Bone-adjusting device

A device for achieving distraction osteogenesis, comprising:

• a first elongated support member;
• a second elongated support member;
• a means for securing at least one bone-pin to the first elongated support member;
• a means for securing at least one bone-pin to the second elongated support member;
• and
• an adjustment means for independently and angularly adjusting the first elongated support member relative to the second elongated support member in order to bend the bone in a manner that the bone tissue remains healthy and the blood vessels and nerve endings remain intact during the bending process, wherein the adjustment means comprises a first gear having "V-shaped" teeth and a first angular-adjustment screw having standard machine threads, the first angular-adjustment screw in contact and meshing with the "V-shaped" teeth of the first gear such that rotating the first angular-adjustment screw angularly adjusts the first elongated support member.

An external bone-lengthening device to perform three-dimensional distraction osteogenesis comprising:

• a first arm having a head segment and a shaft;
• a second arm having a head segment and a shaft;
• a central joint having two angular-adjustment screws, two supports and two gears, the first support forming an axis of rotation for the first arm and configured to receive the first gear and the head segment of the first arm, and the second support forming an axis of rotation for the second arm and configured to receive the second gear and the head segment of the second arm, the axis of rotation of the first arm being different from the axis of rotation of the second arm, and the screws are arranged to be adjacent to and in meshing contact with their respective gears such that turning the first screw turns the first gear and angularly adjusts the first arm and turning the second screw turns the second gear and angularly adjusts the second arm;
• a first bone-pin clamp fitted on and linearly adjustable along the length of the first arm;
• and
• a second bone-pin clamp fitted on and linearly adjustable along the length of the second arm, wherein each bone-pin clamp comprises:
• two cylindrical extensions provided with holes;
• a wheel provided with a hole;
• and
• means for securing the bone-pins to the bone-pin clamps,
• wherein the wheel is fitted between the two cylindrical extensions and the arm is fitted in the holes provided in the two cylindrical extensions and the wheel.

A device capable of performing both linear osteogenesis and angular osteogenesis, so as to make a bone-shaping correction in a three-dimensional curve while said device is in place on a patient, said device comprising:

• (1) a center piece;
• (2) a first arm having a first longitudinal axis and a first lever arm having a first lever arm axis substantially perpendicular to said first longitudinal axis;
• (3) a first clamp attached to said first arm for holding first bone pins, said first clamp being linearly adjustable along said first longitudinal axis;
• (4) a second arm having a second longitudinal axis and a second lever arm having a second lever arm axis substantially perpendicular to said second longitudinal axis;
• (5) a second clamp attached to said second arm for holding second bone pins, said second clamp being linearly adjustable along said second longitudinal axis,
• wherein said first arm and said second arm are positioned within said center piece and rotatable and lockable independently of each other in separate independently selected positions so as to form an incremental angle modifier for modifying the angle .alpha. between said first bone pins in said first clamp and said second bone pins in said second clamp and for modifying the angle between the first and second longitudinal axes.

A device for achieving distraction osteogenesis, comprising:

• a first elongated support member having an axis of rotation;
• a second elongated support member having an axis of rotation;
• a means for securing at least one bone-pin to the first elongated support member, said securing means comprising a bone-pin clamp having two extensions provided with holes, a wheel provided with a hole and means for securing the bone-pin(s) to the bone-pin clamp, the wheel being fitted between the two extensions and the elongated support member fitted in the holes provided in the two extensions and the wheel, wherein the bone-pin clamp has a spring with a ball provided thereon in a bore located between the two extensions and the wheel has equally-spaced predetermined indentations along its outer circumference, the indentations configured to releasably mate with the ball as the wheel is turned;
• a means for securing at least one bone-pin to the second elongated support member;
• a means for independently and angularly adjusting at least one of the first and second elongated support members relative to the other support member in order to bend the bone in a manner that the bone tissue remains healthy and the blood vessels and nerve endings remain intact during the bending process;
• and
• a means for linearly adjusting the position of at least one of the bone-pin securing means along the length of its respective elongated support member, comprising threaded portions on the respective elongated support member and threads on the wheel, the threaded portions on the elongated support member mating with the threads on the wheel to provide linear movement of the bone-pin securing means along the respective elongated support member.

A device for achieving angular distraction osteogenesis on a segmented piece of bone, comprising:

• a first arm;
• a second arm connected to the first arm;
• means for securing a first side of the segmented bone to the first arm;
• means for securing a second side of the segmented bone to the second arm;
• a first gear and a first angular-adjustment screw for angularly adjusting the first arm relative to the second arm;
• and
• a second gear and a second angular-adjustment screw for angularly adjusting the second arm relative to the first arm, wherein the two angular-adjustment screws are aligned along the same axis.

A device for achieving angular distraction osteogenesis on a segmented piece of bone, comprising:

• a central joint;
• a first arm and a second arm connected to the central joint;
• at least two bone-pins;
• a first bone-pin clamp positioned on the first arm for securing at least one bone-pin to a first side of the segmented bone;
• a second bone-pin clamp positioned on the second arm for securing at least one bone-pin to a second side of the segmented bone;
• means for independently and angularly adjusting the first arm relative to the second arm comprising a first gear and a means for rotating the first gear;
• and
• means for independently and angularly adjusting the second arm relative to the first arm comprising a second gear and a means for rotating the second gear,
• wherein at least one bone-pin clamp comprises an angular-adjustment assembly to angularly adjust the at least one bone-pin relative to the bone-pin clamp.