DE9004960U1 - Halo fixator for the treatment of cervical spine diseases and injuries - Google Patents

Description

Heidelberg, 27.4.1990

Applicant: 1. Dr. Joachim Pfeil Robert Bollschweilerstraße 6900 Heidelberg 1

2.Dr. Wolfgang Veith Leisberg 7 6900 Heidelberg 1

Halo - Fixator, a head-torso fixator for cervical spine diseases and injuries.

Halo fixators are used to immobilize fractures and to stabilize tumor destruction of the cervical or upper thoracic spine.

A halo fixator consists of a halo ring, a body jacket and the connection system between these two parts.

The halo ring is attached to the patient’s skull bone using several pressure screws perpendicular to the body axis.

The screws, which are provided with a tip, penetrate the skin and drill a few millimetres into the tabula externa

A vest made of plaster or plastic with a fur insert covers the chest and supports the waist.

The invention proposed here relates in particular to the connection system which

- must be sufficiently stable

- must allow good accessibility of the cervical spine area from all sides for x-rays, surgery and personal care

- must be as universally adaptable as possible to all anatomical conditions

- should look visually appealing given the circumstances.

Existing embodiments can only meet these requirements

partially correspond.

The connection system proposed here significantly simplifies application to patients who are often polytraumatized, has no protruding parts despite its great length adaptability and allows defined repositioning.

The connection system simply consists of at least three identical rods of variable length, each with a ball joint (3) at both ends.

The ball joints (3) can be pivoted within a certain range and can be blocked in any position using a pressure screw (7).

The ball heads (5) can be screwed onto the desired position of the halo ring, which has a large number of threaded holes, using threaded pins (10); the opposite end at one of the attachment points on the torso vest.

The solid piston (2) that can be completely retracted into the tube part (1) can be extended to the required length and then fixed.

This makes it possible to adjust the length by a factor of almost 2 without any protruding parts.

Furthermore, the solid piston and the gill sleeve (4) rotatable on the pipe part (1) with interlocking threads

(11), which allows a defined change in length and thus a change in the position of the head relative to the torso

This makes repositioning possible even under load, without the risk of the setting changing automatically when the fixing elements are loosened.

The clamp sleeve (4) can be clamped using a screw, the tip of which engages in a correspondingly shaped groove on the pipe part.

By unscrewing the screw it is possible to completely separate the piston with the remaining gasket from the pipe part.

Description

Fig.l shows the complete connecting element, partially cut

The stabilizing connecting part between the halo ring attached to the skull and the torso vest enclosing the upper body is shown in Figure 1.

On the pipe part (1) there is a rotatable sleeve (4), which is optionally partially provided with an internal thread, which engages in a corresponding thread (11) on the circumference of the extendable piston (2).

By rotating the sleeve accordingly, the piston can be extended or retracted in a defined manner.

This allows both the continuous adjustment of the rod length to the required distance between the halo ring and the attachment points on the torso vest, as well as the correction of the existing setting during treatment.

At both ends of the extension part there are joint pieces (3), preferably consisting of a ball socket (6) and a ball head (5) with a threaded attachment mounted therein

(10) for attachment to the halo ring or the torso vest.

The ball head can be swivelled within a certain range and can be set in any position by means of the

(6) pressure screw (7) located on the left.

The pressure screw presses the ball (5) against the housing (6) via its concave front side adapted to the ball circumference.

The ball head (5) preferably contains a hexagon socket (12), which is accessible for a corresponding key after removing the pressure screw (7), so that the joint can be screwed into the attachment point even if the patient is in an unfavorable position.

To facilitate assembly of the stabilizing extension rod, the sleeve (4) is detachably attached to the pipe part (1) by means of a locking screw (8), which engages in a groove (9) designed to match its tip.

After loosening the screw plug, the extension piston (2) together with the sleeve (4) located on it can be completely removed from the pipe part (1).

If the screw plug (8) is screwed in completely, the sleeve (4) can no longer be turned and the piston (2) is simultaneously clamped in the position reached.

Claims (4)

Expectations Ii^ Halo - fixator for the treatment of cervical spine diseases and injuries) characterized in that at least one piston (2) is arranged so as to be extendable in a telescopic manner from a tubular part (1). 2. Halo fixator according to claim 1, characterized in that a swivel joint (3) which can be locked in any position is located at the outer end of the tubular part (1) or piston (2). 3. Halo fixator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a detachable clamping device (4) is located on the tube part (1), so that a defined length adjustment of the extended piston is possible. 4. Halo fixator according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the circumference of the extendable piston (2) there is a thread (11) into which a correspondingly designed internal thread of the sleeve (4) engages