External fixator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9730730-B2
Application number	US-201514707630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2015
Priority date	Aug 11, 2010
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

An external fixation frame for correcting a bone deformity includes a first fixation ring and a second fixation ring. A posterior adjustable length strut couples a posterior portion of the first fixation ring to a posterior portion of the second fixation ring and has universal joint. Medial and lateral adjustable length struts couples medial and lateral portions of the first fixation ring to medial and lateral portions of the second fixation ring respectively, each of the medial and lateral adjustable length struts including a constrained hinge joint. The fixation frame also includes a half ring hingedly coupled to the second fixation ring, and an anterior adjustable length strut coupling an anterior portion of the first fixation ring to the half ring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An external fixation frame for correcting a bone deformity, comprising:
a top fixation ring;
a bottom fixation ring;
two adjustable length struts coupling the top fixation ring to the bottom fixation ring;
a half ring coupled directly to the bottom fixation ring; and
a rocker member coupled to the bottom fixation ring and positioned distal to the bottom fixation ring;
wherein the half ring is hingedly coupled to the bottom fixation ring.

2. The external fixation ring of claim 1 , wherein the half ring can be disposed at one of at least two angles with respect to the bottom fixation ring.

3. The external fixation ring of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of hinges coupling the half ring to the bottom fixation ring, the pair of hinges defining a hinge axis parallel to a top surface of the bottom fixation ring.

4. The external fixation frame of claim 3 , wherein the pair of hinges includes a first constrained hinge joint on a medial end portion of the half ring and a second constrained hinge joint on a lateral end portion of the half ring, and wherein the first constrained hinge joint couples the medial end portion of the half ring to a medial leg of the bottom fixation ring and the second constrained hinge joint couples the lateral end portion of the half ring to a lateral leg of the bottom fixation ring.

5. The external fixation frame of claim 1 , wherein the bottom fixation ring includes a medial leg, a lateral leg, and a posterior section connecting the medial leg to the lateral leg, and wherein the half ring comprises a lateral end portion, a medial end portion, and an arcuate body portion connecting the lateral end portion to the medial end portion, whereby the medial end portion of the half ring is coupled to the medial leg of the bottom ring and the lateral end portion of the half ring is coupled to the lateral leg of the bottom ring.

6. The external fixation frame of claim 1 , further comprising:
an anterior adjustable length strut coupling an anterior portion of the top fixation ring to the half ring.

7. The external fixation frame of claim 1 , wherein the two adjustable length struts are medial and lateral adjustable length struts, the medial adjustable length strut coupling the top fixation ring to a medial leg of the bottom fixation ring and the lateral adjustable length strut coupling the top fixation ring to a lateral leg of the bottom fixation ring.

8. The external fixation frame of claim 7 , wherein the medial and lateral adjustable length struts each include a constrained hinge joint at one end thereof.

9. The external fixation frame of claim 7 , further comprising a posterior adjustable length strut coupling the top fixation ring to a posterior portion of the bottom fixation ring.

10. The external fixation frame of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one bone fastener having a first end operably coupled to a medial leg of the bottom fixation ring and a second end operably coupled to a second leg of the bottom fixation ring.

11. The external fixation frame of claim 1 , wherein the rocker member comprises a textured ground-contacting surface.

12. The external fixation frame of claim 1 , wherein the rocker member comprises a curved body portion with at least one connecting element projecting proximally from the curved body portion and configured to mate with an aperture in the bottom fixation ring in order to couple the rocker member to the bottom fixation ring.

13. The external fixation frame of claim 12 , wherein the at least one connecting element comprises:
a main body portion extending through an aperture in the curved body portion of the rocker member; and
a distal flange extending distally of the main body portion, the distal flange configured to contact a corresponding shoulder portion of the aperture in the curved body portion.

14. An external fixation frame for correcting a bone deformity, comprising:
a top fixation ring;
a bottom fixation ring having first and second elongate portions connected by an intermediate portion;
three adjustable length telescopic struts coupling the top fixation ring to the bottom fixation ring, each strut including a threaded rod portion at a first end configured to be received in a cylindrical body portion at a second end opposite the first end, the body portion being coaxial with the threaded rod portion;
a half ring coupled to the bottom fixation ring and having first and second end portions connected by an arcuate portion; and
a pair of hinges coupling the half ring to the bottom fixation ring at the first and second end portions,
wherein the first end portion of the half ring is coupled to the first elongate portion of the bottom fixation ring and the second end portion of the half ring is coupled to the second elongate portion of the bottom fixation ring.

15. The external fixation frame of claim 14 , further comprising:
at least one bone fastener having a first end operably coupled to the first elongate portion of the bottom fixation ring and a second end operably coupled to the second elongate portion of the bottom fixation ring.

16. The external fixation frame of claim 14 , wherein the three struts coupling the top fixation ring to the bottom fixation ring include a medial, a lateral and a posterior adjustable length strut.

17. The external fixation frame of claim 16 , wherein the medial adjustable length strut couples the top ring to the first elongate portion of the bottom ring, the lateral adjustable length strut coupled the top ring to the second elongate portion of the bottom fixation ring, and the posterior adjustable length strut couples the top ring to the intermediate portion of the bottom fixation ring.

18. An external fixation frame for correcting a bone deformity, comprising:
a top fixation ring;
a bottom fixation ring having a medial leg and a lateral leg spaced from one another to define a space therebetween;
two adjustable length telescopic struts coupling the top fixation ring to the bottom fixation ring, each strut including a threaded rod portion at a first end configured to be received in a cylindrical body portion at a second end opposite the first end, the body portion being coaxial with the threaded rod portion; and
a half ring hingedly coupled to both the medial leg and the lateral leg of the bottom fixation ring.

19. The external fixation frame of claim 18 , wherein the half ring has a medial portion and a lateral portion, the medial portion hingedly coupled to the medial leg of the bottom fixation ring and the lateral portion hingedly coupled to the lateral leg of the bottom fixation portion.

20. The external fixation frame of claim 18 , further comprising a pair of hinges extending substantially perpendicularly from a top surface of the bottom fixation ring and hingedly coupling the half ring to the bottom fixation ring.

Assignees

• Stryker European Holdings I Llc

Inventors

• Singh Manoj Kumar
• Crozet Yves Stephane
• Burgherr Vinzenz Andreas
• Dahl Mark Thomas

Classifications

• A61H3/00

  Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about (apparatus for helping babies to walk A47D13/04 {; applying electrical currents by contact electrodes for stimulating motor muscles, e.g. walking assistance A61N1/36003}) · CPC title

• A61B17/8875

  Screwdrivers, spanners or wrenches · CPC title

• A61B17/66

  {Alignment}, compression or distraction mechanisms · CPC title

• A61B17/645

  comprising a framework (A61B17/6425, A61B17/6441 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/6425

  specially adapted to be fitted across a bone joint · CPC title