FEMORAL ELEVATOR DEVICE

Abstract

A proximal femoral bone elevating device used during a total hip replacement surgical procedure for primarily lifting the proximal femoral bone outside the surgical wound to allow the surgeon for adequately ream and prepare the lifted bone for insertion of trials and implant into the medullary cavity of the proximal femur. The device comprises a main gearbox, a vertical shaft and a bone hook attachment which is placed under the trochanteric region of the proximal femur. The main gearbox is firmly attached over the sterile drapes to the side rails of conventional operating tables. Turning the crank handle will raise the vertical shaft and the bone hook thereby lifting the proximal femur outside the surgical wound.

Claims

1. A femoral lifting device adapted to be removably mountable upon one or more side rails of a conventional operating table the femoral lifting device comprising: a gearbox having a crank handle; a geared slideable shaft passing vertically from within the gearbox; a T shaped clamp mounted upon and attached to the geared slideable shaft via an intermediate rotating joint allowing for the T-shaped clamp to rotate with respect to the geared slideable shaft, a femoral hook slideably affixed within the T-shaped clamp and rotatable about the geared slideable shaft, the femoral hook having a part adapted to be inserted into a surgical wound which is contoured to engage a proximal end of a femur of a patient; and, a fixation attachment plate removably attached to the gearbox, the fixation attachment plate adapted to removably mount the gearbox to side rails of an operating table, wherein, in operation, as actuation of the crank handle moves the T-shaped clamp in a direction away from the gearbox, a part of the T-shaped clamp engaging the femoral hook remains substantially perpendicular to a top surface of the operating table, and the part of the femoral hook contoured to engage a proximal end of a femur and which is in engagement therewith elevates and lifts a part of the femur outside the surgical wound without causing traumatic leverage against the end of the surgical wound.

2. The femoral lifting device of claim 1, wherein the gearbox contains at least two or more gears with at least one of said gears engaging with gear teeth of the geared slideable shaft.

3. The femoral lifting device of claim 2, wherein the crank handle has a hexagonal end configured to engage a corresponding hexagonal recess in the first gear, and the gearbox an opening on each of a pair of opposite surfaces which receive the crank handle.

4. The femoral lifting device of claim 1, wherein the geared slideable shaft has a substantially circular, octagonal or square cross section.

5. The femoral lifting device of claim 1, wherein the geared slideable shaft comprises gear teeth along a side thereof, the gear teeth configured to engage with corresponding teeth of the large a gear located in the gearbox.

6. The femoral lifting device of claim 1, wherein the fixation attachment plate comprises a male dovetail on one side configured to slidably and firmly attach to a corresponding female dovetail recess on the gearbox.

7. The femoral lifting device of claim 1, wherein at least one component of the device is made of one of ceramic, plastic or metallic alloy.

8. The orthopedic surgical femoral lifting device of claim 6, wherein the fixation attachment plate comprises two squeezable C-clamps each having an upper and a lower jaw, each C-clamp located at a respective end of the fixation attachment plate and situated on a side opposite to the male dovetail, said C-clamps can firmly be attached by squeezing to the side rails of said operating table.

9. The femoral lifting device of claim 1, wherein the femoral hook comprises a hook having a form of one of a semi-circle or having square angles.

10. The femoral lifting device of claim 8, wherein each of the C-clamps has a knob and a rotatable shaft that can be actuated to cause a C-clamp to squeeze and attach to a side rail of an said operating table.

11. The femoral lifting device of claim 1, wherein the gearbox further comprises: a locking mechanism which includes, a tongue located in a channel of the gearbox; and a spring urging the tongue to the geared slideable shaft between adjacent gear teeth.

12. The femoral lifting device of claim 1, wherein the geared slideable shaft has a rack of gear teeth.

13. The femoral lifting device of claim 1, wherein the geared slideable shaft passes vertically from the gearbox without rotation of the geared slideable shaft.

14. The femoral lifting device of claim 1, wherein the femoral hook is contoured to engage the trochanteric region of the femur.

15. The femoral lifting device of claim 11, wherein the tongue when engaged between adjacent gear teeth limits any linear motion of the geared slideable shaft passing vertically from within the gearbox.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Various objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same become better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference number is used throughout the several views to refer to an identical or similar, wherein:

[0011] FIG. 1 is perspective oblique view of a preferred embodiment of the femoral elevator device and its attachment made in accordance with the subject invention.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a side cross view of the gearbox showing the sliding vertical shaft gears engaged with the large circular gear of the gearbox.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective side view of the fixation component showing the sliding dovetail and the clamps.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective top view of the gearbox with fixation attachment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar references characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the attached figures illustrate a mechanical elevating femoral jack and attachment device suitable for elevating the proximal end of the femur outside the surgical wound in order to allow the operating surgeon to perform the necessary preparation of the femur for insertion of the trials prior to implanting the prosthesis. FIG. 1-4 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the femoral elevating jack. As seen best in FIG. 1, the device comprises a main gear box 1 and a vertical shaft 3 sliding through a vertical channel 12 in the main gearbox. Said vertical shaft can have a circular, square or hexagonal shape cross-section. A crank handle 2 having an hexagonal end can be inserted through the side of the main gear and into the hexagonal recess 17 of small gear 9. Turning the handle will rotate the small gear 9 as well as the large gear 10 providing a significant mechanical advantage. The teeth of large gear engage with the teeth of the vertical shaft 3 passing through the vertical channel 12. This mechanism allows the vertical shaft to be slidingly raised or lowered. Additionally, in order to prevent accidental movement of the vertical shaft, a locking mechanism is described in FIG. 2 where a tongue 11 contained in channel 16 of the main gearbox will protrude in the vertical channel 12 and interlock with the gear teeth 28 of the vertical shaft 3. This will prevent any accidental or unwanted movement of the vertical shaft. Spring 15 will keep locking tongue 11 solidly engaged. Pulling the release knob 14 will release tongue 11 from the vertical shaft gears allowing the vertical shaft to move and slide up or down. Other mechanical locking mechanism known in the art may be used. In addition, the proximal upper end of the vertical shaft provide a shaped clamp 8 having an circular hollow channel allowing transverse bar 29 and femoral hook 6 to be slidingly adjusted according to the patient's size. Additionally, the T shaped clamp 8 is attached to the vertical shaft via a rotating joint 4. Tightening knob 5 secures the position of the horizontal shaft 29 and femoral hook 6, as seen in FIG. 1.

[0016] Furthermore, the main gearbox is firmly attached to the side rails of any conventional operating table using a fixation attachment as seen in FIG. 4. This is accomplished by having two vertically placed ridges 27 on each side of the main gearbox, forming a female dove tail recess configuration which will slidingly lock with male dove tail 26 of the attachment plate 7. The vertical female dovetail components are placed on both sides of the gear box to allow the use of the fixation attachment on the right and left side of the table. Said component firmly attaches to the side rails of conventional operating table using two C clamps 22 and 24 located on either end of the fixation plate 7. The described C clamps having upper 19 and lower 20 jaws that will fit over the sterile surgical drapes and conformably hug the top and the bottom edges of side rails of the surgical table. Said C clamps having screws 21 and 25 transfixing the C clamps and attached to knob 18 and 23. Once the C clamps are applied over the side rails, turning the knobs 18 and 23 will squeeze the Clamps onto the rail and solidly attach the fixation plate and the gearbox to the surgical table.

[0017] It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Although numerous characteristics and advantages of various embodiments as described herein have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of various embodiments, many other embodiments and changes to details will be apparent to those of skilled in the art upon reviewing the above description. For example, some or all of the gearbox and fixation attachment can he made out of ceramic, radio opaque plastic or metallic alloy. Other embodiment made out of recyclable plastic will allow the device to be disposable and intended for single use. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be, determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.