Hip distraction

An apparatus for use in hip surgery, comprising:

• an operative leg assembly;
• a non-operative leg assembly;
• and
• a support configured to be fastened at an adjustable operable position along side rails of a surgical table;
• the operative leg assembly including a joint for coupling the operative leg assembly to the support, the joint permitting vertical and horizontal angular adjustment of the operative leg assembly;
• the non-operative leg assembly including a joint for coupling the non-operative leg assembly to the same support;
• the support includes at least two mounts for detachably coupling to the joints;
• and
• the operative leg assembly including a leg mount coupled to the operative leg assembly for movement by both sliding and threaded engagement to apply a distraction load to a patient's operative leg.

A method of hip distraction, comprising:

• fastening a support to a surgical table;
• attaching a pair of distractor assemblies to the support;
• coupling a patient's legs to the pair of distractor assemblies, each of the distractor assemblies having a joint for coupling the corresponding assembly to the surgical table, each of the joints having a coupler and two arms received by the coupler, the two arms being located between the coupler and another portion of the assembly that extends from the joint toward a foot end of the assembly;
• manipulating at least one of the joints to simultaneously adjust the vertical angle and the horizontal angle of the corresponding distractor assembly by manipulating only a single actuator distal of a foot of the corresponding leg, adjusting the vertical angle includes rotating the distractor assembly greater than twenty degrees from horizontal, and adjusting the horizontal angle includes rotating the distractor assembly greater than twenty degrees;
• remotely locking the vertical angle and the horizontal angle of the at least one of the distractor assemblies by manipulating only the single actuator;
• and
• applying a distraction load to at least one of the patient's legs.

An apparatus for use in hip surgery, comprising:

• a pair of distractor members configured to be detachably fastenable to a same support;
• the support being configured to be detachably fastened to side rails of a surgical table and the support including left and right mounts for receiving the distractor members;
• a pair of joints, a first of the pair of joints configured to couple a first of the pair of distractor members to the left mount of the support and a second of the pair of joints configured to couple a second of the pair of distractor members to the right mount of the same support;
• a first leg mount coupled to one of the distractor members for movement relative to the one of the distractor members by both sliding and threaded engagement;
• a second leg mount coupled to the other of the distractor members for movement relative to the other of the distractor members by both sliding and threaded engagement;
• and
• each distractor member including an actuator for limiting joint motion located remote from the joint, each of the pair of joints being lockable in flexion/extension and abduction/adduction.

A method of hip distraction, comprising:

• coupling a patient's legs to a pair of distractor assemblies attached to a surgical table, each of the distractor assemblies having a joint for coupling the corresponding assembly to the surgical table, each of the joints having a coupler and two arms received by the coupler, the two arms being located between the coupler and another portion of the assembly that extends from the joint toward a foot end of the assembly;
• manipulating at least one of the joints to simultaneously adjust the vertical angle and the horizontal angle of the corresponding distractor assembly by manipulating only a single actuator distal of a foot of the corresponding leg, adjusting the vertical angle includes rotating the distractor assembly greater than twenty degrees from horizontal, and adjusting the horizontal angle includes rotating the distractor assembly greater than twenty degrees;
• remotely locking the vertical angle and the horizontal angle of the at least one of the distractor assemblies by manipulating only the single actuator;
• and
• applying a distraction load to at least one of the patient's legs.