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US 9,039,706 B2Granted
External bone fixation device
AssigneeDePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
InventorsNicole Murray, Michael Wahl, Jean-Noel Bordeaux, Thomas Joseph Maughan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present application discloses embodiments related to an external bone fixation device configured to correct bone deformities or repair bone injuries. The device can include a plurality of bases configured to be attached to portions of a bone and a plurality of struts configured to be adjustable in length to change the position and orientation of the plurality of bases and the attached bone portions.
Claims29
A strut configured to be connected to a pair of external bone fixation members along a strut axis, the strut comprising:
- a strut body that includes a threaded rod and a sleeve, the threaded rod including a rod body that is elongate along the strut axis, the rod body defining an outer surface that is at least partially threaded, and the sleeve including a sleeve body and a bore that extends at least into the sleeve body, the bore configured to receive at least a portion of the threaded rod such that the threaded rod is translatable relative to the sleeve along the strut axis;
- an actuator supported by the strut body and threadedly attached to the threaded rod, such that rotation of the actuator relative to the threaded rod about the strut axis causes at least one or both of the threaded rod and the sleeve to translate relative to the other of the threaded rod and the sleeve along the strut axis;
- and
- a locking mechanism supported by the actuator so as to be pivotable relative to the actuator, about a pivot axis, between a locked configuration whereby the locking mechanism prevents the actuator from rotating relative to the threaded rod, and an unlocked configuration whereby the locking mechanism does not prevent the actuator from rotating relative to the threaded rod, the locking mechanism including a biasing member that exerts a biasing force that biases the locking mechanism from the unlocked configuration toward the locked configuration, the biasing member oriented such that the biasing force is exerted in a direction that is angularly offset with respect to both the strut axis and the pivot axis;
- wherein the pivot axis is angularly offset with respect to the strut axis.
2 more elements
A strut configured to be connected to a pair of external bone fixation members along a strut axis, the strut comprising:
- a strut body that includes a threaded rod and a sleeve, the threaded rod including a rod body that is elongate along the strut axis, the rod body defining an outer surface that is at least partially threaded, and the sleeve including a sleeve body and a bore that extends at least into the sleeve body, the bore configured to receive at least a portion of the threaded rod such that the threaded rod is translatable relative to the sleeve along the strut axis;
- an actuator supported by the strut body and threadedly attached to the threaded rod, such that rotation of the actuator relative to the threaded rod about the strut axis causes at least one or both of the threaded rod and the sleeve to translate relative to the other of the threaded rod and the sleeve along the strut axis;
- and
- a locking mechanism supported by the actuator so as to be pivotable relative to the actuator about a pivot axis between a locked configuration whereby the locking mechanism prevents the actuator from rotating relative to the threaded rod in response to an applied torque, and an unlocked configuration whereby the locking mechanism does not prevent the actuator from rotating relative to the threaded rod in response to the applied torque,
- wherein the locking mechanism includes a lever and a biasing member configured to exert a biasing force on the lever, the lever has:
- 1) a stop portion that defines a first surface, and 2) a base portion configured to receive the biasing force and positioned on an opposite side of the pivot axis from the stop portion, and the strut body defines a second surface that interferes with the first surface so as to prevent rotation of the actuator relative to the threaded rod about the strut axis when the locking mechanism is in the locked configuration, the first and second surfaces oriented such that the first and second surfaces do not cam over one another in response to the applied torque.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.