Surgery: splint – brace – or bandage – Orthopedic bandage – Skeletal traction applicator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-23
2001-05-29
Yu, Mickey (Department: 3764)
Surgery: splint, brace, or bandage
Orthopedic bandage
Skeletal traction applicator
C606S241000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238361
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an orthopedic apparatus for treating children suffering from the Legg Calves Perthes disease. This disease affects the hips of children and more particularly the joint between the hip bone and the thigh bone. The head of the thigh bone and the cartilage between this head and the acetabulum disintegrates. The acetabulum is the cavity in the hip bone in which the head of the thigh bone fits.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Previous treatment for the Legg Calves Perthes disease usually consists of placing each leg of the patient in a cast, both legs held in abduction and internal rotation by a cross-bar extending between the two casts. This system immobilises the patient in a particular position for a long time. Due to the young age of the patients asnd the restlessness thereof associated with young age and the uncomfortable prospect of remaining several weeks in bed doing nothing, the treatment is often only partly applied and thus not fully successful. The reason for this unsuccessful treatment with conventional apparatuses is that the young patient will tend to voluntarily release relatively frequently the cross-bar from themselves, since it is physically possible for them to reach out to this cross-bar from their bed-laying condition. Indeed, the young patient, not being fully conscious at that age (usually around 10 years old) that for the treatment to be successful, constancy in the leg pulling action thereof during the several weeks long treatment period is a prerequisite.
Leg pulling apparatus are known such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,021,688 issued Mar. 26, 1912 entitled “LEG PULLING APPARATUS” by the inventor L. J. Le Jeune. This apparatus exerts an adjustable traction on the patient's legs but does not provide any abduction, namely drawing away from the median line of a bone or muscle from an adjacent part or limb.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide an improved orthopedic device for treating the Legg Calve Perthes disease, in which the patient's legs are both pulled and spread apart from one another.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described in which the legs can be progressively spread apart from one another during the treatment and the pulling force gradually increased.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which is foldable and is of light construction so as to be easily be carried from one place to another.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which can be quickly and easily set up at the foot of a patient's bed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to an orthopedic apparatus for treating the Legg Calves Perthes disease, which comprises a patient's leg spreading bar, attachment devices carried by the ends of said bar for attaching said bar to patient's legs and keeping them spread apart and a leg pulling system, to exert constant pull on the center of said bar in a direction away from said patient, and preferably generally within the sagital plane thereof.
Preferably, the bar is formed of telescopic sections and includes a tightener to releasably lock said sections in telescopically adjusted position.
Preferably, the system includes a collar slidably surrounding said bar and a collar tightener to tighten said collar in longitudinally adjusted position on said bar.
Preferably, the attachment devices include plates sized to be applied flat against the soles of the patient's feet, a universal pivot releasably connecting said plates to said ends of said bars and locking devices releasably locking said plates in adjusted inclined position relative to said bar.
Preferably, each of said attachment devices includes a U-shape traction plate forming two spaced apart plate sections to receive a bandage attached to a patient's leg, one of said plate sections having an inturned lip to retain said bandage between said plate sections.
Preferably, the leg pulling system comprises a post, vertically spaced upper and lower idle pulleys carried by said post, a rope passing over said pulleys having a first and a second rope end portion, said first rope end portion hanging from said upper pulley, a weight attached to said first rope end portion, said second rope end portion connected to said patient's leg spreading bar at the center thereof.
Preferably, said leg pulling system further includes a flat base frame adapted to be inserted under the mattress of a bed with said post upstanding therefrom at the foot of said mattress.
Preferably, said post is pivotally connected to said base frame and a locking device locks said post at an adjusted angle relative to said base frame.
Preferably, said base frame has a U-shape defining a bight and two spaced apart legs, said post formed of two spaced parallel members and cross bars rigidly interconnecting said spaced parallel members, said pulleys being rotatably carried by said spaced parallel members and located between the same.
Preferably, said post has an upright lower portion and an upper cantilever portion making a general right angle with said lower portion, said upper pulley carried by said cantilever portion, said lower pulley carried by said lower portion.
Preferably, said weight includes a flexible waterproof bag to hold water.
Preferably, said lower portion and said cantilever portion are detachable from each other.
The invention also relates to a method of use of an orthopedic apparatus for treating the Legg-Calves Perthes disease, the apparatus of the type comprising a patient's leg spreading telescopic bar, leg attachment devices carried by each end of said bar for attaching said bar to the patient's legs and keeping them spread apart and a leg pulling system including a support post to exert a constant pull on the center of said bar in a direction away from said patient, the method comprising the following steps:
inserting said base frame at the foot of a bed under the bed mattress, with the post upstanding from the foot end of the bed at an adjusted inclined position;
attaching each leg attachment device to a respective patient's leg under the foot,
adjusting the overall length of the legs spreading bar to the patient's size; and
progressively increasing the overall length of the legs spreading bar during the duration of treatment, while concurrently recentering the telescopic bar so that the pulling force remain generally within the patient's sagital plane, each time the overall length of the telescopic bar is changed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1456030 (1923-05-01), Molby
patent: 1456031 (1923-05-01), Molby
patent: 2588411 (1952-03-01), Robinson
patent: 2798481 (1957-07-01), Matthews
patent: 2821976 (1958-02-01), Lindstrom
patent: 3728999 (1973-04-01), Thompson
patent: 5148800 (1992-09-01), Pecheux
patent: 5387186 (1995-02-01), Edland
patent: 5681272 (1997-10-01), Lee
patent: 2355848 (1974-05-01), None
patent: 1189417 (1970-04-01), None
patent: 738615 (1980-06-01), None
Roy, Dennis, “Current Concepts in Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease,” Pediatric Annals (28:12/Dec. 1999), p. 748-752.*
Chick-Leinbach crib fracture set, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Jun. 1955, p. 44.
Martineau Francis
Pothier Denise
Yu Mickey
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