Patent ID: 8246693

Claim:
A releasable attachment system for coupling an exoskeletal prosthesis to a patient limb having a bone anchored mounting post with an external fixator structure, said releasable attachment system comprising: a first component adapted for connection to the fixator structure; a second component adapted for connection to the prosthesis; and a safety release mechanism normally retaining the prosthesis in a rigid substantially motion-free interconnected relation to the fixator structure, said safety release mechanism responding to a force overload condition to permit relative movement between the prosthesis and the fixator structure; said safety release mechanism comprising a bending force clutch responsive to a bending force overload condition to permit relative angular displacement of said second component relative to said first component, and a torsion force clutch responsive to a torsion force overload condition to permit relative rotational displacement of said second component relative to said first component wherein said bending force clutch comprises a ball member movably mounted within a unit housing, and spring-loaded detent means engageable between said unit housing and said ball member for releasably retaining said ball member in a normal position within said unit housing, said detent means responding to a bending force overload condition to permit angular displacement of said ball member relative to said unit housing.