WO2015106300A2

WO2015106300A2 - Orthopaedic tying device

Info

Publication number: WO2015106300A2
Application number: PCT/ZA2015/000003
Authority: WO
Inventors: Leon Normam VAN DER WALT
Original assignee: Van Der Walt Leon Normam
Priority date: 2014-01-10
Filing date: 2015-01-09
Publication date: 2015-07-16
Also published as: WO2015106300A3; WO2015106300A8; ZA201605544B

Abstract

A manually operable wire, cabling or the like tensile material tensioning device in the form of an orthopaedic tying device 10 comprises a manually handlable carrier 1-2 mounting a tensioner 14 and a guide in the form of a barrel type extending arm 18 extending from the carrier 12. The device 10 defines a tensile material receiving end 20 from which tensile material by way of the leading ends of opposite end sections is fried thereto. The tensioner 14 includes a shaft mounted rotor 16 that forms part of a gear train 26 that is rotatable by way of a winder 30. The shaft 32 of the rotor 16 -presents lateral stubs 36 formed with tensile material section ends anchoring bores 33. The arm 18 is integrally constituted by a head 40, an intermediate narrow section 42 and a trailing end flaring formation 44 along which opposite tensile material end sections 64, 66 are passed once the device is in use.

Description

(1) TITLE OF THE INVENTION

ORTHOPAEDIC TYING DEVICE

(2) BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The medical or veterinary environment often deals with a situation where broken bones must be mended. During such mending process bone parts must be tightly held in their bone fusing position(s) relative to one another. Bone fusion Is a slow process that Is often exacerbated by the wire or cabling used in holding bone parts in position relative to one another snapping or causing inflammation. During the performance of a tying action the wire or cabling can be over-tensioned resulting in the damaging of bone parts so exposed and causing subsequent Infection. Worse even, the wire or cabling can be over tensioned causing it to snap in the process damaging the bone parts again giving rise to the possibility of infection or other health problems. This is amongst others brought about by the person performing such tying action not having a feel for the extent of tensioning applied. It is amongst others an objective of this invention to address such problems.

(3) FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a manually operable wire, cabling or the like tensile material tensioning device. White not so limited the device find useful application in the orthopaedic environment in being employable for performing a bone binding or tying function.

(4) DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

One item of prior art known to the applicant in tying bones in attaining their fusion involves an instrument which is used more the binding of bones that lie close to a surface in not permitting deep penetration as for example required in the case of overweight persons or other beings. Such instruments make use of a pipe or tube along which a tensNe member such as wiring is threaded with pipe being fitted with a handle. The wiring is thus pulled up by a simple hand action In winding it about a shaft Wire tensioning is obtained by rotation of the instrument that results in a wire winding action that does not give any leverage. Another item tensions the wiring by way of threaded member and a forked leading end having corner wheels. Turning of the member causes the tensioning of cabling or the like once having been pinching y fitted to the member. The apparatus of this item of prior art is unwieldingfy large while the cabling or wiring used tends to slip resulting in improper tensioning. (5) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in the drawings

Figure 1 diagrammatically shows one embodiment of a manually operable wire, cabling or the like tensile material tensioning device In the form of an orthopaedic tying device in partly cut away side elevation.

Figure 2 shows the device of figure 1 in plan view

Figure 3 shows a detail of the rotor carrying end of the device,

Figure 4 shows the device in end elevation,

Figure 5 shows a detail of the tensile material receiving end of the device of the figures 1 to 4 embodiment,

Figure 6 shows a detail of another embodiment of the tensile material receiving end of the device with the remainder of the device of this embodiment in essence being similar to that of the figures 1 to 4 embodiment, and

figure 7 diagrammaticaiiy explains the operation of the device of the figures 1 to 5

embodiment.

($) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Referring to the drawings a manually operable wire, cabling or the like tensile materia! tensioning device in the form of an orthopaedic tying device, is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

The device 10 comprises a pistol shaped manually handiabie carrier 12 mounting a manually manipuiabie tensioner 14 including a rotor 16, and a guide in the form of a barrel type extending arm 18 extending from the carrier 12. The device 10 defines a tensile material receiving end 20 at the leading end of the arm 18 along which tensile material by way of the leading ends of opposite end sections is fitted thereto while the axis of rotation 22 of the rotor 16 extends transverse to the axis 24 along the arm 18.

The rotor 18 forms part of a gear train 28 in turn forming part of the tensioner 14. The gear train 26 includes a sprocket 28 that is rotatab!e by way of a winder 30 while the gearing ratio between the sprocket 28 and the rotor 16 is selected to enable the adequate manual tightening of the tensioner 14 to obtain a tensioning effect, as described below. The rotor 16 comprises a central shaft 32 onto which a rotor gear 34 is mounted. The shaft 32 extends through the wall of the carrier 12 in forming lateral stubs 36 serving as laterally spaced anchoring locations for tensile material ends of tensile material end sections that is involved m a tensioning action by way of the device 10. The stubs 36 are formed with bores 38 into which tensile material ends are receivable on anchoring such prior to commencing with a tensile material tensioning action. While not shown the rotor 16 may incorporate a locking facility for locking it against return rotation during a wire tensioning operation.

The arm 18 is integrally constituted by a head 40, an intermediate narrow section 42 and a trailing end flaring formation 44. In being of larger width than the section 42 when viewed in plan-view as seen in figures 2 and 4, the flaring formation 44 is formed with lateral tensile material guide slots 46 formed between upper and lower path constricting ribs 48 and the head 40 with enclosed lateral tensile material receiving guides 50. End lengths of tensile materia! fitted to the device 10 are passed along the guides 50 and the guide slots 46. Once tensioned such end lengths pass without contact and fully exposed alongside the section 42 enabling their severing once desirably tensioned causing the device 10 being arranged to enable the severing of wire end sections.

The tensile material receiving end 20 of the arm 18 is formed to minimise damaging or bruising when used for orthopaedic tying as may be brought about on swivelling of the device 10 in performing a tying action by the head 40, 40.1 being shaped to minimise any damaging. To this effect and referring to figure 5 in conjunction with figures 1 to 4, the tensile material receiving end 20 as defined along the outer surface of the head 40.1 In on embodiment presents a generally smooth face. The head of the figure 5 embodiment is particularly useful in the case of tensile material that is flexible though not resilient such as wiring 52. Wiring permits a tying action by way of the formation of a wiring convolution 54 at a tensile material location of crossover 56 situated ahead of the head 40. , as discussed below, in response to appropriate swivelling of the device 1 .

In referring to figure β and in the case of using tensile material that is also flexible such as cabling 58 that Is not easily formed into a convolution, the head 40, 40.2 makes provision for tying the cabling at the location of crossover 56 by way of a locking element (not shown). To this effect the head 40.2 Is forked to the extent of the spacing 60 between the lateral fork arms 62 accommodating the location of a locking element onto tensile material passing through the point of crossover 56 from within spacing 60. This embodiment of the head 40 does not require particular care to protect against damaging or bruising when used for orthopaedic tying as the provision of a location of tying does not require the formation of a convolution. A simple crossover action and perhaps a few more turns of the device 10 fo!!owed by the positioning of a locking element onto the location of cable crossover 56 will suffice in retaining a proper tensioning action. The device 10 may indeed provide for replacing the arm 18 carrying the head 40.1 with an arm carrying the head 40.2 by any convenient releasing and engaging mechanism such as clips (not shown). Provision can in fact be made for a variety of arms 18 having a variety of heads inclusive of heads having longer or shorter reach in the direction of the axis 24 along the arm 18.

In use and referring more particularly to figure 7 in relation to involving the head 40.1 in conjunction with wiring, the opposite end lengths 84 and 66 of wiring 52 used for tying broken bones 68 or the i&e in enabling their healing are, once threaded around such matter, passed through the slots 50. then alongside the section 42 and along the guide slots 46 as shown in figures 7(a) and 7(b). Their free ends are thus fitted through the respective bores 38 as can be more clearly seen in figure 7(b).

Once so fitted the tying action of the wiring 52 is pursued by the manual operation of the tensioner 14 as brought about by a rotation of the rotor 16 in response to turning the winder 30. This has the effect of causing the opposite end lengths 64 and 66 of the wiring 52 to become progressively wound onto the rotor 16 in turn progressively tightening the wire 52 around the bones 68 or the tike that are intended for healing up to a point where an adequate tensioning of the wiring 52 is achieved.

In referring to figures 7(b) to 7(d) the device 10 is subsequently rotated according to arrow 70 relative to the bones 68 in first forming a location of crossover 56 and subsequently a wire locking convolution 54. The final step involves a severing of the wiring 52 along their exposed sections 64, 66 that pass alongside the section 42. The exposed wire ends are finally simply pushed over onto the bone area tied by the wiring 52. In the case of using the head 40.2, instead of forming the convolution 54 the cabling Is simply tied at the location of crossover 56, as discussed above, by way of a locking element (not shown) and the cabling severed along their sections that pass along the section 42. as with the wiring.

It is an advantage of the invention as specifically described mat it permits the performance of a highly controlled tensile material tensioning action can while also enabling its use for tying bones that lie deeper into a body, as is for example required in the case of overweight persons or other beings. This latter benefit Is brought about by the ability to replace the head of the device of the invention by another one that ie shorter or longer by way of for example replacement or the arm as thus fitted.

Claims

(7) CLAIMS

(1) A manually operable wire, cabling or the like tensile material tensioning device (10) amongst others for use in performing a binding or tying function in an orthopaedic

environment comprising

a manually handiabie carrier (12), and

a carrier mounted manually manipulate tensioner (14) arranged to perform a tensioning action on tensile material once fitted to the device,

characterised in that the device incorporates a guide (18) extending from the carrier along which end sections (64, 66) of tensile material are guidable in a laterally spaced relationship between a device tensile material receiving end (20) defined at the free end of the guide and the tensioner enabling the latter to retract and put lengths of tensile materia! once fitted along the guide and engaged with the tensioner under a tensioning and subsequent tying action once the desired extent of tensioning is achieved responsive to the performance of a tensile material location of crossover locking action at a location of crossover (56) formed ahead of the tensile material receiving end in response to appropriate swivelling of the device with tying in at least the case of such tensile material being of non-resilient though still flexible character also being achievable by the subsequent rotation of the device beyond only forming a tensile material location of crossover and up to the formation of a tensile material locking convolution (54). and

in that the device is arranged to enable the severing of such tensile material end sections between the location of crossover (56) and the tensioner (14) thereby to permit the release of the device from such tensile material, the device also being employable to enable the tensioning and tying of a loop of tensile material of which opposite end sections are fitted along the guide onto matter that requires an extensive tensioning action there about.

(2) A tensioning device as claimed in claim 1 that at least the case of employing it for tensioning and tying brutseable or similarly damageable matter by forming a loop of tensile material there about the tensile material receiving end (20) is formed to minimise damaging or bruising of such matter when being exposed to friction on swivelling of the device on being pulled up there against during the performance of a tensioning action.

(3) A tensioning device as claimed in claim 2 in which the tensile material receiving end (20) is formed to minimise damaging or bruising of matter pulled up there against by its presenting a generally smooth face thereby limiting the damaging or bruising of matter when being exposed to friction on swivelling of the device even into forming a convolution at the point for tensile material crossover.

(4) A tensioning device as claimed claim 1 or claim 2 in which the tensile materia! receiving end (20) of the guide is forked and of adequate inter-fork spacing (60) to enable the location of a locking element onto tensile materia! passing along the location of crossover (56) from within the forked end in perfuming a tensile material tying action once the device is in use instead of or in addition to the formation of a convolution, in at least the case of employing the device for tensioning and tying bruiseabJe or similarly damageable matter by forming a loop of tensile material there about the tensile material receiving end being formed to minimise damaging or bruising of such matter by any bruiseable matter abbuttabie area extending smoothly thereby limiting the damaging or bruising of matter when being exposed to friction on swivelling of the device.

(5) A tensioning device as claimed In any one of the preceding claims in which the guide is in the form of a linear arm (18) extending away from the carrier (12) in a way that enables end sections (64, 66) of flexible material extending along the arm once the device is ready for use to extend against any obstruction along the arm and to the tensioner (1 ).

(6) A tensioning device as claimed in claim 5 in which the device is arranged to enable the severing of wire end sections (64, 66) in response to the arm being formed to leave at least part of end sections of tensile material extending there along once the device is in use exposed for manual severing.

(7) A tensioning device as claimed in claim in any one of the preceding claims in which the tensioner (14) includes a manually operable rotor (16) that is mounted to rotate about an axis (22) that is transverse to the direction of tensile material displacement along the guide while being formed with laterally spaced locations of wire end engagement (38, 38) resulting in a wire retracting action in responding from an action of wire winding onto the rotor.

(8) A tensioning device as claimed in claim 7 In which the tensioner involves a tensioning gear train (26) including the rotor (18) that is selected to enable the performance of a manual winding action in performing a tensile material tensioning action by way of a winder (30) connected to the gear train.

(9) A tensioning device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the

combination of the carrier and the guide is pistol shaped in providing a pistol grip type handle for holding the device while the guide (18) extends in the form of a barrel mere from with the tensile material receiving end being situated remotely from the teneioner.