US4724827A — Dynamic traction device

Claim 1

Independent Claim 156 words

Apparatus for tractioning a fractured bone of an appendage and exercising a particular joint proximal thereto comprising: support means to support a portion of the patients body to allow flexing of said particular joint while immobilizing joints proximal thereto as is necessary to promote flexing primarily at said particular joint, means on said support means providing an arcuate guide path located distally outward of the joint to be flexed, actuator means movable along the arcuate guide path, which arcuate guide is distally outward of the fracture generally in the plane of flexing of said particular joint and having said particular joint generally at the radial center, tension means connected to the appendage for tractioning the appendage, at a location distally outward of the fracture, and connected to said actuator means, and power means for reciprocating said actuator means along said arcuate guide path to simultaneously apply a traction force and a flexing force to the joint.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 156 words

Apparatus for tractioning a fractured bone of an appendage and exercising a particular joint proximal thereto comprising: support means to support a portion of the patients body to allow flexing of said particular joint while immobilizing joints proximal thereto as is necessary to promote flexing primarily at said particular joint, means on said support means providing an arcuate guide path located distally outward of the joint to be flexed, actuator means movable along the arcuate guide path, which arcuate guide is distally outward of the fracture generally in the plane of flexing of said particular joint and having said particular joint generally at the radial center, tension means connected to the appendage for tractioning the appendage, at a location distally outward of the fracture, and connected to said actuator means, and power means for reciprocating said actuator means along said arcuate guide path to simultaneously apply a traction force and a flexing force to the joint.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means on said support includes an arcuate track and said actuator means including a carriage means mounted on said track for reciprocal movement therealong.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 30 words

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said track has cogs and said carriage has a cog wheel which meshes with said track as said carriage is driven along said track.

Claim 5

Independent Claim 119 words

A method of expediting the healing of bone or soft tissue fractures or defects in a patient by flexing a joint while applying a substantial distal outward traction force to the joint, said method comprising the steps of: attaching to the patient an attachment adjacent an injured area to be healed, pulling on the attachment with a tension member in an outward direction to exert a substantial distal traction force to relieve compressive forces at the area to be healed, and oscillating the tension member and thereby oscillating the attachment and the attached area of the patient through a predetermined path of movement while simultaneously the substantial outward pulling traction force is being applied thereto by said tension member.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 119 words

A method of expediting the healing of bone or soft tissue fractures or defects in a patient by flexing a joint while applying a substantial distal outward traction force to the joint, said method comprising the steps of: attaching to the patient an attachment adjacent an injured area to be healed, pulling on the attachment with a tension member in an outward direction to exert a substantial distal traction force to relieve compressive forces at the area to be healed, and oscillating the tension member and thereby oscillating the attachment and the attached area of the patient through a predetermined path of movement while simultaneously the substantial outward pulling traction force is being applied thereto by said tension member.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method in accordance with claim 4 including the step of implanting a pin attachment into the patient and applying the pulling force to the pin attachment.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 140 words

A portable body-mounted device for exercising a fractured appendage under traction comprising: a support attachable to the body of the patient proximal to the fracture and adapted to be carried about by the patient, tension means for attachment to the appendage distal to the fracture and for exerting a traction force on the fracture, drive means, including a drive motor, on said support and connected to said tension means to move the latter and the attached appendage first in one direction then in the other direction to passively bend the appendage to exercise joint tissue as the fracture heals under traction, and wherein said tension means includes a tension band extending from the appendage to said drive means and said drive means is mounted on the support for reciprocating an outer end of the tension band in a predetermined path.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 140 words

A portable body-mounted device for exercising a fractured appendage under traction comprising: a support attachable to the body of the patient proximal to the fracture and adapted to be carried about by the patient, tension means for attachment to the appendage distal to the fracture and for exerting a traction force on the fracture, drive means, including a drive motor, on said support and connected to said tension means to move the latter and the attached appendage first in one direction then in the other direction to passively bend the appendage to exercise joint tissue as the fracture heals under traction, and wherein said tension means includes a tension band extending from the appendage to said drive means and said drive means is mounted on the support for reciprocating an outer end of the tension band in a predetermined path.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 54 words

A device in accordance with claim 6 in which said drive means mounted on the support includes a bail pivotably mounted on said support and having the outer end of said tension band attached to an outer portion of said bail and said bail being driven by said, motor in a reciprocating swinging movement.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 42 words

A device in accordance with claim 6 in which said drive means mounted on the support includes a carriage connected to the outer end of said tension band, said carriage being driven by said motor in an arcuate path on said support.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 148 words

A method of treating a fractured appendage bone to prevent deterioration of a particular joint proximally connected thereto during bone healing, the method comprising immobilizing joints of the patient proximal to the particular joint as is necessary to promote bending at the particular joint, providing an actuator movable in an arcuate path and aligning said actuator so that said arcuate path is generally coplanar with the plane of natural bending of the particular joint, distally outward of the fracture and having the particular joint generally at the radial center, tractioning the appendage at a point distal to the fracture to said actuator and pulling distally outwardly of the fracture, and moving the actuator along said arcuate path to passively bend the appendage while simultaneously pulling distally outwardly on the bending appendage, which passsive motion and simultaneously applied outward traction helps to prevent joint tissue deterioration during bone healing.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 148 words

A method of treating a fractured appendage bone to prevent deterioration of a particular joint proximally connected thereto during bone healing, the method comprising immobilizing joints of the patient proximal to the particular joint as is necessary to promote bending at the particular joint, providing an actuator movable in an arcuate path and aligning said actuator so that said arcuate path is generally coplanar with the plane of natural bending of the particular joint, distally outward of the fracture and having the particular joint generally at the radial center, tractioning the appendage at a point distal to the fracture to said actuator and pulling distally outwardly of the fracture, and moving the actuator along said arcuate path to passively bend the appendage while simultaneously pulling distally outwardly on the bending appendage, which passsive motion and simultaneously applied outward traction helps to prevent joint tissue deterioration during bone healing.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method of treatment according to claim 9 wherein a pin is implanted through the fractured appendage and said appendage is tractioned to said actuator by connection to said pin.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 22 words

A method of treatment according to claim 10 wherein said pin is implanted extending through a distal end of the fractured bone.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 22 words

A method of treatment according to claim 11 wherein said pin is implanted extending through a bone distal to the fractured bone.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1991-02-15	1991-08-17	1992-02-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1995-02-15	1995-08-17	1996-02-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1999-02-15	1999-08-17	2000-02-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Dynamic traction device

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag