Measurement of laxity of anterior cruciate ligament
First Claim
1. A device (10) for the measurement of laxity of the knee of a patient, comprising:
- a frame (11);
first support means (12) mounted to the frame (11) for supporting the thigh of a patient;
second support means (13) mounted to the frame (11) for supporting and holding one of the foot, ankle or lower leg of the patient, said second support means (13) being mounted to said frame (11) through a support member (14,
15) provided with at least one force transducer (16) adapted to measure the force applied by the patient to the leg supported thereon in endeavoring to straighten the leg supported thereon as by tensioning the quadriceps muscle thereof; and
measurement means (24, 25,
26) for measuring movement of the tibial tuberosity of the said leg of the patient so supported on said first and second support means, or of a portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy which moves with said tibial tuberosity, relative to the femur of said leg or a portion of said leg which moves with said femur;
wherein said first and second support means (12,
13) are so located relative one another on said frame as to cause the said leg of the patient so supported thereby to be bent at the knee.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device (10) for measurement of laxity of the knee includes a thigh support (12) and foot support (13) so arranged that the leg of the patient will be bent at the knee when the patient'"'"'s thigh is resting in the thigh support (12) and his foot is strapped to the foot rest (13). A potentiometer (26) measures movement of the tibial tuberosity of the patient'"'"'s leg relative to the patella, and a strain gauge mounted on plate (15) measures the force applied by a patient seeking to straighten the leg such as by tensioning the quadriceps muscle. A computer (9) plots and displays a graph (8) or other output of the force applied against the relative movement between the tibial tuberosity and the patella.
70 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A device (10) for the measurement of laxity of the knee of a patient, comprising:
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a frame (11); first support means (12) mounted to the frame (11) for supporting the thigh of a patient; second support means (13) mounted to the frame (11) for supporting and holding one of the foot, ankle or lower leg of the patient, said second support means (13) being mounted to said frame (11) through a support member (14,
15) provided with at least one force transducer (16) adapted to measure the force applied by the patient to the leg supported thereon in endeavoring to straighten the leg supported thereon as by tensioning the quadriceps muscle thereof; andmeasurement means (24, 25,
26) for measuring movement of the tibial tuberosity of the said leg of the patient so supported on said first and second support means, or of a portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy which moves with said tibial tuberosity, relative to the femur of said leg or a portion of said leg which moves with said femur;wherein said first and second support means (12,
13) are so located relative one another on said frame as to cause the said leg of the patient so supported thereby to be bent at the knee. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for measuring the laxity of the knee of a patient, comprising:
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supporting the thigh of a leg of a patient on a first support means (12); securing one of the foot, ankle or lower leg of said leg of said patient to a second support means (13) which is so located relative the first support means that the patient'"'"'s said leg will be slightly bent at the knee when supported on said first support means and secured to said second support means, whereby the patient'"'"'s said leg is caused to be slightly bent at the knee; measuring the respective relative spatial positions of the femur and the tibial tuberosity, or of other respective portions of the patient'"'"'s anatomy that move respectively therewith, of the patient'"'"'s said leg; causing the patient to endeavor to straighten said leg, as by tensioning the quadriceps muscle thereof, whereby the patient applies force to said leg; simultaneously with the patient endeavoring to straighten said leg, measuring the force applied to said leg by the patient in endeavoring to straighten said leg; simultaneously with the patient endeavoring to straighten said leg, measuring changes in the respective relative positions of the femur and the tibial tuberosity, or of other respective portions of the patient'"'"'s anatomy that move respectively therewith, of the patient'"'"'s said leg; and indicating, as by plotting, a correlation of the force applied by the patient to said leg in endeavoring to straighten said leg with the relative displacement caused thereby in the positions of the femur and the tibial tuberosity, or said other respective portions of the patient'"'"'s anatomy that move respectively therewith, of the patient'"'"'s said leg.
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Specification