Patent ID: 9179904
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61M

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for distracting a hip joint having a femoral head and an acetabulum with an acetabular fossa, said apparatus comprising: an elongate flexible member having a proximal end, a distal end terminating in an atraumatic distal tip and a shaft extending between the proximal end and the distal end along a central longitudinal axis, said shaft including a central lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end of the elongate flexible member, the shaft is configured for moving from a straight configuration when the elongate flexible member is aligned with the first central longitudinal axis and a curved configuration when the elongate flexible member is not aligned with the first central longitudinal axis; an expandable member extending the central longitudinal axis, said expandable member is coaxially coupled to the distal end of the elongate flexible member, the expandable member being fluidly expandable from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, the expandable member having a dimension in a direction transverse to the second central longitudinal axis of the expandable member of at least about 10 mm in the expanded configuration and being configured to apply a distraction force of at least about 50 lbs. to said acetabulum and said femoral head at a pressure of less than about 100 psi; and an actuation mechanism for moving the elongate flexible member between its straight configuration and its curved configuration; wherein the actuation mechanism comprises a flexible pulling element which is attached to the distal tip of the elongate flexible member and extends proximally back alongside the expandable member, proximally back alongside a portion of the shaft, passes through a side wall of the shaft into the central lumen and then extends proximally back within the lumen of the shaft so that when the flexible pulling member is pulled, the flexible pulling member bends the distal end of the elongate flexible member, and the expandable member coupled to the elongate flexible member, into a toroidal shape, with the distal tip of the elongate flexible member releasably coupled to a portion of the shaft of the elongate flexible member proximal to the distal end of the shaft of the elongate flexible member when in the toroidal shape, and said flexible pulling element is configured to be coupled in place to maintain said toroidal shape when in use; wherein the expandable member is configured to engage the acetabulum only within a contact surface such that at least about 50% of the contact surface is disposed in the acetabular fossa when the expandable member is in the expanded configuration.