Fixation brace with focal hinge
AssigneeSmith & Nephew Richards Inc.
InventorsDror Paley, John E. Herzenberg, Mark S. Gosney, James E. Orsak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention relates to a device and method to externally fix bone fractures and bone deformities by moving an arc gear member, which is attached to a first bone segment, through an arc shaped path so as to place the first bone segment in the desired position relative to a second bone segment.
Claims33
A device for moving a first bone segment relative to a second bone segment to externally fix bone fractures and to correct bone deformities, the first and second bone segments having a plane of deformity and a focal point, comprising:
- an arc mechanism having an arc gear member having radii and an attachment point, and a drive means for moving the arc gear member relative to the drive means such that the attachment point moves through an arc shaped path in the plane of the arc gear member;
- a first attachment means to secure the attachment point of the arc gear member to the first bone segment;
- a second attachment means to secure the drive means to the second bone segment;
- means for aligning and positioning the device in a plane for moving the first bone segment, at the attachment point, in an arc shaped path, such that the device will move the first bone segment into a predetermined position in relation to the second bone segment;
- wherein the first and second attachment means are designed to allow the arc gear member to selectively be placed about the first and second bone segments so as to allow the arc gear member to be placed in the plane of deformity with the radii intersecting at the focal point.
A device for moving a first bone segment relative to a second bone segment to externally fix bone fractures and to correct bone deformities, comprising:
- an arc shaped arc gear member having an arc shaped track of gear teeth;
- a drive means having a rotatable gear which engages the arc shaped track of gear teeth on the arc gear member and means to slidably engage the arc gear member such that the arc gear member can slide in an arc shaped path;
- means for detachably engaging at least two alignment wires to the arc gear member such that the alignment wires extend in the radial direction;
- a first attachment means to secure the arc gear member to the first bone segment;
- a second attachment means to secure the drive means to the second bone segment.
A method for moving a first bone segment relative to a second bone segment to externally fix bone fractures and to correct bone deformities, comprising the steps of:
- obtaining an arc mechanism having an arc gear member and drive means, the arc gear member having radii;
- determining a plane of deformity and a focal point required to correct the bone deformity;
- positioning the arc gear member in the plane of deformity such that the radii intersect at the focal point required to correct the deformity;
- securing the arc gear member to the first bone segment;
- securing the drive means to the second bone segment;
- manipulating the drive means to move the arc gear member such that the first bone segment is moved through an arc shaped range of motion relative to the second bone segment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.