Method and apparatus for the external setting of fractures

Method for aligning bolt-holding clamps of an axial splint of elongatable type with universal spherical joints, wherein said clamps and their engaged bolts are respectively anchored to separate pieces of a fractured bone, the method comprising the following steps:

• providing an apparatus having a central body defining an axis, said body being elongatable along said axis and being provided with end portions,
• providing the end portions of said body with coupling means for the rigid attachment of said portions to the bolt-holding clamps of the axial splint in such a way to place the apparatus in a position substantially parallel to the axial splint by means of manual maneuvering members,
• providing said apparatus with a pair of hinges with orientatable axes which are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the axis of the central body, to join together the end portions of said body with said connection means,
• selectively positioning and locking the axes of the said hinges in a first orientation to permit rotation of the bolt-holding clamps in a first predetermined plane, without changing the parallel relation of the hinge axes,
• manipulating the said manual maneuvering members to rotate the connection means in the said first plane, and aligning the clamps using a source of X-rays,
• selectively positioning and locking the axes of the said hinges in a second orientation perpendicular to the first orientation to allow the bolt-holding clamps to rotate in a second plane at right angles to the first plane,
• manipulating the said manual maneuvering members to rotate the connection means in the said second plane in such a way as to complete the alignment of the clamps in the said second plane using a source of X-rays, and
• releasing the coupling means provided at the end portions of the said body after having finally immobilized the axial splint.

Fracture-setting apparatus for the external setting of fractures adapted for use in association with an external axial splint (43) having bolt-holding clamps (44, 44') with spherical joints (49, 49') for fixing bone bolts which can be implanted into fractured pieces of bone, said apparatus comprising first and second elongate manipulation-forcep members (33, 33') each of which has at one end means for selectively and rigidly coupling one of said forcep members to one of said bolt-holding clamps (44, 44') with the forcep member extending transversely when attached to one of the bolt-holding clamps, said fracture-setting apparatus further comprising a central body (2) which can be elongated axially and has end portions (3, 3') which can be releasably coupled to the respective manipulation-forcep members and thereby to corresponding bolt-holding clamps (44, 44') of an associated external axial splint, said end portions (3, 3') being attached to the central body (2) by means of corresponding hinges (12, 12') which have hinge axes (20, 20') and means to retain the hinge axes parallel to each other and perpendicular to the axis of the body, and selectively adjustable securing means (39, 39') for selecting the orientation of the axes (20, 20') of said hinges (12, 12') so as to allow the end portions (3, 3') to rotate in an identical single plane at a time of predetermined position.

In combination, for use in the external setting of a bone fracture:

• (a) an external fixator having an adjustably elongate fixator body, with first and second bone-screw clamps ball-joint connected to the respective longitudinal ends of said body;
• (b) first and second elongate manipulation-forcep members, each of which having at one end means for selectively and rigidly clamping one of said forcep members to one of said bone-screw clamps, with the forcep-member extending transverse to the elongation axis of a bone-screw clamp secured thereto;
• whereby, with said ball-joint connections freed for universal action, a secured bone-screw clamp can be manipulated with respect to the other bone-screw clamp and with respect to the fixator body;
• (c) an elongate auxiliary device having lockable forcep-member engaging means at each of its ends, said device comprising elongatable body structure having at each of its longitudinal ends a compound connection to a different one of the forcep-member engaging means, each compound connection comprising a ball-joint connection adjacent one of the forcep-member engaging means and a hinge connection of the ball-joint connection to an end of said body structure, said hinge connections to the respective ends of said body structure being on hinge axes that are retained in parallel relation to each other;
• and
• (d) independently releasably settable clamping means for securing a selected universal angle of adjusted ball-joint end connection to each of the respective manipulation-forcep members.