Spinal traction device and method
View Patent ↗A spinal traction device, mountable on a head of a wearer for the application of a traction force, includes a front piece arrangeable in front of the face of the wearer. Top and bottom fasteners may extend from the front piece and secure to a top and a bottom of the head, respectively. A rear portion of the bottom fastener may be arranged below the occiput of the head. First and second elongate members may extend from opposite sides of the bottom fastener in a generally axial direction relative to the wearer's spine. An axial, traction force may be applied by the rear portion of the bottom fastener on the occiput by exerting an axial pulling force on the first and second elongate members, allowing a spine traction to be performed with the spine in a neutral position and the head and neck in various positions.
1 . A spinal traction device, mountable on a head of a wearer and configured to exert a traction on the head of the wearer, comprising:
a rigid front piece, comprising a face mask and first and second guide bushings rigidly connected to the face mask and arranged at opposite, left and right sides of the face mask, respectively;
a fastener assembly, comprising rigid, first and second tubes and a flexible harness, wherein the first and second tubes are slidably mounted within the first and second guide bushings, respectively, and the harness is attachable to the first and second tubes and extendable around a back of the head and is size-adjustable to the head; and
first and second connecting members carried by the fastener assembly; wherein
the spinal traction device is configured to adopt a working configuration in which:
the face mask is positioned in front of a face of the wearer, and the first and second tubes are slidable relative to the first and second guide bushings along a sliding direction which is parallel to an axial direction of a spine of the wearer,
the harness is attached to and extends from the first and second tubes and is wrapped around the back of the head of the wearer such that a rear portion of the fastener assembly is arranged adjacent to an inwardly-directed surface of an occiput of the head and is aligned with the inwardly-directed surface in the axial direction,
the first and second connecting members are arranged at opposite sides of the spinal traction device arranged, in turn, at opposite left and right sides of the head, respectively, and
a traction force applied on the first and second connecting members, the traction force having an axial component, is transferred by the fastener assembly to said rear portion of the fastener assembly and a resulting traction force having an axial component is applied to said inwardly-directed surface of the occiput of the head by said rear portion of the fastener assembly abutting against the inwardly-directed surface of the occiput.
2 . The spinal traction device of claim 1 , wherein the face mask comprises at least one of a left eye opening configured to align with a left eye of the wearer, a right eye opening configured to align with a right eye of the wearer, a nose opening configured to align with a nose of the wearer, and a mouth opening configured to align with a mouth of the wearer when the spinal traction device is arranged in the working configuration.
3 . The spinal traction device of claim 2 , wherein the face mask comprises all of said left eye, right eye, nose, and mouth openings, wherein the left eye, right eye, nose, and mouth openings are communicated with one another forming a single opening, the face mask further comprising a top portion configured to align with a forehead of the wearer, left and right temple portions configured to align with left and right temples of the wearer, respectively, left and right cheek portions configured to align with left and right cheeks of the wearer, respectively, and a bottom portion configured to align with a chin of the wearer, wherein the top, left temple, right temple, left cheek, right cheek and bottom portions extend continuously from one another and fully encircle said single opening.
4 . The spinal traction device of claim 1 , wherein the face mask is formed in accordance with the wearer's face.
5 . The spinal traction device of claim 1 , wherein the fastener assembly further comprises a rigid, connecting bar extending transversely between and rigidly interconnecting the first and second tubes.
6 . The spinal traction device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second connecting members are carried by the first and second tubes, respectively.
7 . The spinal traction device of claim 6 , wherein the first and second connecting members are provided at axial ends of the first and second tubes, respectively.
8 . The spinal traction device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible harness comprises top and bottom left side straps attachable to opposite, top and bottom ends of the first tube, respectively, and top and bottom right side straps attachable to opposite, top and bottom ends of the second tube, respectively.
9 . The spinal traction device of claim 1 , wherein the front piece comprises first and second side flanges comprising a respective cushioned inner side, wherein, in the working configuration, the respective cushioned inner sides face left and right sides of the head of the wearer and the first and second side flanges maintain the first and second guide bushings of the front piece in spaced-apart relationship with the left and right sides of the head of the wearer.
10 . The spinal traction device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second connecting members are pivotably attached to the fastener assembly.
11 . The spinal traction device of claim 10 , wherein each one of the first and second connecting members is pivotable relative to the fastener assembly about a respective rotation axis, the rotation axes arranged in a transverse direction perpendicular to the axial direction.
12 . The spinal traction device of claim 1 , wherein each one of the first and second connecting members comprises a respective ring.
13 . The spinal traction device of claim 12 , wherein the respective rings of the first and second connecting members are pivotably attached to the fastener assembly.