Prosthesis for long femur and knee disarticulation amputation

• US 5,895,430 A
• Filed: 02/06/1998
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roderick S O'Connor
• Original Assignee: Roderick S O'Connor
• Inventors: O'Connor, Roderick S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Willse, David H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GHERBI, SUZETTE JAIME J
• Application Number:
  US09/019,655
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 623/39, 623/43, 623/44
• US Class Current: 623/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/60 Artificial legs or feet or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/64 Knee joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/74 fluid , i.e. hydraulic or pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30433 using additional screws, bolts, dowels, rivets or washers e.g. connecting screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5039 allowing only for single rotation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5043 with rotation-limiting stops, e.g. projections or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0041 using additional screws, bolts, dowels or rivets, e.g. connecting screws

Abstract

A prosthesis for leg amputation at the knee joint or short distance above the knee is disclosed which includes an upper leg socket and artificial lower limb pivotally coupled together by a knee bracket attached to upper leg socket. The knee bracket is also pivotally coupled to a hydraulic unit carried by the lower limb. The knee bracket provides a hinge arrangement for the knee joint above the end of the amputee'"'"'s leg stump by several inches thus providing a more natural looking and operating artificial limb.

Claims

1. A prosthesis for accommodating an amputee'"'"'s leg stump resulting from an amputation at or just above the knee joint, comprising:

an upper limb socket member having a back wall and a bottom wall, and adapted to be pivotally secured to a lower limb member, the bottom wall being arranged to receive the end of the amputee'"'"'s leg stump;

a lower limb member;

a first bracket attached to the upper limb socket member;

a second bracket attached to the lower limb member and pivotally attached to the first bracket above the bottom wall whereby the axis about which the two members pivot is located above the bottom wall of the upper limb socket member; and

a hydraulic unit having two ends, one end pivotally attached to the lower limb member and the other end attached to the first bracket above the bottom wall.

2. The prosthesis defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second brackets pivotal attach above the bottom wall by more than about 1 inch.

3. The prosthesis defined in claim 2, wherein the pivotal attachment occurs between about 2 and 4 inches above the bottom wall of the upper limb socket member.

4. The prosthesis defined in claim 2 wherein the first bracket and hydraulic unit pivotally attach above the bottom wall by more than about 2 inches.

5. The prosthesis defined in claim 2 wherein the the hydraulic unit and the second bracket are pivotally attached to the first bracket at about the same distance above the bottom wall of the upper limb socket member.

6. The prosthesis defined in claim 1 wherein the first bracket is laminated into the back wall of the upper limb socket member.

7. The prosthesis defined in claim 1 wherein the first bracket and second bracket further include means for limiting the forward movement of the lower limb member.

8. A prosthesis for accommodating an amputee'"'"'s upper leg stump resulting from knee disarticulated or long above the knee amputation, comprising:

an upper leg attaching member defining a stump socket having a bottom wall being arranged to receive the end of the leg stump;

a lower limb member;

and hinge means for attaching the upper leg attaching member to the lower limb member to provide a pivot axis between said members above the bottom wall of the upper leg attaching member and the lower end of the amputee'"'"'s leg stump wherein the hinge means comprises a knee bracket attached to the upper leg attaching member having two arms extending about one-half of the wave around the upper leg attaching member and a pair of joint brackets carried by the lower limb member with the upper ends thereof pivotally secured to the arms.

9. The prosthesis of claim 8 wherein the pivot axis is at least about one inch above the bottom wall of the upper leg attaching member.

10. The prosthesis of claim 9 wherein the pivot axis is between about two to three and one-half inches above the bottom wall of the upper leg attaching member.

11. The prosthesis of claim 8 further including a hydraulic member connected at one end to the lower limb member wherein the knee bracket has a sleeve and pin arrangement for pivotally mounting the other end of the hydraulic unit.

12. The prosthesis of claim 11 wherein the knee bracket includes an integral stop means for limiting forward movement of the lower limb member.

13. The prosthesis of claim 12 wherein the knee bracket is attached to the upper limb member by lamination.

14. The prosthesis of claim 13 wherein the knee bracket has two clevis joints for pivotally attaching the lower joint brackets.

15. The prosthesis of claim 14 wherein the knee bracket clevis joints and lower joint brackets each have integral stops for limiting the forward movement of the lower limb chassis.

16. A prosthesis for use by an amputee with a remaining upper leg stump extending to about the natural knee joint, comprising:

a cone shaped socket member having a top open end for receiving the stump and a closed bottom wall being arranged to support the stump end, and further having a longitudinal axis;

a knee bracket carried by the socket member and extending on opposite sides thereof;

a lower leg chassis; and

two lower joint brackets secured at one end on opposite sides of the lower leg chassis and pivotally attached to the knee bracket at the other end, the pivotal attachment between the knee bracket and said other end of the lower joint brackets forming pivot points on opposite sides of the socket member along a pivot axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the socket member and above the bottom wall thereof.