Method of reducing a fracture of the lateral malleolus

摘要

A method of using a screw for reducing a malleolus bone fracture. The orthopedic screw includes a unitary shaft with screw threads on a distal end of the shaft and a head on a proximal end. An enlarged terminal end segment of the head includes a socket for receiving a tool adapted for rotating the screw into aligned fibula and malleolus bone fragments at the fracture site. First and second spaced-apart tapered transition segments are formed at a juncture of the shaft and head and a juncture of the head and an enlarged terminal end segment of the head the such that rotation of the screw provides progressively increased fracture-reducing pressure between the fibula and malleolus bone fragments as the first and second tapered transition segments drives the malleolus against the fibula.