Skeletal distraction device

A vertebral distraction device for a human wearer having a frontal axis, a longitudinal axis and a sagittal axis, the vertebral distraction device comprising:

• a torso brace adapted to contact an upper portion of a torso of the wearer;
• a pelvic brace adapted to rest on a pelvic region of the wearer;
• and
• a load transfer mechanism connecting the torso brace to the pelvic brace, the load transfer mechanism having:
• a first spring connected to one of the torso brace and the pelvic brace at a first end;
• a preload adjuster connected to one other of the torso brace and the pelvic brace, the preload adjuster being connected to a second end of the first spring and being operative to adjust a preload of the first spring along the longitudinal axis when the torso brace and the pelvic brace are respectively in contact with the torso and the pelvic region of the wearer;
• a second spring fixedly connected to one of the torso brace and the pelvic brace at a first extremity and, at a second extremity, slidingly engaging the other one of the torso brace and the pelvic brace along the longitudinal axis;
• wherein when the wearer wears the vertebral distraction device, the first spring is operative to transfer a first load along the longitudinal axis between the torso brace and the pelvic brace by adjusting the preload, and the second spring is operative to support a second load along at least one of the frontal axis and the sagittal axis, the second spring still being slideable at the second extremity with respect to the other one of the torso brace and the pelvic brace.