Traction apparatus

Abstract

 Traction apparatus which is readily portable and enables a patient to subject himself or herself to treatment in the home is provided. The traction apparatus (10, 50) comprises a frame (11) on which two body support members (18, 22) are mounted One body support member (22), or both of them, is provided with tracks (24) which move on wheels (21) rotatably mounted in the frame (11) so that that body support member (22) can move towards or away from the other body support member (18) and relative to the frame (11). The movement is effected by a jack (26) connected between the body support members (18, 22) and operated by a handwheel (28) conveniently mounted at the side of the frame (11) adjacent the other body support member (18).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to traction apparatus.

[0002] Many people suffer from disorders of the spine, and treatment of such disorders often involves the patient undergoing traction, i.e. extension of the spine. This treatment may be effected by securing one part of the patient's body to a support and applying a force to another part of the body in a direction away from the first part. Alternatively, particularly in cervical traction cases in which extension of the neck region is required, an upwards force may be applied to the neck so as to tend to lift the patient against the force of gravity acting on the arms, legs, and trunk of the patient.

[0003] Apparatus for performing traction by either of the above methods is known. In the former case the patient is laid on a bed or traction couch and respective harnesses secure the patient's chest and pelvis to respective parts of the couch. A loading cable is attached to the pelvic harness and to a motor driven or winch device secured to the frame of the couch. By means of the handle or motor a tension can be created in the loading cable and hence a force on the pelvic harness so as to tension and extend the lumbar region of the spine. The part of the couch on which the patient's lower body rests, and to which the pelvic harness is secured is movable with the patient's lower body away from the other part of the couch on which the patient's upper body rests and to which the chest harness is secured.

[0004] In the latter case, cervical traction apparatus may comprise a seat on which the patient sits, the seat having a gallows-like structure extending upwardly at its rear. A sling is placed under the patient's head and a loading cable passes from the sling, around a pulley supported by the "gallows" and down to eights or a motor driven winch device mounted on the chair framework.

[0005] Both types of apparatus as described above are costly and preferably should be operated by skilled personnel. In addition the operator must rely to a very large extent on information given by the patient as to the effect of the applied traction on the pain being experienced by the patient. Furthermore the treatment by such apparatus can only be administered in a hospital or the like having the necessary apparatus, thereby necessitating movement of the patient to the hospital and the use of hospital staff and facilities whilst the patient is in hospital. It is an object of the present invention to provide traction apparatus, use of which avoids or substantially mitigates the above disadvantages. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a traction apparatus which, with little modification, can perform either of the above described treatments which heretofore required two separate and costly forms of apparatus. It is a preferred further object to provide a traction apparatus which is portable and can be used by the patient himself or herself in the home or other non-hospital location.

[0006] The invention provides traction apparatus comprising a frame, a first body support member mounted on said frame, a second body support member mounted on said frame for movement towards and away from said first body support member, and extension means connected to said body support members and operable to effect said movement of said second body support member relative to said first body support member and said frame. Said first body support member may be fixedly mounted on said frame.

[0007] The apparatus may comprise extension means,operating means which may be mounted on said frame at one side thereof, and said operating means may be located adjacent said first body support member. Said operating means may be located substantially centrally of said first body support member in a direction longitudinally of said frame towards said second body support member.

[0008] Said extension means may comprise a screw-jack and said operating means may comprise a hand wheel. Alternatively said operating means may comprise a ratchet lever.

[0009] Said body support members may each have secured thereto attachment means for a harness by means of which a part of a body may be secured to the body support member.

[0010] Embodiments of traction apparatus in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly cut away, of a first embodiment,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective internal view from below of the embodiment of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a side view of a second embodiment, and

Figs. 5 to 7 are views corresponding with Figs. 1 to 3 of a third embodiment.

[0011] Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3 there is shown a traction apparatus 10 particularly suited to lumbar traction. The apparatus 10 comprises a rectangular frame 11 which is closed at its underside by a base plate 12. The base plate 12 has been removed from Fig. 3 to show the interior of the traction apparatus 10. Corner fillets 13 and a transverse bracing strut 14 (Fig. 3) are provided to resist torsional and shearing deformation of the frame 11. A substantially centrally disposed transverse rib 15 and further corner fillets 13 also assist in maintaining the rectangular integrity of the frame 11, and the rib 15 divides the interior into two compartments 16,17. Compartment 16 is closed by a first body support member 18 (partly cut away in Fig. 1) on which is a cushion 19. Secured to the frame 11 at the end of the traction apparatus 10 are straps 20 to which a pelvic harness (not shown) may be attached. Alternatively, or additionally, straps 20 may extend out of compartment 16 at opposed sides of the traction apparatus 10.

[0012] Mounted.on the frame 11 within compartment 17 at each side of the traction apparatus 10 are two freely rotatable wheels 21. A second body support member 22, on which is a cushion 23, has two tracks 24 secured to its underside and adapted to receive the wheels 21. The second body support member 22 is thereby supported on the frame 11 so as to be movable longitudinally thereof towards and away from the first body support member 18, closing compartment 17 when positioned adjacent the first body support member 18, although Fig. 1 illustrates the traction apparatus 10 with the second body support member 22 removed to show compartment 17. Attached to the second body support member 22 are further straps 25 to which a chest harness (not shown) may be attached.

[0013] A screw jack 26 is secured to the underside of the first body support member 18 within compartment 16 so as to extend longitudinally of the traction apparatus 10. Extending laterally of the apparatus 10 through the side wall of the frame 11 is a geared jack drive.e.g. worn shaft 27,to the outer end of which is secured a handwheel 28. Pivotally attached to the jack spigot 29 is a push-rod 30 which passes through the central rib 15 into the compartment 17. The other end of the push-rod 30 is attached to a block 31 which is attached to and located between a pair of brackets 32 secured to the underside of the second body support member 22. To restrain the second body support member 22 from becoming displaced if the traction apparatus 10 is inverted, a guide rod 33 extends centrally of the traction apparatus 10 across compartment 17 and has two slide blocks 34 mounted thereon, the slide blocks 34 being located between the brackets 32. A handle 35 is attached to the side of the frame 11 so that the traction device 10 can be readily transported.

[0014] Operation of the traction device 10 is as follows. Since the device 10 is of relatively light weight, i.e. approximately 10 kg, it can readily be transported to the patient at his or her home using the carrying handle 35. Wood or a plastics material are suitable for use in manufacturing the frame 11, bage plate 12 and body support members 18,22 in order to ninimise the weight of the traction device 10. Th_f: device may be laid on a bed or on the floor and the patient's chest and pelvis are secured to the second and first body support members 22,18 respectively by means of appropriate harnesses attached to the: strap 25,2₀. In this position the handwheel 28 is conveniently placed for operation by the patient. Turning the handwheel 28 causes the jack 26 to extend, the push rod 30 forcing the second body support member 22 to move on wheels 21 away from the first body support member 18, resulting in lumbar traction. The hypersensitive patient control system incorporating gearing which is relatively low, i.e. approximately 7 revolutions of handwheel 28 to lcm movement of the second body support member 22, allows very safe and controlled operation of the traction apparatus 10 by the patient. By means of the invention therefore the patient can undergo traction treatment at home or at a doctor's or physiotherapists surgery without the need to involve and use hospital staff and equipment. Furthermore the traction apparatus of the present invention is considerably less expensive to manufacture than the apparatus conventionally used.

[0015] Referring now to Fig. 4 there is shown the traction apparatus 10 of Figs. 1 to 3 modified for cervical traction purposes. In this case an outrigger head support 36 is secured, for example by bolts 37, to the end of the frame 11 remote from the first body support member 18. The head support 36 comprises a head support member 38, on which is a cushion 39, and to which straps 40 are secured for the purpose of the attachment thereto of a head sling (not shown). In use the handwheel 28 is rotated so as to move the second body support member 22 to its extended position away from the first body support member 18 and adjacent the head support member 38. A head sling secured to straps 40, and a chest harness secured to straps 25 are fastened around the patient and a p.t.f.e. sheet is positioned under the patient on the cushion 19 of the first body support member 18. The handwheel 28 is then rotated in the opposite direction to move the second body support member 22 towards the first body support member 18 and away from the head support member 38, thereby pulling the patient's shoulders away from his or her head and applying cervical traction. The patient's lower body can move over the first body support member 18 due to the reduced friction therebetween provided by the p.t.f.e. sheet.

[0016] As previously mentioned the handwheel 28 may be replaced by a ratchet lever if desired, the ratchet mechanism having a positionally adjustable pawl so that the ratchet may operate in either direction as required by the type of traction treatment to be undertaken. To accommodate any misalignment of the attachments of the push rod 30 to the jack spigot 29 and the block 31 a pair of flexible couplings 41 are provided.

[0017] Referring now to Figs. 5 to 7 there is shown a third embodiment of traction apparatus 50 which is generally similar to that of Figs. 1 to 3, and corresponding parts are designated with the same reference numerals. However in this embodiment the screw jack 26 is operated by a flexible drive shaft 51 to which the handwheel 28 is attached. In this case the screw 52 of the screw jack 26 is rotatably mounted on the rib 15 and the jack body 53 is secured to the underside of the second body support member 22. Rotation of the handwheel 28 causes rotation of the flexible drive shaft 51 and consequent movement of the jack body 53 and second body support member 22 towards or away from the first body support member 18. The traction apparatus 50 may be modified to provide for cervical traction in a similar manner to the modification shown in Fig. 4 for the traction apparatus 10.

[0018] Other embodiments of traction apparatus in accordance with the invention will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art. For example, instead of the first body support member 18 being secured to the frame 11, it may be movably mounted thereon in like manner to the second body support member 22. In this case a jack means 26, such as a "scissors jack" may be connected between the two support members 18,22 so as to move both support members by substantially equal amounts relative to the frame 11.

[0019] At present there are two alternative methods of treatment of patients by traction, (1) as an out-patient at a hospital or physiotherapist's clinic, (2) as an in-patient on continuous traction in hospital. The out-patient methods so far available can be administered at best only once a day, whereas the present invention allows the patient to be treated at home with several courses of traction per day.

Claims

1. Traction apparatus comprising a frame, a first body support member mounted on said frame, a second body support member mounted on said frame for movement towards and away from said first body support member,
characterised by
extension means (26) connected to said body support members (18,22) and operable to effect said movement of said second body support member (22) relative to said first body support member (18) and said frame (11).

2. Traction apparatus according to claim 1,
characterised in that
said extension means comprises a jack (26) secured to the underside of said first body support member (18).

3. Traction apparatus according to claim 2,
characterised in that
said first body support member (18) is fixedly mounted on said frame (11).

4. Traction apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, characterised in that
operating means (28) for said extension means (26) is mounted on said frame (11) at one side thereof adjacent said first body support member (18) and said operating means (28) is connected to said jack (26) by means of a gearing (27).

5. Traction apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, characterised in that operating means (28) for said extension means (26) is mounted on said frame (11) at one side thereof adjacent said first body support member (18) and said operating means (28) is connected to said jack (26) by means of a flexible drive shaft (51).

6. Traction apparatus according to any one of claims 1
to 5,
characterised in that,
each of said body support members (18,22) has attached thereto attachment means (20,25) for a body securing harness.

7. Traction apparatus according to any one of claims 1
to 6,
characterised in that
said frame (11) has wheels (21) rotatably mounted therein and said second body support member (22) has tracks (24) secured thereto adapted to receive said wheels (21) for rolling motion relative thereto.

8. Traction apparatus according to claim 2,
characterised in that
pivotally attached to a spigot (29) of said jack (26) is one end of a push rod (30), and the other end of said push rod (30) is secured to the underside of said second body support member (22).

9. Traction apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
charaterised in that an outrigger head support (36) is secured to an end of said frame (11) remote from said first body support member (18), and said head support (36) has attached thereto attachment means (40) for a head sling.

10. Traction apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that,
said first body support member (18) is movably mounted on said frame (11) in like manner to said second body support member (22) and a jack means (26) is connected between said two body support members (18,22) to effect movement thereof by substantially equal amounts relative to said frame (11).

Drawing