Electrical treatment to treat shoulder subluxation
First Claim
1. A method for treating a patient with shoulder subluxation involving weakness and pain comprising the steps of:
- providing an implantable stimulator having at least two electrodes including a cathode and an anode;
implanting said stimulator via injection at an implantation site at the axillary nerve of the shoulder to which treatment is directed, wherein said implantation site includes an area proximally where the axillary nerve originates to where the axillary nerve branches as the first fork of the anterior branch of the axillary nerve and preceding the first branch of the posterior branch of the anterior nerve where it branches into inferior and cutaneous branches;
providing at least one external controller for wireless transmission of stimulation parameters to said stimulator; and
delivering stimulation pulses in accordance with the transmitted stimulation parameters to the axillary nerve.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for treating shoulder subluxation using an implantable device to stimulate the axillary nerve which in turn activates sensory fibers to relieve shoulder pain and activates deltoid muscle to treat disuse atrophy and possibly augment any weakened voluntary movements. Known stimulation devices are either (1) external requiring surface electrodes or (2) implantable located directly into the deltoid muscle allowing stimulation of the proximate motor-points; each requiring relatively large stimulus currents and neither directly dealing with the pain resulting from the shoulder subluxation. In the present invention, a device is implanted via injection or open surgery proximate to the axillary nerve. Advantageously, the nerve branches into portions that stimulate the deltoid muscle and pass sensory signals. By stimulating the axillary nerve (1) a lower stimulus signal level can be used and (2) pain may be blocked while treating the atrophied deltoid muscle and augmenting weakened voluntary movements.
74 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for treating a patient with shoulder subluxation involving weakness and pain comprising the steps of:
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providing an implantable stimulator having at least two electrodes including a cathode and an anode; implanting said stimulator via injection at an implantation site at the axillary nerve of the shoulder to which treatment is directed, wherein said implantation site includes an area proximally where the axillary nerve originates to where the axillary nerve branches as the first fork of the anterior branch of the axillary nerve and preceding the first branch of the posterior branch of the anterior nerve where it branches into inferior and cutaneous branches; providing at least one external controller for wireless transmission of stimulation parameters to said stimulator; and delivering stimulation pulses in accordance with the transmitted stimulation parameters to the axillary nerve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for treating a patient with shoulder subluxation involving weakness and pain comprising the steps of:
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locating an implantation site at the axillary nerve of the shoulder to which treatment is to be directed, wherein said implantation site is suitable for activating the patient'"'"'s deltoid muscle and activating sensory fibers to relieve pain in the patient'"'"'s shoulder; implanting a stimulator having at least two electrodes including a cathode and an anode suitable for stimulating the selected axillary nerve, wherein said stimulator with electrodes is implanted via implantation techniques selected from the set of injection and an open surgical procedure; and remotely programming said implanted stimulator with electrodes to periodically stimulate said selected axillary nerve. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for treating a patient with shoulder subluxation involving weakness and pain comprising the steps of:
- implanting a device at an implantation site at the axillary nerve of the patient'"'"'s shoulder needing treatment wherein said site is suitable for activating the patient'"'"'s deltoid muscle and sensory fibers to relieve pain in the patient'"'"'s shoulder, and periodically instructing said implanted device from an externally-positioned device to stimulate the selected axillary nerve.
- View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
Specification