SYSTEM FOR TENSIONING A SURGICAL WIRE

• US 20110112537A1
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acumed Llc (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Acute Innovations LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gillard, Joel, Legg, Alexander Robson, Bernstein, Oren Simon, Song, Howard K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,679,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/74
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8869 Tensioning devices

Abstract

System, including methods, apparatus, and kits, for tensioning a surgical wire with a tensioning device and/or fixing bone with a surgical wire tensioned with a tensioning device.

Claims

1. A device for tensioning a surgical wire, comprising:

a frame including a distal end portion;

a drive assembly connected to the frame and defining an axis of travel; and

a carriage including opposing anchor sites configured to provide attachment of opposing end regions of a surgical wire extending to the anchor sites from the distal end portion of the frame, the carriage being connected to the drive assembly such that operation of the drive assembly drives the carriage away from the distal end portion of the frame, thereby providing an ability to apply tension to both end regions of the wire,

wherein the carriage is pivotable about an axis transverse to the axis of travel such that the tension applied to the end regions of the wire is balanced dynamically.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the drive assembly includes a drive screw, and wherein the drive screw is configured to move axially with respect to the frame in response to changes in tension applied to the wire.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the drive screw includes or is attached to a tension indicator that moves axially with the drive screw, and wherein the frame includes a series of reference marks arranged to form a tension gauge with the tension indicator.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a tension gauge configured to measure a tension of the wire, wherein the device defines a long axis, and wherein the tension gauge is readable from opposing directions orthogonal to the long axis.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a first tension gauge and a second tension gauge each configured to measure a tension of the wire and formed at spaced positions along the device.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the tension gauges are formed near opposing ends of the device.

7. The device of claim 5, where each of the first and second tension gauges includes a series of reference marks corresponding to different amounts of tension, and wherein the first tension gauge has reference marks provided by the frame and the second tension gauge has reference marks provided by the drive assembly and configured to be rotated relative to the frame.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein axial displacement of at least a portion of the drive assembly relative to the frame changes an amount of tension measured by each of the first and second tension gauges.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the anchor sites includes a hitching bracket configured to receive and secure an end region of the wire wrapped around the hitching bracket, and wherein the hitching bracket is configured to kink the wire when the wire is wrapped around and/or tensioned on the hitching bracket.

10. A system for tensioning a surgical wire, comprising:

a tensioning device including (A) a frame including a distal end portion, (B) a drive assembly connected to the frame and defining an axis of travel, and (C) a carriage including opposing hitching brackets configured to provide attachment of opposing end regions of a surgical wire extending to the hitching brackets from the distal end portion of the frame, the carriage being connected to the drive assembly such that operation of the drive assembly drives the carriage away from the distal end portion of the frame, thereby providing an ability to apply tension to both end regions of the wire; and

a surgical wire having opposing end regions each wrapped at least once around a respective hitching bracket.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the each of the opposing end regions is kinked at least once at the respective hitching bracket.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein a segment of each end region of the wire is disposed in a tapered notch defined by the respective hitching bracket.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein each end region of the wire is disposed in a pair of notches that taper toward each other.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein each end region of the wire is disposed in a retainer slot that restricts unwrapping of the end region from the hitching bracket.

15. A method of bone fixation, comprising:

disposing a surgical wire around bone;

attaching opposing end regions of the wire to a carriage that is pivotable transverse to an axis of travel;

applying tension to both end regions of the wire by driving movement of the carriage away from the bone in a direction parallel to the axis of travel, the tension being dynamically balanced between the end regions by pivotal motion of the carriage; and

securing the wire around the bone.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of applying tension includes a step of turning at least a portion of a drive assembly that is operatively connected to the carriage.

17. The method of claim 15, where the carriage includes opposing hitching brackets, and wherein the step of attaching includes a step of wrapping each end region of the wire around a hitching bracket to secure the wire to the tensioning device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of wrapping disposes a segment of each end region of the wire in a notch of a respective hitching bracket, and wherein the step of applying tension wedges each segment of the wire into the notch.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of securing includes a step of actuating a locking device that is assembled with the wire.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the carriage is included in a tensioning device comprising a pair of tension gauges, further comprising a step of reading from one of the tension gauges an amount of tension applied to the wire.

21. A method of bone fixation, comprising:

disposing a surgical wire around bone;

wrapping opposing end regions of the wire at least once around respective hitching brackets of a carriage;

applying tension to both end regions of the wire by driving movement of the carriage away from the bone in a direction parallel to the axis of travel; and

securing the wire around the bone.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of wrapping includes a step of kinking each opposing end region of the wire.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of wrapping includes a step of placing a segment of each end region of the wire in a tapered notch defined by the respective anchor site, with the segment extending transversely to a direction of taper of the notch, and wherein the step of applying tension wedges the end segment into the tapered notch.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of wrapping includes a step of wrapping each end region of the wire less than two times around the hitching bracket.