Surgical Cable Tensioner

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, an instrument for tensioning a surgical cable is provided that includes a rotary tensioner that is rotatable in a tensioning rotary direction to apply tension to the surgical cable. The instrument further includes a body supporting the rotary tensioner, a pawl portion of the body configured to be received at least partially in a recess of a ratchet gear of the rotary tensioner, and a living hinge portion of the body supporting the pawl portion. The living hinge portion is configured to permit the pawl portion to be shifted out of the recess and shifted into an adjacent recess of the ratchet gear with turning of the rotary tensioner in the tensioning rotary direction

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An instrument for tensioning a surgical cable, the instrument comprising:
 a support;   a rotary tensioner rotatably mounted to the support, the rotary tensioner rotatable in a tensioning rotary direction to apply tension to a surgical cable during a surgical cable tensioning operation;   an annular arrangement of recesses of the rotary tensioner;   a pawl configured to be received at least partially in one of the recesses of the rotary tensioner;   an arcuate arm extending around the recesses of the rotary tensioner and connecting the pawl to the support, the arcuate arm being configured to urge the pawl radially inward toward the one recess;   the pawl and the rotary tensioner having confronting surfaces that engage and place the elongate arm in tension after the surgical cable tensioning operation so that the elongate arm resists turning of the rotary tensioner in a release rotary direction opposite the tensioning rotary direction.   
     
     
         2 . The instrument of  claim 1  further comprising a second pawl configured to be received in one of the recesses of the rotary tensioner and a second arcuate arm connecting the second pawl to the support. 
     
     
         3 . The instrument of  claim 2  wherein the elongate arms are circumferentially aligned around the recesses of the rotary tensioner. 
     
     
         4 . The instrument of  claim 1  wherein the rotary tensioner includes a drum portion having a through opening sized to receive a portion of the surgical cable therein. 
     
     
         5 . The instrument of  claim 4  wherein the rotary tensioner includes a handle connected to the drum portion. 
     
     
         6 . The instrument of  claim 5  wherein the rotary tensioner has a one-piece construction. 
     
     
         7 . The instrument of  claim 6  wherein the support, arcuate arm, and pawl all have a one-piece construction. 
     
     
         8 . The instrument of  claim 1  wherein the rotary tensioner includes a body having the recesses and a first flange, the rotary tensioner further including a cap having a second flange; and
 wherein the body and cap include a plug portion and a socket portion that are engaged and join the body and cap together and capture a portion of the support between the first and second flanges of body and cap which secures the rotary tensioner to the support. 
 
     
     
         9 . The instrument of  claim 1  wherein the pawl includes a raised, U-shaped projection for gripping with a tool to disengage the pawl from one of the recesses of the rotary tensioner. 
     
     
         10 . The instrument of  claim 1  wherein the rotary tensioner includes a cable-receiving passage and the support includes a support passage; and
 a tube pivotally connected to the support and having a tube passage in communication with the support passage to permit a surgical cable to be advanced through the tube passage, the support passage of the support, and the cable-receiving passage of the rotary tensioner. 
 
     
     
         11 . The instrument of  claim 1  wherein the rotary tensioner includes teeth that define the recesses therebetween wherein each of the teeth include a ramp surface operable to shift the pawl radially outward with turning of the rotary tensioner in the tensioning rotary direction during the surgical cable tensioning operation. 
     
     
         12 . The instrument of  claim 1  wherein the support, arcuate arm, and pawl all have a one-piece construction.