Orthofix S.r.l.

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

Gianluca Milano

Daniele Venturini

Mikhail L Samchukov

Alexander M Cherkashin

John D Ross, Jr

Karen D Standefer

Andrea Ottoboni

Karen Divita Standefer

The present disclosure relates to external fixation struts and systems utilizing the external fixation struts. The struts include an elongated body comprising a first and a second hollow tubular shaft and include opposite connectors respectively coupled to an end portion of the first or the second shaft and each including a ball and socket joint. One shaft may have an internal diameter that is slightly larger than the external diameter than the other shaft to host internally the other shaft in a slidably and telescopic manner. A clamp element may provide a fast gripping action stopping the telescopic sliding of one shaft inside the other shaft. Each ball and socket joint connector may be structured to allow an angular movement of the corresponding connector with a spherical angle up to at least 90°.

External fixation strut

An external fixation strut includes an elongated body including first and second tubular shafts. Opposite connectors are respectively coupled to one of the shafts and include a ball and socket joint. One shaft has an internal diameter slightly larger than the external diameter of the other to host the other shaft in a slidably and telescopic manner. The shafts of the strut are a synthetic radiolucent plastic material. A clamp element is in proximity of overlapping ends of the shafts for fast gripping action stopping the sliding of one shaft inside the other. A fixation element is manually operated and acts on the clamp element. A sleeve is provided around the central portion of the strut where the shafts overlap. The clamp element is a clamp band around the sleeve and includes opposite and facing gripping portions. The gripping portions are connected by a threaded connector of the fixation element.

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Verona, Italy

Gianluca Milano