Dynamic finger support

• US 5,376,091 A
• Filed: 04/11/1994
• Issued: 12/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew Richards Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Smith & Nephew Richards Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Hotchkiss, Kenneth W., Hotchkiss, Robert N., Woodward, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Crow, Stephen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DVORAK, LINDA C
• Application Number:
  US08/225,498
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: 602/5, 602/16, 602/20-22, 602/36, 602/37, 606/54-59
• US Class Current: 606/55
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/62 Ring frames, i.e. devices extending around the bones to be positioned A61B17/6433 , A61B17/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/6425 specially adapted to be fitted across a bone joint
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/02 Stretching or bending or torsioning apparatus for exercising
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0288 Fingers

Abstract

A dynamic joint support having proximal and distal support sections and means for rigidly connecting each support section to bone and a pair of hinges connecting each support section to each other and pivoting at the joint to cause movement of the support section and its corresponding attached bone through the movements of flexion and extension. The hinge may be driven in its movement by a gear mechanism which may be disengaged by means of a clutch. The dynamic joint support may also include a distraction mechanism for movement of the bones out of contact in the joint, while allowing for an active range of motion at the joint.

Claims

1. A dynamic finger support comprising:

proximal and distal external support sections, one for each skeletal element on opposite sides of a finger joint;

connecting means for rigidly connecting each support section to a bone on its respective side of the joint, wherein said connecting means attaches each support section to bone at a distance from the joint and not at the axis of rotation of the joint;

hinge means having an axis for connecting the support sections to each other in the vicinity of the joint so the hinge means will pivot the joint when the skeletal elements move through flexion and extension,

wherein said hinge means is a unilateral hinge including a first and second arcuate hinge member rotatably connected to each other, said first arcuate hinge member being non-movable with respect to the second arcuate hinge member and said second arcuate hinge member being adapted to move relative to the first arcuate hinge member,

and wherein the hinge means includes a gear means including a worm movably mounted in said first arcuate hinge member, which worm mates with teeth located on said second arcuate hinge member, wherein rotation of the worm causes motion of the second arcuate hinge member relative to the first arcuate hinge member,

and wherein the gear means further includes a clutch means for selectively engaging said gear such that force is transferred between said worm and said teeth to restrict free motion of the skeletal elements and permit controlled extension and flexion of the joint, and for selectively disengaging said worm and teeth to allow the skeletal elements to move freely.

2. The dynamic finger support of claim 1, further comprising:

radiopaque indicia means for enabling alignment of the axis of the hinge means with the axis of the joint.

3. The dynamic finger support of claim 2, further comprising:

adjustment means for adjusting the position and orientation of the hinge relative to the respective support sections and relative to the axis of the joint.

4. A dynamic finger support comprising:

proximal and distal external support sections, one for each skeletal element on opposite sides of the finger joint;

connecting means for rigidly connecting each support section to a bone on its respective side of the joint, wherein said connecting means attaches each support section to a bone at a distance from the joint and not at the axis of rotation of the joint;

hinge means having an axis for connecting the support sections to each other in the vicinity of the joint so the hinge means will pivot the joint when the skeletal elements move through flexion and extension, wherein said hinge means is a unilateral hinge including a first and second arcuate hinge member rotatably connected to each other, said first arcuate hinge member being nonmovable with respect to said second arcuate hinge member and said second arcuate hinge member being adapted to move relative to the first arcuate hinge member, and wherein said axis of the hinge is adapted for alignment with the axis of the joint; and

wherein the dynamic finger support is substantially radiotranslucent, and having a radiopaque indicia means for enabling alignment of the axis of the hinge means with the axis of the joint.

5. The dynamic finger support of claim 4, further comprising:

adjustment means for adjusting the position and orientation of the hinge relative to the respective support sections and relative to the axis of the joint.

6. The dynamic joint support of claim 5, wherein the hinge means includes a gear means for moving the support sections and consequently their respective skeletal elements through flexion and extension in response to the application of external force to the gear means.

7. The dynamic joint support of claim 6, wherein said gear means includes a drive means movably mounted in said first arcuate hinge member, which drive means mates with teeth located on said second arcuate hinge member, wherein rotation of the drive means causes motion of the second arcuate hinge member relative to the first arcuate hinge member, thereby causing flexion or extension of the attached skeletal elements.

8. The dynamic joint support of claim 7,

wherein the gear means further includes a clutch means selectively engaging said gear such that force is transfer between said worm and said teeth to restrict free motion of skeletal elements and permit controlled extension and flexion the joint, and for selectively disengaging said worm and teeth allow the skeletal elements to move freely.

9. A dynamic finger support comprising:

proximal and distal external support sections, one for each skeletal element on opposite sides of the finger joint;

connecting means for rigidly connecting each support section to a bone on its representative side of the joint, wherein said connecting means attaches each support section to bone at a distance from the joint and not at the axis of rotation of the joint;

hinge means having an axis for connecting the support sections to each other in the vicinity of the joint so the hinge means will pivot the joint when the skeletal elements move through flexion and extension,

wherein said hinge means is a unilateral hinge including a first and second arcuate hinge member rotatably connected to each other, said first arcuate hinge member being non-movable with respect to said second arcuate hinge member and said second arcuate hinge member being adapted to move relative to the first arcuate hinge member,

and wherein the hinge means includes a gear means for moving the support sections and consequently their respective skeletal elements through flexion and extension in response to the application of external force to the gear means,

said gear means including a worm movably mounted in said first arcuate hinge member, which worm mates with teeth located on said second arcuate hinge member, wherein rotation of the worm causes motion of the second arcuate hinge member relative to the first arcuate hinge member thereby causing flexion or extension of the attached skeletal elements;

adjustment means for adjusting the position and orientation of the hinge relative to the respective support sections and relative to the axis of the joint; and

radiopaque indicia means for enabling alignment of the axis of the hinge means with the axis of the joint.

10. A dynamic joint support comprising:

proximal and distal external support sections, one for each skeletal element on opposite sides of the joint;

connective means for rigidly connecting each support section to a bone on its respective side of the joint, wherein said connecting means attach each support section to a bone at a distance from the Joint and not at the axis of rotation of the joint;

hinge means having an axis for connecting the support sections to each other in the vicinity of the joint so the hinge means will pivot the Joint when the skeletal elements move through flexion and extension,

wherein said hinge means includes a first and a second hinge member rotatably connected to each other at a pivot, which pivot forms the axis of the hinge, said first hinge member being nonmovable with respect to the second hinge member and said second hinge member being adapted to move relative to the first hinge member, and

wherein said hinge means is unilateral.

11. The dynamic joint support of claim 10, wherein the hinge means further includes:

gear means for moving the support sections and consequently their respective skeletal elements through flexion and extension in response to the application of external force to the gear means.

12. The dynamic Joint support of claim 11, wherein the gear means includes a drive means movably mounted in said first hinge member, which drive means mates with teeth located on said second hinge member, wherein rotation of the drive means causes motion of the second hinge member relative to the first hinge member.

13. The dynamic Joint support of claim 12, further comprising a clutch means for selectively engaging said gear means such that force is transferred between the drive means and the teeth to restrict free motion of the skeletal elements and permit controlled extension and flexion of the joint, and for selectively disengaging the drive means and teeth to allow the skeletal elements to move freely.

14. The dynamic joint support of claim 10, further comprising adjustment means for adjusting the position and orientation of the hinge relative to the respective support sections and relative to the axis of the joint.

15. The dynamic joint support of claim 14, wherein said adjustment means permits adjustment of the position and orientation of the hinge relative to the axis of the joint after the external support sections have been fixed to the skeletal elements.

16. The dynamic joint support of claim 14, wherein adjustment means permits adjustment in two or more directional planes.

17. The dynamic joint support of claim 10, further comprising indicia means for enabling alignment of the axis of the hinge means with the natural axis of the joint.

18. The dynamic joint support of claim 17, wherein the support is substantially radiotranslucent and wherein the indicia means is radiopaque.