1. An apparatus for use by an operator in a cavity of a mammalian body with a scope having a distal face providing a field of view comprising:
a flexible elongate member having a distal extremity adapted for extending into the cavity and a proximal extremity accessible from outside of the mammalian body when the distal extremity is disposed in the cavity,
an expandable prosthesis, means for releasably securing the prosthesis to the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member, wherein the means for releasably securing the stent comprises a colored mesh; and
a visual marker in the form of a colored band extending around the colored mesh; wherein the visual marker is colored with a colorant to enhance visualization and is capable of being seen under direct vision within said cavity using said scope without the need of fluoroscopy; wherein the band is a tubular member, and wherein the color of the band contrasts with the color of the mesh.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for releasably securing includes releasing means operable from the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate member.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for releasably securing includes crocheted material extending along at least a portion of the length of the prosthesis.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the crocheted material includes a thread having a plurality of loops extending around the prosthesis.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the prosthesis is a stent.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the prosthesis has a first length when secured to the flexible elongate member and a second length different from the first length when released from the flexible elongate member.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the visual marker is secured to one of the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member and the prosthesis a distance from one of the first and second ends of the prosthesis equal to the second length to facilitate desired placement of the prosthesis in the cavity.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the prosthesis foreshortens during release from the flexible elongate member, the second length being shorter than the first length so as to reflect such foreshortening.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for releasably securing includes a thread for crocheting the prosthesis to the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member, the thread being secured to the colored band so that upon pulling the thread to release the prosthesis the colored band is pulled off the prosthesis and onto the flexible elongate member.
10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said outer surface of said visual marker comprises silicone.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for releasably securing the prosthesis is of a color that is different than the color of the visual marker.
12. The apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the expandable prosthesis has a length, and wherein the means for releasably securing the prosthesis to the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member extends along substantially the entire length of the prosthesis in a repeating pattern.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the means for releasably securing includes crocheted material extending along at least a portion of the length of the prosthesis.
14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said outer surface of said visual marker comprises silicone.
15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for releasably securing the prosthesis is of a color that is different than the color of the visual marker.
16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
expandable prosthesis has first and second ends.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the expandable prosthesis has first and second ends, the visual marker overlying the prosthesis intermediate the first and second ends.
18. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said outer surface of said visual marker comprises silicone.
19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for releasably securing the prosthesis is of a color that is different than the color of the visual marker.
20. The apparatus of claim 1,
said visual marker overlying the prosthesis intermediate the first and second ends and being capable of being seen by the operator in the field of view secured to one of the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member and the prosthesis for facilitating placement of the prosthesis in the mammalian body.
21. An apparatus for use by an operator in a cavity of a mammalian body with a scope having a distal face providing a field of view comprising:
a flexible elongate member having a distal extremity adapted for extending into the cavity and a proximal extremity accessible from outside of the mammalian body when the distal extremity is disposed in the cavity,
an expandable prosthesis stent having first and second ends, means for releasably securing the prosthesis to the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member and
a visual marker capable of being seen by the operator in the field of view secured to the prosthesis for facilitating placement of the prosthesis in the mammalian body; wherein the visual marker is colored to enhance visualization and permits the placement of the prosthesis without the need of fluoroscopy and is capable of being freed from the prosthesis; wherein the band is a tubular member.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method, comprising:
using an apparatus for controlling the load on articular cartilage forming part of an articular joint connecting a first bone to a second bone of a human or animal joint to treat arthritic conditions affecting the joint, the apparatus comprising:
a first fixation assembly for attachment to the first bone;
a second fixation assembly for attachment to the second bone; and
a link assembly coupled to the first fixation assembly by a first pivot and coupled to the second fixation assembly by a second pivot and configured to permit varying separation of the first and second pivots during use in a manner enabling separation between first and second pivots to increase during angular displacement of the articular joint and span anatomy affected by arthritic conditions but lacking fractures, the first and second fixation assemblies thereby each being angularly displaceable relative to the link assembly;
said apparatus provides reduction of pressure on at least a portion of the joint without substantially resisting an angular displacement associated with relatively full mobility of the first and second bones of the joint to thereby treat arthritic conditions affecting the joint;
attaching the first fixation assembly to the first bone; and
attaching the second fixation assembly to the second bone.
2. The method according to claim 1 in which the first fixation assembly includes at least one pin for engaging with the first bone.
3. The method according to claim 2 in which the first fixation assembly includes a clamp for mounting a plurality of pins each for engaging with the first bone, said plurality of pins being spaced along the length of the first fixation assembly.
4. The method of claim 1 in which the first fixation assembly includes engagement means for engaging at least one bone pin, the engagement means being rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the first fixation assembly.
5. The method of claim 1 in which the first fixation assembly includes engagement means for engaging at least one bone pin, the engagement means being rotatable about a transverse axis of the first fixation assembly.
6. The method of claim 2 in which the first fixation assembly includes engagement means for engaging at least one bone pin, the engagement means being independently rotatable about a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis of the first fixation assembly.
7. The method according to one of claims 1-6 in which the first fixation assembly is coupled to the link assembly by way of a first pivot in a manner selected from the group consisting of those having one and two degrees of rotation freedom.
8. The method according to claim 1 in which the link assembly includes a fixed separation member for maintaining said first and second pivots at a fixed distance of separation.
9. The method according to claim 1 further including means for varying separation of the first fixation assembly and the second fixation assembly as a function of the angular displacement of either fixation assembly relative to the link assembly.
10. The method according to claim 1 further including a drive member coupled to the first fixation assembly and to the second fixation assembly for controllably varying the angular displacement of the first and second fixation assemblies relative to one another.
11. The method according to claim 1 further including a sensor adapted to monitor the load applied across the link assembly.
12. The method according to claim 11 in which the sensor is adapted to monitor any one of the tensile load, compression load, shear forces or bending forces applied across the link assembly.
13. The method according to claim 12 in which the sensor comprises a strain gauge.
14. The method according to claim 1 further including a second corresponding apparatus for coupling thereto by a plurality of bone pins.
15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the link assembly includes a spring.
16. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second pivots have multiple degrees of freedom during use.
17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fixation assemblies, link assembly and pivots are in-line.
18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pivots are non-sliding.
19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second pivots carry load so that the apparatus provides reduction of pressure on the joint.