Patent ID: 8469967
Filing Date: 2013-06-25
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A surgical cable tensioning system, comprising: a reaction frame; a sliding platform within said reaction frame, said platform arranged to move linearly within said frame along a first axis; and a clam-type cleat attached to said sliding platform, said clam-type cleat comprising: one or more grooves, each of which comprises two opposing arrays of ridges that converge to form a V-shape with said opposing arrays of ridges forming the inner walls of said groove, each of said one or more grooves having a longitudinal axis which is approximately parallel to said first axis and adapted to receive a length of cable such that said received length of cable lies along an axis approximately parallel to said groove's longitudinal axis, wherein the V-shape has a bottom at a juncture of the opposing arrays of ridges, the ridges of each groove being obliquely tilted relative to an axis perpendicular to said groove's longitudinal axis such that said length of cable is progressively captured between the ridges of said opposing arrays as the cable settles toward the bottom of said groove when moved in a first direction relative to said cleat, and such that said length of cable is disengaged from said cleat by relaxing the axial force on the length of cable and moving the length of cable in the direction opposite said first direction.