The Ikuta Bone Clamp addresses this problem with a clean, clear design. These bone clamps feature cloven jaws. Two prongs per cleft oppose identical mates on the opposite jaw to provide what amounts to eight-point stabilization. Drills or K-wires may be driven between the prongs when the clamps are in place.

The two versions offered are identical except for the measured distance between the clefts. The 56-1131 models, with its larger opening, can pass bone screws with heads up to 3-millimeter diameter. Model 56-1132, with its smaller spacing, is sized to provide guidance for K-wires up to .062 inches (1.6-millimeter) in diameter. The prongs of both models are stocky with sloped surfaces so the cylindrical shaped bones on which they are often used are not necessarily pierced or impaled, but guided, instead, between the prongs for firm, positive fixation.

Hand & Footnotes, Vol. 1, No. 3