| abstract |
A system for supporting and strengthening a damaged bone that includes inner cancellous bone and outer cortical bone is described. The system comprises a cannula that is adapted to establish an access path to inside bone,a hollow balloon body comprising a flexible, non-elastic material that is capable of inflation from a collapsed configuration, when it is adapted for passage through the cannula into bone, to an expanded configuration. The balloon body has a predetermined size in the expanded configuration that is selected to compress at least a portion of the inner cancellous bone into the outer cortical bone to strengthen the outer cortical bone. The non-elastic material of the balloon body is capable of supporting the outer cortical bone when the balloon body is in the expanded configuration and the balloon body defines an inner passage for allowing an inflating fluid to pass into the body. The system also comprises means for scaling the inner passage of the balloon body when the balloon is in the expanded configuration to provide a support structure for the outer cortical bonc. <IMAGE> |