External fixation strut
AssigneesSmith & Nephew, Inc., Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics AG, Smith & Nephew Asia Pacific Pte. Limited
InventorsAndrew Noblett, Johnny R. Mason, Paul Bell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention include an external fixation system that includes at least one external fixation strut that is both acutely adjustable and precisely adjustable and related methods of adjustment. Acute adjustment may be accomplished using one or more mobile jaws that may be engaged with or disengage from a threaded rod of each external fixation strut. Precise adjustment of each external fixation strut may be accomplished after releasing a lock biased toward a locked position. When each external fixation strut's lock is released, a portion of each of the precise adjustment mechanism of each external fixation strut may be activated to increase and decrease the length of each of the at least one external fixation struts.
Claims20
An external fixation strut comprising:
- a strut body;
- a threaded rod including external threads formed thereon;
- and
- an adjustment mechanism including:
- first and second members moveable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein when in the engaged position, the first and second members engage the external threads of the threaded rod so that rotation of the threaded rod moves the threaded rod relative to the strut body;
- a disengagement member selectively movable from a first position to a second position, wherein in the first position, the first and second members are in the engaged position, and in the second position, the disengagement member interacts with the first and second members to move the first and second members to the disengaged position to enable the threaded rod to be slidable adjustable relative to the strut body;
- and
- a band selectively coupled to the external fixation strut, wherein when the band is coupled to the external fixation strut, the band prevents access to the disengagement member to prevent movement of the disengagement member from the first position to the second position.
An external fixation strut comprising:
- a strut body operatively associated with a first connector;
- a threaded rod including external threads formed thereon, the threaded rod being operatively associated with a second connector;
- and
- an adjustment mechanism including:
- an actuator body;
- first and second members moveable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein when in the engaged position, the first and second members engage the external threads of the threaded rod so that rotation of the threaded rod moves the threaded rod relative to the strut body to move the first connector relative to the second connector;
- a disengagement member selectively movable from a first position to a second position, wherein in the first position, the first and second members are in the engaged position, and in the second position, the disengagement member interacts with the first and second members to move the first and second members to the disengaged position to enable the threaded rod to be slidable adjustable relative to the strut body;
- and
- an identification (ID) band selectively coupled to the external fixation strut, the ID band configured to identify each particular strut in an external fixation system, the ID band configured to at least partially encase the adjustment mechanism to cover the disengagement member to prevent movement of the disengagement member from the first position to the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.