U.S. patent number 3,865,105 [Application Number 05/468,343] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-11 for device for exerting forces on and fixing the spinal column of a human body.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Lode's Instrumenten N.V.. Invention is credited to Freerk Lode.
United States Patent |
3,865,105 |
Lode |
February 11, 1975 |
Device for exerting forces on and fixing the spinal column of a
human body
Abstract
Apparatus consisting of three or more fastening members or
clamps, adapted to be mounted on a vertebra of a spine, said clamps
mutually connected so that a force can be exerted on one of the
clamps which force is the sum of the forces on the two other clamps
and that the clamps can be fixed with respect to each other.
Inventors: |
Lode; Freerk (Groningen,
NL) |
Assignee: |
Lode's Instrumenten N.V.
(Groningen, NL)
|
Family
ID: |
19818874 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/468,343 |
Filed: |
May 9, 1974 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
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May 16, 1973 [NL] |
|
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7306853 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
606/54; 606/250;
606/277 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B
17/7049 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61B
17/88 (20060101); A61B 17/70 (20060101); A61f
005/37 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/69,68,83,75,92R,92A,92E,92EA |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gaudet; Richard A.
Assistant Examiner: Yasko; J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Breitenfeld & Levine
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A device for exerting forces on the spinal column of a human
body, comprising a frame including
three or more fastening members which each can be fixedly secured
to a vertebra of the spinal column,
connecting means connecting the fastening means mutually in such a
way that they can freely move with respect to each other, and
fixation means fixing the fastening members in such a way with
respect to each other that each of the fastening members is
prevented from moving in a plane perpendicular to the connecting
line through the two other fastening members, and adjusting means
connected to the frame, for exerting a force on one of the
fastening members, the force being situated in a plane which is
perpendicular to the connecting line of the two other fastening
members and the force being equal to the sum of the forces exerted
on the two other fastening members.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting means are
connected to the frame by means of screw thread.
3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting means
consist of three fastening rods which are interconnected by two
more or less parallelly extending rods.
4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the distance between at
least one of the three securing rods with respect to at least one
of the parallelly extending rods is adjustable.
5. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the
fastening members consists of some clamping members which can
engage about the transverse processus of a vertebra and be
clampingly connected around the transverse processus by means of
bolts (a so called thoracic clamp).
6. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the
fastening members consists of some clamping members which are
provided with bent ends hooking into the arch and around the
spinosus processus of a vertebra and which by means of a bolt can
be clampingly secured to the vertebra (a so called lumbar clamp).
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
My invention relates to a device for exerting forces on the spinal
column of humans, consisting of a frame.
Such a device is known from and described in the Netherlands Patent
Application 72.05774 in the name of Applicant. With this known
device forces are exerted on the human spine whereby a correction
of its position is obtained. After a lapse of time a correction
such will have been obtained that further correction is no longer
necessary. Then the obtained correction should for some time be
maintained by means of support. Although the known device offers
the patient sufficient freedom of movement it is advisable that it
is taken away from the patient as soon as possible. Since a
corrected spine is often not firm enough to preserve its corrected
position it should be strengthened. This strengthening can, e.g.,
be obtained when by means of pieces of bone the vertebrae are
interconnected. Strengthening of the spine requires therefore often
additional surgical operation and so it takes a long time before
the patient is fully recovered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
My invention aims to provide a device for exerting forces on the
spine. This object is attained according to the invention by the
arrangement that the frame of the device consists of
THREE OR MORE MEMBERS WHICH EACH CAN BE FIXEDLY SECURED TO A
VERTEBRA OF THE SPINAL COLUMN, OF
CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTING THE FASTENING MEANS MUTUALLY IN SUCH A
WAY THAT THEY CAN FREELY MOVE WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, AND
OF
FIXATION MEANS CAPABLE OF FIXING THE FASTENING MEMBERS IN SUCH A
WAY WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER THAT EACH OF THE FASTENING MEMBERS
IS PREVENTED FROM MOVING IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE CONNECTING
LINE THROUGH THE TWO OTHER FASTENING MEMBERS, WHILE ADJUSTING MEANS
CAN BE CONNECTED WITH THE FRAME, SO THAT A FORCE CAN BE EXERTED ON
ONE OF THE FASTENING MEMBERS AND THAT FORCE IS SITUATED IN A PLANE
WHICH IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE CONNECTING LINE OF THE TWO OTHER
FASTENING MEMBERS AND THAT THE FORCE IS EQUAL TO THE SUM OF THE
FORCES EXERTED ON THAT OF THE TWO OTHER FASTENING MEMBERS.
According to a preferred embodiment the adjusting means consist of
three securing rods which are interconnected by two, more or less
parallelly extending rods, while the distance between at least one
of the three securing rods with respect to at least one of the
parallelly extending rods is adjustable. The preferred embodiment
is also constructed in such a way that at least one of the
fastening members consists of some clamping members which can
engage about the transverse processus of the vertebra and which by
means of bolts are clampingly connected around the aforementioned
transverse processus, and of a cup-shaped part which can be hooked
around the spinosus processus and by means of a bolt secured in the
correct position (a so called thoracic clamp) and that at least one
of the other fastening members consists of some clamping members
which are provided with a bent end and which hook into the arch and
around the spinosus processus of a vertebra and can be clampingly
secured to the vertebra by means of bolts (a so called lumbar
clamp).
With such a device it is possible to correct in a simple way a
lateral curvature of the spine (scoliosis). After the achieved
correction only an insignificant operation is necessary in order to
fix the frame and to remove the adjusting means; so the spinal
column obtains sufficient rigidity in order to enable the patient
to move freely. The time the patient has to stay in the hospital is
considerably shortened when this device is used, while the number
of required operations is small.
SURVEY OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of the device;
FIG. 2 shows a cross section through the device of FIG. 1 on the
line II--II;
FIG. 3 shows a cross section through the device according to FIG. 1
on the line III--III.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of the device composed of a frame and
adjusting means. The adjusting means consist of three securing rods
1, 2, 3 which are interconnected by two, more or less parallelly
extending rods 4, 5. FIG. 2 shows how one of the parallel rods 5 is
connected with the rods 1, 2, 3. The mutual connections of the rods
1, 3 with the rods 4, 5 are all identical. The connections consist
of a slidable sleeve 6 and a slidable sleeve 7, if needed
electrically insulated from the rods 1 and 3, interconnected by a
rod 8. The sleeve 7 is secured to the rod 8 in such a way that it
can rotate around the axis of the rod 8. The sleeves 6, 7 can be
fixedly secure to the rods by means of a bolt 9. The connections of
the rod 2 with the rods 4, 5 consist of a sleeve 10 which is slid,
if needed, electrically insulated, on the rod 2 to which is
pivotally connected a rod 11 by means of a pin 12. A bush 13 is
accommodated in rod 4, respectively 5 and through the hole 14 of
the bush protudes the rod 11. The rod 11 is threaded and can be
connected with the bush 13 by means of a nut 15. The distance from
the rod 2 to the rod 5 can be reduced by means of torque
spanners.
FIG. 3 shows the frame which is composed out of three
interconnected fastening members. Two of the fastening members
consist of clamping members 16, 17 which can engage about the
transverse processus of a vertebra and by means of bolts 18
clampingly be connected around the aforementioned transverse
processus. The other fastening member consists of some clamping
members which are provided with bent ends 19, 10 which hook into
the arch and around the spinosus processus of a vertebra snd which
by means of bolts can be clampingly secured to the vertebra (a so
called lumbar clamp).
Each of the outer fastenings means is by means of two rods 21
connected with the central fastening member. The two outer
fastening members have each two holes, while through each of the
holes protrudes a rod 21. The outer fastening members are in this
way slidably mounted on the rod 21 and the distance between the
fastening member with respect to each other can be changed in this
way. Each of the rods 21 is connected by means of a bolt 22 with an
intermediate piece 23. The intermediate piece 23 is connected by
means of a bolt 24 with a plate 25 which is fixedly connected with
the central fastening member. The contact surfaces of the rods 21
with the intermediate pieces 23 and of the intermediate pieces 23
with the plate 25 are roughened in such a way that when the bolts
22, 24 are tightly screwed the various parts are prevented from
turning on the axes of the bolts. The rods 1, 2, 3 of the adjusting
means are fixedly secured by means of screw thread on the frame. As
a consequence the adjusting means can be removed from the frame in
a simple way.
* * * * *