Other

John M. Agee

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

John M. Agee and Karen K. Agee, Trustees of the John M. Agee Trust

John M. Agee, Trustee of the John M. Agee Trust of August 15, 1996

John M. Agee Trustee of the John M. Agee Trust

Francis C King

John M Agee

Jeffrey Woodhouse

Ben C Goss

William A Mittelstadt

Thomas A Turgeon

Lawrence A Flor

Kimberly A Romanko

Michael Swanstrom

An apparatus and method for identifying the flexor retinaculum of the carpal tunnel, injecting an effective amount of an agent into at least a portion of flexor retinaculum or tissue adjacent thereto, wherein the agent is configured to weaken the flexor retinaculum. The system may further include means for increasing the tensile stress in the flexor retinaculum post-injection using hand exercises, thereby weakening its structural integrity and decreasing the pressure within the carpal tunnel that impairs median nerve function.

Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome by injection of the flexor retinaculum

An apparatus for treating a fracture of the distal radius of a patient, having a pivot pin configured to engage the radius at an attachment point distal to the fracture, and a handle assembly configured to engage the pivot pin dorsal to the patient's hand is presented. The pivot pin is configured to insert through and fixedly engage at least a portion of the distal fracture bone fragment associated with the radius. The handle assembly, once coupled to the pivot pin, provides adjustment of the position of the distal fracture bone fragment.

Method and apparatus for fracture reduction during internal fixation of distal radius fractures

Systems, device and methods are described for maintaining concentric reduction of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint of a finger with few as two orthopedic pins, one inserted through the head of the proximal phalanx concentric with the axis of rotation of the joint (i.e., a transverse pin), and the other through the middle phalanx at a location between the PIP and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint (a dorsal pin), and applying a force between the two pins. A surgical kit is described which may include such components as a dorsal pin, a transverse pin, a pin placement guide for use in reducing the joint fracture dislocation and then drilling holes for the pins or for inserting self-drilling pins, and a fixation device for coupling and applying a force between the dorsal and transverse pins. The components of the surgical kit are described, including various configurations of the fixation device.

Systems, devices and methods for treating acute dorsal fracture dislocations of the PIP joint

Bone fragments resulting from a Colles' fracture of the distal radius bone are set in position by an external fixator that includes mounting structures attachable to the radius at a site proximal to the fracture and to a metacarpal, joined by a connector whose length is capable of both gross adjustment and precision adjustment, each mounting structure providing degrees of freedom independently of the connector length, the mounting structure at the radius end providing independent degrees of freedom for rotation around a proximal-distal axis and for rotation about an axis transverse to an axis parallel to the proximal-distal axis.

External fixator for Colles' fracture

A joint of a human upper extremity is biased by an apparatus that includes a U-shaped frame, a distal attachment portion mounted to the frame through a biasing member and attachable to the extremity at a location distal to the joint, and a wrist brace or proximal attachment portion that attaches to the extremity at a location proximal to the joint, the frame being rotatable relative to both the distal attachment portion and the wrist brace. Up to four distal attachment portions can be attached to the same U-shaped frame to bias joints on each of four distinct extremities, such as four fingers on the same hand.

Method and apparatus for increasing the range of motion of one or more contracted joints through external forces independently transmitted to the skeleton

A wrist brace provides a mounting point, a means to hold the hand in position relative to the apparatus, and spreads the force evenly over a large area. Positioned over the dorsal surface of the brace is a 'U' shaped transverse member that is attached to the wrist brace through two swivel joints on the ulnar and radial sides of the brace. The pivot means are positioned such that a straight line drawn between them generally passes through the axes of rotation of the metacarpal phalangeal (MP) joints. Positioned dorsally above the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint are two members, one of which has an arc shaped tail for its dorsal surface. The other is a slider block which engages and slides around this first arc member. The arc member is mounted to the middle phalanx of the subject finger in such a way that the projected center of the arc would be coincident with the axis of rotation of the PIP Joint. Two `K` wires, fixation pins or screws are drilled through the dorsal cortex of the surface of the middle phalanx and extend into the palmar cortex. An adjustment means is provided to facilitate positioning the center of the arc coincident with the axis of rotation of the PIP joint. A linkage connects the slider block to the 'U' shaped transverse member. The proximal end of this linkage is attached to the 'U' shaped transverse member through another swivel joint. The distal end is attached to the slider block through a pin axis joint. This linkage allows the finger to deviate in the radial and ulnar direction and to rotate through its normal range of motion during finger extension and flexion. An adjustment means is added to the length of this linkage to permit the apparatus to accommodate different hand sizes.

Method and apparatus for increasing the range of motion of fingers

Apparatus and method are described for selective cutting of the transverse carpal ligament of a patient. The instrument includes spaced-apart teeth which are supported on a first arm and a press member which is carried by a second arm. The teeth are prevented from contacting tissue when the first arm is inserted into, or retracted from, the carpal tunnel. After insertion of the first arm into the carpal tunnel, the teeth are exposed to the transverse carpal ligament and the first and second arms are moved towards each other to force the teeth into the transverse carpal ligament to perforate the ligament and enable it to elongate.

Instrument for mesh cutting of the flexor retinaculum

Surgical instruments are disclosed for manipulating selected tissue in a body cavity under visual inspection. The preferred instrument includes a probe in which a blade is positioned, wherein the probe includes a lateral aperture near its distal end. The blade can be extended outwardly from the probe along a path which is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the probe. After the blade has been extended it can be used to effectively divide tissue. An optical system can be received in the probe for viewing through the lateral aperture in the probe.

Surgical instrument

Disclosed is an improved surgical method for inspecting and manipulating selected tissue in a body cavity, while minimizing the risk of injury to surrounding tissue, and a surgical instrument therefor.

Surgical method and instrument therefor

Instrumentation is described for facilitating implantation of prosthetic devices in metacarpal bones, for example. Various embodiments are disclosed which include (a) means for determining the proper orientation of the prosthetic devices, and (b) means for defining the angle and location at which each metacarpal bone is cut in order to receive the prosthetic device.

Growing community of inventors

Sacramento, CA, United States of America

Francis C King