US Patent 8021367 Toe deformity repair using bioabsorbable pin

Methods and apparatus for repair of toe deformities using a bioabsorbable pin. The apparatus is a kit of part comprising a bioabsorbable pin, a predrill, a bone tamp, a cutter and a forceps. One surgical method of repairing toe deformities includes resecting a proximal interphalangeal joint, drilling a hole in a proximal phalanx using a proximal portion of a pin, removing the pin from the proximal phalanx, drilling a tip of a toe through middle and distal phalanxes, driving the pin retrograde and traversing the distal, middle and proximal phalanxes until the pin stops advancing due to resistance at a proximal cortex, holding the pin and powering a pin driver to separate a distal portion of the pin, and suturing the wound.