Apparatus and method for positioning a human arm for shoulder surgery
OwnerMichael B. Purnellinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for positioning a human arm for shoulder surgery which includes a clamp for attaching the apparatus to a support, a bracket movably mounted in the clamp, and a forearm pad movably mounted on the bracket and adapted to support the forearm portion of the human arm. A pulley support arm is movably mounted on the bracket and a pulley is mounted on the pulley arm. An upper arm cuff is provided for attachment to the upper arm portion of the human arm. A flexible strand is connected at an upper end to the cuff, extends along the pulley and, at a lower end thereof, receives a selected weight. The weight, in response to gravity, puts tension on the strand which in turn pulls the cuff, and thereby the human upper arm, outwardly from the body to which the arm is appended.
Claims21
Apparatus for positioning a human arm for shoulder surgery, said apparatus comprising:
- a planar member for receiving, in a sitting position, the human patient to which the arm is appended;
- a clamp fixed to said planar member;
- a bracket mounted on said clamp and having a portion extending laterally from said planar member in a plane generally parallel to the plane of said planar member;
- a pulley support arm connected to said laterally-extending portion of said bracket and extending transversely of said laterally-extending portion and upwardly toward a level generally alongside an upper arm portion of the human arm;
- pulley means mounted on said pulley support arm;
- a cuff for attachment to the upper arm portion of the human arm;
- and
- a flexible strand adapted, at a first end thereof, for attachment to said cuff, and adapted, at a second end thereof, to receive a selected weight, and adapted between said first and second ends to ride along said pulley means.
Apparatus for positioning a human arm for shoulder surgery, said apparatus comprising:
- a clamp for attaching said apparatus to a support;
- a bracket pivotally mounted, at an end thereof, on said clamp;
- a forearm pad movably mounted on a portion of said bracket removed from said clamp and adapted to support the forearm portion of the human arm;
- a pulley support arm movably mounted on said bracket, said pulley support arm extending transversely of said bracket and movable upwardly generally toward an upper arm level of the human arm;
- a pulley mounted on said pulley support arm;
- an upper arm cuff for attachment to the upper arm portion of the human arm, said upper arm cuff having a connector thereon;
- and
- a flexible strand for fixing at a first end thereof to said cuff, for riding along said pulley, and for receiving at a second end thereof a selected weight, a first portion of said strand being adapted for fixing to said cuff connector and for pulling said cuff and thereby the upper arm portion, and a second portion of said strand extending from said pulley and being adapted to receive said weight and to hang downwardly so as to put tension on said strand first portion in response to the pull of gravity on said weight.
A method for positioning and tensioning a human arm for shoulder surgery, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing apparatus comprising a clamp for attaching said apparatus to a support, a bracket pivotally mounted at an end thereof on said clamp, a forearm pad movably mounted on a portion of said bracket removed from said clamp, said forearm pad being adapted to be fastened to a forearm portion of the human arm, a pulley support arm movably mounted on said bracket portion, said pulley support arm extending transversely of said bracket portion and extending upwardly generally toward an upper arm level of the human arm, a pulley mounted on said pulley support arm, an upper arm cuff for attachment to the upper arm portion of the human arm, said upper arm cuff having a connector thereon, a flexible strand for fixing at a first end thereof to said cuff, for riding along said pulley, and for receiving at a second end thereof a selected weight, a first portion of said strand being adapted for fixing to said cuff connector and for pulling said cuff and thereby the upper arm portion, and a second portion of said strand extending from said pulley and being adapted to receive said weight and to hang downwardly so as to put tension on said strand first portion in response to the pull of gravity on said weight;
- seating the human on, and attaching the clamp to, the support;
- positioning the forearm pad;
- supporting the forearm portion of the human arm on the forearm pad;
- attaching the upper arm cuff to the upper arm portion of the human arm;
- attaching the strand first portion to the cuff and threading the strand through the pulley means;
- and
- attaching the selected weight to the strand second portion so as to exert tension on the upper arm portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.