WO2007142504A1 - Instrument for measuring scoliosis in humans - Google Patents

Abstract

Scoliosis is a health problem in humans. Attempts have been made to correct the disorder using existing resources since the time of Hippocrates, and with the advent of X-rays knowledge about it improved. There are, in the world, programmes for early detection of scoliosis and these have demonstrated the benefit of early detection, for example a reduction in the magnitude of the lateral curves when detected, which requires less significant - surgical or non-surgical - treatment. This novel instrument for measuring scoliosis in humans consists of the integration of three commonly used instruments, i.e. a goniometer, a plumb bob and a spirit level in a transparent case with lid and base, which may easily be placed on the shoulders of a person for assessing the latter, using malleable aluminium rods, which facilitates assessment of people and can therefore be used on an individual or mass basis.

Description

 "INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING SCHOLIOSIS IN HUMANS"

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Scoliosis is defined as the deviation and rotation towards one side of a series of vertebrae in the coronal plane. Scoliosis is usually recognized in adolescence, currently the tendency of the management of scoliosis is towards the prevention of progress, through the early detection of deformity, so that many researchers, learned in the field, have instituted school review programs. Given the lack of knowledge about the etiology of idiopathic scoliosis, it has been shown that early recognition of the curves by trained school personnel has been highly satisfactory, since this, in the long run, would reduce costs, by decreasing the number of surgeries that would be required for a later recognition, since before the curve measures 50 degrees, the treatment can only be performed with external support based on a corset. (This is a type of external support).

There are 4 the most important basic criteria in the detection and early treatment of scoliotic disease in school research:

1) The diagnostic test used must be highly sensitive, 2) The disease can cause substantial morbidity and mortality, 3) The detection and treatment can eliminate the disease and prevent its progression 4) Ia

Incidence of the disease can be high enough to need to use enough human, economic and time resources. The progression of a curve depends on its magnitude and the skeletal maturity of the patient at the time of identification.

In physical examination, there are valuable auxiliaries for daily and common use in some occupations, as one of them would be the plumb line attached to a rope, where the proximal end of the rope is maintained on the prominent spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra and obtained vertical line of the inter gluteal fold to the plumb line, measured in millimeters and express with a deviation to the right or left. An air drop-based leveler is also used separately, to measure the inclination qualitatively to the left or to the right of its natural position that would be the center of the glass tube, which has thick liquid that does not allow Bubbles are made and it conserves the drop of air that is compressed and also indicates if there is any discrepancy in the shoulder height. A goniometer being the instrument used to measure angles and quantifies the degrees of deviation from the vertical. In clinical practice it is required to have at hand all the elements that are useful in the evaluation of patients with deformities of the spine, including the radiographs in which the grades can be appreciated and quantified using the goniometer through the test of Cobb This type of clinical review procedures is performed regularly at school level and in developed countries that have the infrastructure and economic resources.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The characteristic details of the present instrument to study the scoliosis in humans, are described below, based on the accompanying figures taken by way of example and should not be considered as limiting the present invention.

Brief description of the figures:

Figure 1 is a front view of the instrument for studying scoliosis in humans. Figure 2 is a front view of the instrument of the present invention where the manner of how the aluminum rods are lowered is appreciated. Figure 3 is a left side view of the instrument in question, where the way of folding the rod when it is to be used is appreciated. Figure 4 is a left side view of the instrument where the way of actuating the plumb line is appreciated. Figure 5 is a front view of the instrument in operation.

With reference to said figures, the instrument to study scoliosis in humans is formed by a transparent rectangular box (1); Ia which in turn is constituted of a base (7) and a cover (6); in the lower part of the base (7) of the box (1) there is a bubble leveler (3), where its drop of air can be observed, which may or may not deviate to the left or to the right; In addition, a goniometer (5) is located in the upper part of the base (7) of the case (1), to measure in degrees the deviation of the needle if it deviates or not to the right or left; a plumb line (2), is placed in the lower central part of the lid (6) of said box (1), by means of a cord, to indicate the position between the perpendicular line that gives the plumb line and the vertical one that must have The spine of a person; at both ends of said base (7), a rod (4) of malleable material is embedded, such as flexible aluminum, which serves to become a hook (see figure 3 and figure 4) to position itself on the shoulders of the subject to be studied .

The instrument is easy to place because the aluminum rods (4) thereof have a hook shape according to the anatomy of the shoulders while the subject being evaluated can be used in any type of person, age, size; The only requirement is that you stand.

Said application also includes a method to study scoliosis in humans, characterized by the following stages:

a) .- Observation and exploration of the back of the subject's body, for which the patient must be standing and with the bare back. The height of the shoulders is checked, which must be at the same height in the horizontal plane, the separation of the upper extremities relaxed, totally loose, is evaluated with respect to the trunk to see if there is or does not differ from the separation of the same regarding the trunk. b.- Location of the spinous processes. This activity is done by palpating the spinous processes, which are located by placing two fingertips of two fingers and are marked with an ink dot, so that we can observe their arrangement.

c) Location of the intergluteal fold, this is always visible, to which an equal mark is made as is done in the spinous processes; This is done so that the reference points are more visible (spinous process and the intergluteo fold).

d) .- Place the instrument horizontally to measure scoliosis in humans, already described above on the patient's shoulders, (figure 5) and proceed to the reading of the data that will give us the goniometer (5), the leveler air drop (3), and the plumb line (2). The 3 measuring elements that make up the scoliometer are taken and recorded on its review sheet (to see if there is or not a deviation from the needle of the goniometer (5), whether or not there is a deviation from the drop of the leveler (3 ), to see whether or not there is deviation from the plumb line (2)).

e) .- Data collection:

- The goniometer gives us the readings in degree on its cover, either to the right or to the left.

- The leveling air drop will indicate the deviation or not to the left or to the right or centered if normal. Or where it moves.

- The plummet when falling vertically from its location shows us if the spine of the patient, previously marked at its reference points (spinous process and the inter gluteal fold) indicates whether or not there is deviation from the line of the plummet with respect to The marks made. The separation of the plumb line is measured in millimeters at the level of the inter gluteal signal mark.

Claims

1 Instrument for measuring scoliosis in humans characterized in that it consists of a transparent rectangular box, which in turn is constituted of a base and a lid; in the upper part of the box there is a bubble leveler, where its drop of air can be observed; a goniometer is located in the upper part of the base of the box which is graduated, to measure the deviation of the needle; a plumb line is placed in the lower part of the lid of said box, by means of a cord, to indicate the position between the vertical line of the plumb line and the vertical of the spine of a person, at both ends of said base It embeds a rod of malleable material, such as flexible aluminum, which serves to become a hook and position itself on the shoulders of the individual to study. 2 A method to measure scoliosis in humans characterized by the following stages: a) .- Observation and exploration of the back of the subject's body, for which the patient must be standing and with the bare back. The height of the shoulders is checked, which must be at the same height in the horizontal plane, the separation of the upper extremities relaxed, totally loose, is evaluated with respect to the trunk to see if there is or does not differ from the separation of the same regarding the trunk. b.- Location of the spinous processes. This activity is done by palpating the spinous processes, which are located by placing two fingertips of two fingers and are marked with an ink dot, so that we can observe their arrangement. c) Location of the inter gluteal fold, this is always visible, to which an equal mark is made as is done in the spinous processes; this is done so that the reference points are more visible (spinous process and the inter gluteal fold). d) .- Place the instrument horizontally to measure scoliosis in humans, already described above on the patient's shoulders, (figure 5) and proceed to the reading of the data that will give us the goniometer (5), the leveler air drop (3), and the plumb line (2). The 3 measuring elements that make up the scoliometer are taken and recorded on its review sheet (to see if there is or not a deviation from the needle of the goniometer (5), whether or not there is a deviation from the drop of the leveler (3 ), to see whether or not there is deviation from the plumb line (2)). e) .- Data collection: - The goniometer gives us the readings in degree on its cover, either to the right or to the left. - The leveling air drop will indicate the deviation or not to the left or to the right or centered if normal. Or where it moves. - The plummet when falling vertically from its location shows us if the spine of the patient, previously marked at its reference points (spinous process and the inter gluteal fold) indicates whether or not there is deviation from the line of the plummet with respect to The marks made. The separation of the plumb line is measured in millimeters at the level of the inter gluteal signal mark.