Design of an Adjustable Lower Limb (ALL) Traction Device

by Open Science Repository Engineering
(December 2013)

Abstract

In orthopedic medicine, traction is a device for straightening broken bones or relieving pressure on the spine and the skeletal system to regain normal length and alignment by application of a pulling force. In Ghana the traction device are imported and some are locally manufactured. Some problems were identified to be associated with these traction devices. These problems were addressed in the work presented in this paper by designing an adjustable traction device for the lower limbs. The device consists of two parts, the thigh and lower leg supports. The fractured or the affected leg is made to rest on the device with the thigh and the lower leg resting on their supports. The leg is then adjusted correctly and comfortably, the thigh support would then be pulled upward towards the lower leg support through an angle of about 30o. The lockers are tightened to maintain the current adjustments. Once the device is set up, the orthopedic nurse would tie the weight attached to the end of the rope to the pin inserted in the affected bone according to the instructions given by the physician. The patient would then be monitored until the fracture heals or the dislocation aligns. This device can be used with a chair or a hospital bed compared to existing locally made ones that can only be used with a hospital bed. Though limited only to the lower limbs it is simple and easy to move compared to the cumbersome, bulky imported types.

Keywords: traction, orthopedic, muscle, limbs, musculoskeletal.

Full text

Design of an Adjustable Lower Limb (ALL) Traction Device