure, including a processing unit programmed to execute one or more statistical algorithms, e.g., Bayesian-based perforation detection algorithms, with electrical conductivity measured during penetration of an anatomic structure as an input to detect a breach condition, e.g., a spinal canal perforation, based on the measured electrical conductivity. The medical device may include a drill bit having sensing capabilities coupled to the distal end of a robot arm via a power drill unit mounted on the robot arm. The power drill unit may cease transmission of rotary motion to the drill bit upon detection of the breach condition.

A method of providing a guidance device for guiding a bone removal instrument for the removal of bone from a cervical vertebra and providing a vertebral body replacement device for placement into a void in a cervical spine between two endplates of a single vertebra during the course of an anterior spinal surgical procedure upon the cervical spine wherein the vertebral body replacement device has been given a PLR product code from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A bone nail apparatus includes a bone nail, a light source unit and a focalizing unit. The bone nail has a tube wall and at least one through hole. The tube wall is enclosed to form a receiving space. The at least one through hole extends through the tube wall and communicates with the receiving space. The light source unit includes a light emitter and at least one light transmission tube. The at least one light transmission tube is connected to the light emitter and receives a light therefrom. The at least one light transmission tube is received in the receiving space of the bone nail. Each light transmission tube has a light-outputting end aligned with a respective one of the at least one through hole. The focalizing unit has a light-receiving face facing one of the at least one through hole.

One embodiment of a system described herein can include an axis guide for placement over a patient's right and left ASIS and at least two guides attachable to the axis guide to provide a through hole that is perpendicular to the axis guide. The system can further include at least two probes that can fit through the through holes and extend beyond an end of the axis guide by a predetermined distance, as well as at least two bone engaging pins that fit through the through holes. When the guides are assembled to the axis guide and the probes are assembled to the guides, the axis guide can be placed so that the probes contact the patient's pelvis and the probes can be replaced by the pins to mount the pins to the patient's pelvis in a known orientation.

Systems and methods for joint replacement are provided. The systems and methods include a surgical orientation device and at least one orthopedic fixture. The surgical orientation device and orthopedic fixtures can be used to locate the orientation of an axis in the body, to adjust an orientation of a cutting plane or planes along a bony surface, to distract a joint, or to otherwise assist in an orthopedic procedure or procedures.

A system for assisting in a surgical process, comprising: (a) a surgical device taken from a group consisting of a surgical tool and a surgical implant; (b) a positional sensor carried by the surgical device, the positional sensor including a wireless transmitter and associated circuitry for transmitting sensor data from the transmitter; and (c) a computer system including a wireless receiver and signal conditioning circuitry and hardware for converting sensor data received by the wireless receiver into at least one of (i) audio feedback of positional information for the surgical device and (ii) visual feedback of positional information for the surgical device.