Surgery – Truss – Perineal
Patent
1990-08-23
1992-10-06
Hafer, Robert A.
Surgery
Truss
Perineal
128 57, A61B 1760
Patent
active
051522802
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a bone support device for supporting fragments of bone, in particular of fractured bones of the human body. Said fractured bones must be kept in a presettable relative position, so as to allow the natural process of knitting of the bone fragments in the best possible manner.
More in particular, the device comprises a first member adapted to be rigidly connected to the first of said bone fragments and a second member adapted to be rigidly connected to the second of said bone fragments. More in particular, the rigid couplings are provided by means of screws which penetrate in adapted holes provided in the bone fragments. The device furthermore comprises an adjustable articulated central body which is connected to the first member and to the second member. The articulated central body allows to adjust the relative position of the first member with respect to the second member and to rigidly lock this relative position at a point which is particularly suitable to obtain the perfect knitting of the bone fragments.
This relative locked position can in certain cases be released during the healing process to allow a single degree of freedom of release. This single degree of freedom of release allows the translatory motion of the first member with respect to the second member which is directed substantially along the axis of the fractured bone. It has in fact been observed that this single degree of freedom of release allows a "dynamic" knitting of the bone fragments which produces a greater strength of the knitted bone. It has in fact been observed that "static" knitting, provided when the two bone fragments are rigidly locked in their relative position, provides a more fragile final knitting.
In particular, the relative arrangement of the two fractured bone fragments and therefore the corresponding relative arrangement of the first and second members are performed by a surgeon, who can control the position of the two bone fragments by virtue of detection means such as for example X-rays. Since said detection means allow to detect the position of the two bone fragments on a single plane, at least two different detections, taken along two different planes of exposure to radiation, are required, so as to verify that the position of the two bone fragments is correct in the three spatial dimensions. Said two detections can be performed on two planes which are inclined at 90.degree. with respect to one another.
The above is in summary the main field of industrial application of the invention; said field, however, does not constitute a limitation of the scope thereof, since the device according to the invention, in particular as described and claimed hereinafter, can be advantageously used in any other equivalent field in which fractured bone fragments must be knitted, keeping them in a presettable relative position.
BACKGROUND ART
Devices of this kind are known and are described for example in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,336; U.S. Pat. No. Re. 31,809; DE 2718515; DE 3543042; DE 3701533; in said devices, the central body is connected to the first member by means of a spherical hinge and to the second member by means of another spherical hinge. Said spherical hinges can be locked in such a manner as to lock the relative position of the first member with respect to the second member.
However, said known devices entail some problems: first of all, the need to perform two detections, for example on two planes orientated at 90.degree. with respect to one another, entails difficult problems for the physician, since the position defined on one plane is unavoidably modified when an attempt is made to adjust the position on the second detection plane. This entails the problem of having to perform multiple successive checks between the two detection planes, so as to ensure that the position is correct. This problem is increased by the fact that the radiation useful for performing the checks, such as for example X rays, are harmful for the physician and for the pa
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Confida S.a.S
Hafer Robert A.
Rooney Kevin G.
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