Point and click alignment method for orthopedic surgeons, and surgical and clinical accessories and devices
The invention is a point and click method for positioning an external fixator on a patient, in which a surgeon—using a computer mouse or similar device—inscribes lines or points on a computer screen displaying an x-ray or other photographic image of the bones of a patient together with two rings in position adjacent the bones. By inscribing lines on the computer screen, the underlying drawings program detects the x-y coordinates of any point on the screen when the user (the surgeon or other practitioner) clicks on it, and outputs the x-y coordinates of every point identified by the user including the two points defining any desired line. The practitioner thus can, using “point and click” operation, govern the repositioning of two fixator rings on the bones of a patient.
1. A method for adjusting the relative placement of two external fixator platforms each supporting a different bone fragment, comprising:
placing on at least one external fixator platform three separable position markers and supporting each position marker at different positions spaced apart along said at least one external platform, wherein the at least one external fixator platform is a ring, wherein one of the position markers falls on a different diameter of the ring than the other two position markers;
using a computer and extracting data from at least two x-rays or other orthopedically significant images of said at least one external fixator platform;
creating with the computer a representation of the x-rays or images on a computer screen;
calculating with the computer an adjustment to the relative placement of the at least one external fixator platform, and
displaying on said computer screen data pertaining to the adjustment.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said three position markers are ball shaped.
3. The method according to claim 2 wherein each of said ball shaped position markers includes a ball-shape at an end of a shaft wherein said shaft is affixed within at least one strut associated with said ring.
4. The method of claim 2 which further comprises extending said position markers perpendicularly to a surface of said at least one fixator platform.
5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said creating includes a Cartesian representation of two external fixator platforms.
6. The method of claim 1 which further comprises inscribing lines on said computer screen to align one or more position markers.
7. The method according to claim 6 wherein said inscribing is conducted with a mouse.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein a line inscribed between two of the position markers defines the slope of the platform.
9. The method of claim 1 which further comprises spacing said position markers equidistantly along a surface of said at least one fixator platform.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one external fixator platform is located proximally and which further comprises placing said position markers on the proximal side of said at least one external fixator platform.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one external fixator platform is located distally and which further comprises placing said position markers on the distal side of said at least one external fixator platform.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein two of the position markers fall on the same diameter of the ring.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein said external fixator platforms are part of a Stewart Platform, and which further comprises connecting one external fixator platform to the other external fixator platform with three pairs of adjustable length struts.
14. The method according to claim 13 wherein said struts are fitted with one or more motors for relative adjustment as governed by said computer and further wherein said struts contain means for analog or digital readout of their lengths.