Patent ID: 6036691
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
An external fixator, comprising an elongate body extending between longitudinally spaced ends, first clamping means connected at one of said ends for anchorage of bone screws or bone pins to said one end, second clamping means connected at the other of said ends for anchorage of bone screws or bone pins to said other end, said body comprising longitudinally movable first and second body parts one of which provides the end connection to said first clamping means and the other of which provides the end connection to said second clamping means, and manually operable means carried by one of said body parts and reacting with said other body part to develop a transient manually driven incremental relative axially distracting displacement of said body parts and therefore of said first and second clamping means with respect to each other, said manually operable means including a manually operable rotary cam carried by said one body part on a rotary axis that is transverse to the elongate body direction from one to the other of said ends for imparting a partial-turn cam-driven incremental distracting displacement of said end connections of said first and second body parts with respect to each other in response to at least a partial rotation of said rotary cam, said rotation of said cam being limited to partial rotation of less than 180 degrees.