Pistol Grip Joint Tensioner
AssigneeHowmedica Osteonics Corp.
InventorCarlos E. Collazo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are a joint distractor for joint distraction and a method for utilizing the same in a joint distraction procedure. The joint distractor may include a first surface and a second surface. The first surface may contact a first bone of a joint and the second surface may contact a second bone of a joint. The first surface may be a flexible surface that is substantially parallel to the second surface in a first position and forms an arch in a second position to distract the first bone from the second bone. A method for distracting a joint may utilize the first and second surfaces of the joint distractor.
Claims20
A method of distracting a joint, the method comprising:
- placing a distal end of a joint distractor into a joint, the joint distractor including an upper housing and a lower housing connected at a hinge such that a first flexible surface of the upper housing contacts a first bone of the joint and a second surface of the lower housing contacts a second bone of the joint, the first flexible surface being substantially parallel to the second surface in a first position;
- and
- distracting the joint by moving the first flexible surface from the first position to a second position,
- wherein the first flexible surface forms an arch in the second position to distract the first bone from the second bone.
A method of distracting a joint and measuring an intra-articular load, the method comprising:
- placing a distal end of a joint distractor into a joint such that a first flexible surface of the joint distractor contacts a first bone of the joint and a second surface of the joint distractor contacts a second bone of the joint, the first flexible surface being substantially parallel to the second surface in a first position;
- distracting the joint by compressing the first flexible surface to form an arch in a second position to distract the first bone from the second bone;
- and
- measuring an intra-articular load during the step of distracting the joint using a load sensor of the joint distractor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.