Apparatus for positioning a lower limb of a patient during surgery and surgical positioning system comprising said apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12544290-B2
Application number	US-202117920600-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2021
Priority date	Apr 24, 2020
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

An apparatus for positioning a lower limb of a patient during surgery comprises at least one support structure connectable, through a proximal end, to a support device for a patient and defining a traction axis of the patient's lower limb, a traction slide slidingly movable on the support structure, a gripping body for a distal end of the patient's lower limb connectable to the traction slide. The support structure, when connected to the support device for a patient, is suspended and comprises at least one actuator, hydraulically connected with the traction slide, for moving the support structure in space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for positioning a lower limb of a patient during surgery comprising:
at least one support structure connectable through a proximal end thereof to a support device, the support structure extending along a traction axis that corresponds to a direction of traction for a patient's lower limb; a traction slide slidingly movable on said support structure; a gripping body for engaging a distal end of the patient's lower limb, the gripping body being connectable to said traction slide; wherein said support structure, when connected to said support device, is suspended and comprises at least one actuator, the actuator comprising an internal excursion locking system; wherein:
said traction slide comprises a handle and a lever system capable of unlocking the sliding of the traction slide along the support structure, wherein the lever system is movable from a locking position to a first unlocking position in response to a first command and is moveable to a second unlocking position in response to a second command, wherein the second unlocking position allows automatic unlocking and movement in space of the support structure,
the excursion locking system of the at least one actuator being released in response to the first command, said actuator being in fluid connection with said traction slide.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said support structure comprises:
a central support bar extending in a straight line along a longitudinal axis parallel with said traction axis, the central support bar having a sliding guide engageable by said traction slide, a connection portion that couples the support structure to the support device disposed at a proximal end of said central support bar and extending transversely with respect thereto; wherein said at least one actuator extends from said connection portion to said central support bar to define a polygonal structure.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said traction slide is bound to one or more skids sliding on said sliding guide mounted on said central bar.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said sliding guide has a plurality of holes aligned along the longitudinal axis of said central support bar, said plurality of holes having respective central axes parallel to each other.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said lever system comprises a release lever that can assume said locking position, said first unlocking position in response to said first command, and said second unlocking position in the space of said support structure in response to said second command, said first unlocking position and said second unlocking position of said release lever being arranged and activatable in sequence.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said lever system further comprises a tip, wherein said tip is slidingly movable along a vertical direction orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of a central support bar, wherein said release lever, acting at its first unlocking position, disengages said tip from a respective hole of a plurality of holes present in a sliding guide and allows translation of the traction slide along the sliding guide.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said lever system further comprises a release system activatable by said release lever at its second unlocking position, subsequent to the first unlocking position; said release system interacting with the internal excursion locking system of said actuator to unlock rotational movement in the space of said support structure.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein at least one side of said central support bar has a graduated scale for detecting the position of said traction slide along said central support bar.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of double joints placed between the central support bar and the connection portion, between the connection portion and the actuator, and between the actuator and the central support bar, wherein the plurality of double joints allows the support structure to perform rotational movements in space and allows the traction slide to translate along the sliding guide.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said actuator comprises at least one fluid spring, said internal excursion locking system of the actuator comprising a stem excursion locking system of the fluid spring.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a rotation group engageable with said traction slide and connectable to said gripping body, said rotation group having a first and a second configuration alternatively or simultaneously implementable on said apparatus depending on a surgical procedure to be performed and/or depending on whether the apparatus is associated with a limb to be operated or not operated on.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said rotation group in said first configuration is adapted to rotate said lower limb of the patient in an internal or external direction with respect to the traction axis in a continuous manner.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said rotation group in the first configuration comprises:
a main body for connecting the rotation group to said traction slide; an oscillating group allowing the rotation group to adapt to the position and natural inclination of the lower limb; a command handwheel; a rod capable of transmitting the rotation from the command handwheel to the gripping body of the lower limb; a connection hook rigidly connected to a first end of said rod, said connection hook connecting the rotation group to said gripping body of the distal end of the lower limb; and a graduated ring nut for detecting a rotation angle applied to the lower limb.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a fine traction mechanism for millimetric movement in traction of the lower limb, the fine traction mechanism being connectable to said gripping body and supported by said traction slide.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said fine traction mechanism comprises a threaded bar, connectable to said gripping body, and a command element for activating a millimetric translation of the gripping body with respect to the traction slide when the traction slide is immobile with respect to the support structure.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein a threaded bar of a fine traction mechanism is screwable into said rod of the rotation group, wherein said fine traction mechanism further comprises a command element for placing said threaded bar in rotation to promote screwing with said rod and consequent translation of the rod and of the gripping body with respect to the traction slide.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein said rod is graduated and slides through said rotation group.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said rotation group in said second configuration is adapted to rotate said lower limb of the patient in an internal or external direction with respect to the traction axis in a discrete manner and according to a predefined angular pitch comprised between 15° and 25°.

19 . The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said rotation group in the second configuration comprises:
an oscillating body connected to said traction slide by means of a rotating pin; a rotation shaft rotationally connected to said oscillating body, said rotation shaft having a connection hook at a first e

Assignees

• Medacta Int Sa

Inventors

• Bernardoni Massimiliano
• Siccardi Francesco
• Rossi Ermete
• Giardiello Mirko
• Laude Frederic

Classifications

• A61G13/128

  with mechanical surface adaptations · CPC title

• A61F5/3769

  for attaching the body to beds, wheel-chairs or the like · CPC title

• A61G2210/50

  for radiography · CPC title

• A61G2200/58

  Thigh · CPC title

• A61G13/125

  Ankles or feet · CPC title