Appendage restraint and positioner

Abstract

An apparatus for positioning and restraining a patient's appendage in a desired attitude during surgery includes a tray movable along a rail on the operating table. The tray extends over the patient receiving surface of the operating table and has a fastener on the upper surface which cooperates with a fastener on a wrap enclosing the patient's appendage. By adjusting the brackets along the length of the operating table rail, the patient's appendage will be flexed to a position desired by the surgeon. Locking the brackets in place retains the desired flex during the procedure. The frame of the apparatus is reusable through sterilization and the tray is provided in a sterilized condition and disposable after surgery.

1 . A method of orthopedic surgery comprising the steps of 
 a) providing a surgical table having a patient receiving surface and a side rail extending along a long side of said table,    b) providing an adjustable bracket adapted to slidably mount on said rail, said bracket having a clamp for temporarily securing said bracket at a desired location along said rail, a support extending upwardly from said bracket toward said patient receiving surface,    c) slidably connecting said bracket to said rail,    d) providing a tray having a restraining surface and a frame supporting said tray,    e) connecting said frame to said support,    f) providing a wrap for enclosing a portion of an appendage of a patient, said wrap having a fastener on one surface, said fastener cooperating with said restraining surface to fix said restraining surface and said wrap together,    g) placing a patient on said patient receiving surface of said table,    h) covering a portion of an appendage of the patient with said wrap,    i) adjusting the position of said appendage to place a joint in the desired surgical position and    j) fixing said fastener of said wrap and said restraining surface together, and    
   
   
       2 . A method of orthopedic surgery of  claim 1  comprising the steps of 
 a) providing said frame with a first arm and a second arm, said first and second arms being parallel with said patient receiving surface and spaced apart along said rail,    b) providing said tray with a first connector at one end and a second connector at the other end,    c) mounting said tray on said frame by attaching said first arm to said first connector and said second arm to said second connector whereby said tray is supported between said first and second arms over said patient receiving surface.    
   
   
       3 . A method of orthopedic surgery of  claim 1  comprising the steps of 
 a) providing said restraining surface with a first releasable adjustable fastening means for fixing a patient's appendage to said restraining surface,    b) providing said wrap with a second cooperating releasable adjustable fastening means for fixing said wrap to said restraining surface, and    c) joining said first fastening means with said second cooperating fastening means to fix said patient's appendage to said restraining surface.    
   
   
       4 . A method of orthopedic surgery of  claim 3  comprising the steps of 
 a) providing said first releasable fastening means with a flexible material having a series of loops,    b) providing said second cooperating fastening means with a flexible material having a series of hooks, and    c) placing said loops in contact with said hooks to engage said loops and said hooks for fixing said first fastening means and said second cooperating fastening means together.    
   
   
       5 . A method of orthopedic surgery of  claim 4  comprising the steps of 
 a) providing said frame with a first arm and a second arm, said first and second arms being parallel with said patient receiving surface and spaced apart along said rail,    b) providing said tray with a first connector at one end and a second connector at the other end,    c) mounting said tray on said frame by attaching said first arm to said first connector and said second arm to said second connector,    d) providing said restraining surface with a flexible material, said flexible material having a first tunnel hem at one end and a second tunnel hem at said other end, and    e) sliding said first and second arms in said first and second tunnel hems, respectively whereby said tray is supported between said first and second arms over said patient receiving surface.    
   
   
       6 . A method of orthopedic surgery of  claim 4  comprising the steps of 
 a) providing an adjustment means on said frame between said first arm and said second arm for changing the space between said first arm and said second arm to accommodate said first connector and said second connector,    b) adjusting said first arm and said second arm to engage said first tunnel hem and said second tunnel hem, respectively, and    c) sliding said first arm in said first tunnel hem and said second arm in said second tunnel hem.    
   
   
       7 . A method of orthopedic surgery of  claim 1  comprising the steps of 
 a) providing said bracket, said clamp, said support, said frame and said restraining surface as an integral disposable component,    b) providing said wrap with an integral fastener, said wrap being disposable,    b) performing a surgical procedure on said patient's appendage,    c) removing said patient, and    d) disposing of said integral wrap and said integral bracket, said clamp, said support, said frame and said restraining surface.    
   
   
       8 . An apparatus for positioning and holding a patient's appendage in place on an operating table during a surgical operation comprising the combination of an operating table accessory and a patient wrap, 
 said accessory including a bracket adapted to slidably engage said operating table for adjustment longitudinally along said table, a clamp on said bracket for securing said bracket in a preselected longitudinal position, a support mounted on said bracket and adapted to extend from said bracket toward the operating surface of said operating table, a tray secured to said support and adapted to extend over the operating surface of said operating table, a restraining surface on said tray,    said wrap including a covering for an appendage of a patient, a fastener on said covering, said fastener adapted to cooperate with said restraining surface to fix said wrap and said restraining surface together    whereby the appendage is fixed to said restraining surface by said wrap and the location of said appendage is adjustable by sliding said bracket along the operating table.    
   
   
       9 . An apparatus of  claim 8  comprising said tray having a self supporting planar substrate and said restraining surface is attached to one surface of said planar substrate.  
   
   
       10 . An apparatus of  claim 8  comprising said restraining and said fastener formed of cooperating separable components of Velcro.  
   
   
       11 . An apparatus of  claim 8  comprising said tray formed of a flexible material having a first tunnel hem at one end and a second tunnel hem at the other end, said frame having a first arm and a second arm, said first arm and said second arm inserted in said first tunnel hem and said second tunnel hem, respectively.  
   
   
       12 . An apparatus of  claim 11  comprising an adjustment means on said frame for changing the distance between said first arm and said second arm.