Bone structural device
A bone structural device including a plurality of bone structural segments ( 40 ), wherein adjacent bone structural segments ( 40 ) are pivotally connected to one another about a pivot axis, and the bone structural segments ( 40 ) are expandable in height, which is in a direction generally parallel to the pivot axis.
1. A bone structural device comprising:
a plurality of bone structural segments, each of said bone structural segments comprising a pair of parallel support plates, wherein adjacent bone structural segments are pivotally connected to one another about a pivot axis, and wherein said bone structural segments are expandable in height, which is in a direction generally parallel to said pivot axis, and wherein said bone structural segments are expandable by an intermediate jacking mechanism that comprises at least one set of hinged flaps which are raised and lowered by a flexible screw drive connected to said hinged flaps.
2. The bone structural device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said hinged flaps comprises an upper flap pivotally connected to a lower flap at a pivot, said upper flap comprising an upper abutting end opposite to said pivot that abuts against an upper one of said support plates and said lower flap comprising a lower abutting end opposite to said pivot that abuts against a lower one of said support plates.
3. The bone structural device according to claim 2 , wherein said at least one set of hinged flaps comprises two sets of said hinged flaps, and the upper and lower abutting ends of one set of said hinged flaps faces the upper and lower abutting ends of the other set of said hinged flaps.
4. The bone structural device according to claim 2 , wherein said flexible screw drive passes through said pivots.
5. The bone structural device according to claim 1 , wherein said bone structural segments are linked to each other by one or more hinges.