Method and system for intraoperatively revising the length of fracture fixation screws

Abstract

The length of a bone fracture fixation screw may be intraoperatively adjusted with the aid of a cutting jig that includes a measuring block which is slidable along a rail adjacent a measuring scale and a holding block to facilitate cutting the distal end of the screw once the desired length has been determined. A tip sharpener may be incorporated into the cutting jig or may be provided separately, for reforming a point at the distal tip of the cut fixation screw. A method of bone fracture fixation includes selecting an appropriately sized fixation screw, drilling a hole across the fracture site, forming a countersunk hole across the drilled hole, measuring the depth of the drilled hole to determine the length of screw needed, tapping the entire length of the drilled hole or the only the distal fragment when the lag technique is used, placing the fixation screw into the cutting jig, setting the cutting jig to the measured length, cutting off any excess length from the distal end of the screw, inserting the end of the cut fixation screw into the sharpener, turning the screw until a pointed tip has been reformed at the distal end, and driving the screw into the drilled hole until the screw head is flush or countersunk with the surface of the bone.