US-20260123961-A1 - FIXATORS FOR BONE STABILIZATION AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

US20260123961A1US 20260123961 A1US20260123961 A1US 20260123961A1US-20260123961-A1

Abstract

The present technology relates generally to ring fixators and associated systems and methods. In some embodiments, for example, a ring fixator assembly comprises a ring configured to surround a fractured bone, a retention device disposed at a first position on the ring, and a tensioner clamp disposed at a second position on the ring. A wire extends between the retention device and the tensioner clamp. The tensioner clamp includes a first screw configured to secure the wire in position with respect to the tensioner clamp and a second screw configured to apply additional tension to the wire.

Inventors

David Machamer

Assignees

GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251229

Claims (15)

1 . A ring fixator assembly comprising: a ring configured to surround a bone; a first retention device disposed on the ring; a first tensioner clamp disposed on the ring; a second tensioner clamp on the ring; a second retention device on the ring; and a first wire extending between the first retention device and the first tensioner clamp; a second wire extending between the second retention device and the second tensioner clamp; wherein the first tensioner clamp comprises a first housing including a first clamping member therein configured to secure the first wire in position with respect to the first tensioner clamp and a first tensioning member configured to apply tension to the first wire, wherein rotation of the tensioning member causes the tensioning member to retract away from the first housing, thereby causing tension on the first wire, and wherein the second tensioner clamp comprises a second housing including a clamping member therein configured to secure the second wire in position with respect to the second tensioner clamp and a second tensioning member configured to apply tension to the second wire, wherein rotation of the tensioning member causes the tensioning member to retract away from the second housing, thereby causing tension on the second wire, wherein a first spacer of a plurality of independent spacers is coupled to a first portion of the ring and a second portion of a plurality of independent spacers is coupled to a second portion of the ring, wherein the first spacer and the second spacer are independent of one another.
2 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second clamping member each comprise a clamping screw and wherein the first and second tensioning member each comprise a tensioning screw, and wherein clamping screw and the tensioning screw are configured to be controlled by a single driver.
3 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second housing each surrounds a clamping assembly, the clamping assembly comprising: a collet housing; and a collet received at least partially within the collet housing, wherein a respective wire passes through a central opening in the collet, wherein a respective clamping member comprises a clamping screw threadably engaged with the collet such that rotation of the clamping screw causes the collet to be drawn into the collet housing, thereby clamping the respective wire, and wherein a respective tensioning member comprises a tensioning screw threadably engaged with the first or second housing and coupled to the clamping assembly such that rotation of the tensioning screw causes the clamping assembly to be drawn away from a respective retention device, thereby applying tension to the respective wire.
4 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 3 , wherein the collet comprises a compressible end portion that compresses when drawn into the collet housing, thereby clamping the respective wire.
5 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 3 , wherein the tensioning screw is coaxial with the clamping screw.
6 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ring comprises: a first ring portion; a second ring portion; and a quick-connect assembly that releasably couples the first ring portion to the second ring portion.
7 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the quick-connect assembly comprises first magnetic features disposed on ends of the first ring portion and second magnetic features disposed on ends of the second ring portion, the first and second magnetic features configured to be magnetically joined together.
8 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising the first and second spacer are coupled to the ring and extending radially inwardly from the ring, the spacer configured to engage a patient’s anatomy when the ring is positioned around a patient’s limb.
9 . A ring fixator assembly comprising: a ring configured to surround a bone; a first retention device disposed on the ring; a first tensioner clamp disposed on the ring; a second tensioner clamp disposed on the ring; a second retention device disposed on the ring; and a first wire extending between the first retention device and the first tensioner clamp; a second wire extending between the second retention device and the second tensioner clamp; wherein the first tensioner clamp comprises a first housing including a first clamping member therein configured to secure the first wire in position with respect to the first tensioner clamp and a first tensioning member configured to apply tension to the first wire, wherein rotation of the tensioning member causes the tensioning member to retract away from the first housing, thereby causing tension on the first wire and wherein the second tensioner clamp comprises a second housing including a clamping member therein configured to secure the second wire in position with respect to the second tensioner clamp and a second tensioning member configured to apply tension to the second wire, wherein rotation of the tensioning member causes the tensioning member to retract away from the second housing, thereby causing tension on the second wire, wherein each of the first and second tensioner clamps comprises: a central passage configured to receive a respective wire therein; a housing including a respective clamping member configured to secure the respective wire in position within the central passage; and the respective tensioning member configured to apply tension to the respective wire after the clamping member has secured the respective wire in position, wherein rotation of the tensioning member causes the tensioning member to retract away from the housing, thereby causing tension on the respective wire wherein a first spacer of a plurality of independent spacers is coupled to a first portion of the ring and a second portion of a plurality of independent spacers is coupled to a second portion of the ring, wherein the first spacer and the second spacer are independent of one another.
10 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 9 , wherein the clamping member each comprise a clamping screw and wherein the tensioning member each comprise a tensioning screw, and wherein the clamping screw and the tensioning screw are configured to be controlled by a single driver.
11 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 9 , wherein the housing surrounds a clamping assembly, the clamping assembly comprising: a collet housing; and a collet received at least partially within the collet housing, wherein the respective wire passes through a central opening in the collet, wherein the respective clamping member comprises a clamping screw threadably engaged with the collet such that rotation of the clamping screw causes the collet to be drawn into the collet housing, thereby clamping the respective wire.
12 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 11 , wherein the respective tensioning member comprises a tensioning screw threadably engaged with the housing and coupled to the clamping assembly such that rotation of the tensioning screw causes the clamping assembly to be drawn away from the respective retention device, thereby applying tension to the respective wire.
13 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 11 , wherein the collet comprises a compressible end portion that compresses when drawn into the collet housing, thereby clamping the respective wire.
14 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 13 , wherein the compressible end portion comprises flared portions separated by gaps.
15 . The ring fixator assembly of claim 10 , wherein the tensioning screw is coaxial with the clamping screw.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation application of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 18/760,484, filed on July 1, 2024, which is a continuation application of U.S. Patent No. 17/676,304, is a continuation application of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16/411,388 filed on May 14, 2019, which is a continuation application of U.S. Patent Application No. 15/708,193, filed on September 19, 2017 (published as U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2018-0000519), which is a continuation application of U.S. Patent Application No. 15/058,372, filed March 2, 2016 (now U.S. Patent No. 9,795,411). The disclosures referenced above are being incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present technology is generally related to fixators for stabilization of fractured bones. BACKGROUND For background purposes, a ring fixator is a stabilization device that is used on patients to treat complex and/or open bone fractures. The ring fixator is comprised of pins and wires secured to external scaffolding to provide support to a limb. This allows a bone or joint to be stabilized (e.g., via fusion) during trauma or limb reconstruction. A ring fixator can be formed by a plurality of rings that are fixed to bone via tensioned pins or wires. The ring fixator can be used, for example, in fractured areas of high severity (e.g., with gunshot wounds), whereby traditional fixators are incapable of stabilizing the tissue. The ring fixators can remain in place until bone or joint stabilization is complete, upon which they can be removed. In one aspect of the present invention, a ring fixator assembly is disclosed. The ring fixator assembly includes a ring configured to surround a bone, a retention device disposed at a first position on the ring, a tensioner clamp disposed at a second position on the ring, and a wire extending between the retention device and the tensioner clamp. The tensioner clamp includes a clamping member configured to secure the wire in position with respect to the tensioner clamp and a tensioning member configured to apply tension to the wire. In another aspect of the present invention, a tensioner clamp for a ring fixator assembly is disclosed. The tensioner clamp includes a central passage configured to receive a wire therein, a clamping member configured to secure the wire in position within the central passage, and a tensioning member configured to apply tension to the wire after the clamping member has secured the wire in position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a ring fixator assembly. FIG. 2 illustrates a ring fixator including first and second tensioner clamps in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate various views of the first tensioner clamp configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate various views of the second tensioner clamp configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. FIG. 5 illustrates a ring fixator with a soft tissue spacer in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. FIG. 6 illustrates a ring fixator with quick-connect segments in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present disclosure relates to improved ring fixators. An example of a ring fixator is shown in FIG. 1. The ring fixator 101 includes multiple rings 103a–d that surround a patient’s fractured bones 105a, 105b. A plurality of wires 107 extend across the individual rings 103a–d, passing through the bones 105a, 105b, thereby providing stability to the fractured bones 105a, 105b while the fractured bones are healed (e.g., via fusion). The ring fixator 101 can be positioned on the patient for as long as necessary until stabilization (e.g., via fusion) is achieved. As shown in FIG. 1, each of the rings 103a-d of the ring fixator 101 can include one or more wires 107 that are attached to a ring member. To attach the one or more wires 107 to their respective ring member 103a-d, each of the wires would first be clamped to the ring member (e.g., via a clamping instrument). Following attachment, the one or more wires 107 would then be placed in tension (e.g., via a tensioner). These steps would involve two instruments – namely the clamping instrument for attachment and the tensioner for tensioning. The use of two instruments to perform multiple steps can be time consuming in an operation room, as a surgeon would have to first seek out a clamping instrument and then a tensioner for each location on the ring wherein a wire is attached. The present disclosure is related to embodiments of an improved ring fixator utilizing a combined clamp and tensioner (“tensioner clamp”), which reduces a need to have both a clamping instrument and a separate tensioning instrument. Advantageously, in some embodiments, a single instrument can be used with the tensioner clamp, thereby saving valuable time in