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General product and regulatory information only. This page is not medical advice and does not describe how to apply, set up or adjust traction on a person.
Short answer
Bucks traction is the name given to a family of orthopedic traction products. In U.S. regulatory records, devices with “Bucks Traction” in their names are listed under FDA product code KQZ, “Component, Traction, Non-Invasive”, regulated at 21 CFR 888.5890 as Class I devices. The regulation’s key word is noninvasive: the component does not penetrate the skin.
Definition and scope
21 CFR 888.5890 (checked 2026-10-30) defines the category: “A noninvasive traction component is a device, such as a head halter, pelvic belt, or a traction splint, that does not penetrate the skin and is intended to assist in connecting a patient to a traction apparatus so that a therapeutic pulling force may be applied to the patient’s body.”
Three points follow from that wording. The component is a connecting piece, not the whole apparatus. It stays on the outside of the body. And the regulation gives head halters, pelvic belts and traction splints as examples, so the category is wider than any one product. Bucks-named products are one group of records inside it.
What FDA records show about Bucks-named devices
FDA’s 510(k) database holds dated clearance records for devices named “Bucks Traction”. The two FDA record pages for these devices give the product code, the regulation and the classification name, and nothing further about design:
- Universal Bucks Traction (K823163), Warm & Form Orthopedic Materials, decision date 10 November 1982, product code KQZ, regulation 888.5890.
- Tecnol Bucks Traction with Heel Protector (K884132), Technol, Inc., decision date 11 October 1988, product code KQZ, regulation 888.5890, classification name “Component, Traction, Non-Invasive”.
The openFDA 510(k) dataset (checked 2026-10-30) lists 11 records under KQZ in total. A second Universal Bucks Traction record (K823660, 30 December 1982) is among them.
All 11 KQZ clearance records in openFDA
| K number | Device name (as recorded) | Decision date | Applicant (as recorded) |
|---|---|---|---|
| K781754 | Splint, Hoake Inflatable Air | 1978-11-08 | Depuy, Inc. |
| K802869 | Backtrac 90-90 Traction | 1980-12-11 | Backtrac |
| K821252 | Hoffman Universal Foot Support | 1982-06-22 | Howmedica Corp. |
| K823163 | Universal Bucks Traction | 1982-11-10 | Warm & Form, Orthopedic Materials |
| K823660 | Universal Bucks Traction | 1982-12-30 | Warm & Form, Orthopedic Materials |
| K831002 | TPG 1000 | 1983-06-24 | Physical Diagnostics, Inc. |
| K854270 | Murphy Adjustable Splint | 1985-12-09 | Comfortex, Inc. |
| K871296 | T.E.D.(TM) Traction Device | 1987-04-15 | The Kendal Co. |
| K871900 | Over Drape Leg Holder | 1987-06-16 | Avec Scientific Design Corp. |
| K882640 | Tecnol Secure-All Pelvic Traction Belt | 1988-07-27 | Tecnol New Jersey Wound Care, Inc. |
| K884132 | Tecnol Bucks Traction w/ Heel Protector | 1988-10-11 | Technol, Inc. |
Source: openFDA device 510(k) API, filter product_code:KQZ, checked 2026-10-30. The table shows that the product code groups very different items, from a leg holder to a pelvic belt, and that a product code is a regulatory grouping rather than a description of one design.
Related terms
Searches around Bucks traction include ankle traction, foot traction, skin traction, traction pulley, traction cord, traction frame and Balkan frame. The regulation text and the FDA records cited on this page do not use or define those terms, so this page does not describe their parts or use. The regulatory frame is what the sources establish: any of these items sold as a noninvasive connector for a traction apparatus falls within the wording of 888.5890.
Noninvasive traction component versus traction splint
The regulation names the traction splint as one example of a noninvasive traction component, alongside head halters and pelvic belts. For that product, see the CASRAI guide What Is a Traction Splint?. A general introduction to splints is in What Is a Splint?.
What “noninvasive” excludes
Under the regulation’s wording, a device that penetrates the skin is outside this category. The sources cited on this page do not discuss skeletal traction, so no description of it is given.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
A supply or equipment record for a Bucks-type product can be checked against the regulatory identifiers FDA publishes for this category. The following items are stated by FDA sources:
- Product code: KQZ (“Component, Traction, Non-Invasive”), review panel and specialty: Orthopedic (openFDA classification database, checked 2026-10-30).
- Regulation number: 21 CFR 888.5890.
- Device class: Class I (general controls).
- Premarket notification: exempt from 510(k) procedures in subpart E of part 807, subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 888.9.
- Quality system: exempt from the quality management system regulation (part 820) except for records and complaint files under 21 CFR 820.35.
The regulation was issued at 52 FR 33702 (4 September 1987) and its history in the Code of Federal Regulations includes an amendment at 90 FR 55993 (4 December 2025). Anyone relying on an older summary should read the current text of 888.5890.
For background on how FDA sorts devices into classes, see Medical Device Amendments of 1976. For the clinical field these products belong to, see What Is Orthopedics?.
Common misunderstandings
“Class I exempt means unregulated”
The regulation says Class I devices in this category are subject to general controls. The exemptions are specific: from 510(k) notification (within the limits of 888.9) and from most of the quality management system regulation, with records and complaint files under 820.35 retained.
“The 1980s clearances describe today’s products”
The Bucks-named FDA records cited on this page date from 1982 and 1988. The FDA pages give a name, applicant, date, code and regulation, not a product specification. They show how the category was recorded, not what any current product contains.
“Bucks traction is the same as a traction splint”
They are separate names. The regulation lists the traction splint as one example within the broader noninvasive traction component category, and the KQZ records carry many different device names (see the table above).
Frequently asked questions
What is Bucks traction in FDA terms?
FDA records list devices named “Bucks Traction” under product code KQZ, “Component, Traction, Non-Invasive”, regulated at 21 CFR 888.5890.
What FDA class is it?
Class I (general controls), according to 21 CFR 888.5890.
Does it need 510(k) clearance?
The regulation exempts the category from premarket notification procedures, subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 888.9. The Bucks-named records on this page are 1982 and 1988 clearances.
Is Bucks traction the same as a traction splint?
No. The regulation names the traction splint as one example within the wider noninvasive traction component category.
Are ankle traction, foot traction, skin traction or a Balkan frame defined in the regulation?
No. The regulation and FDA records cited here do not use those terms, so this page does not define them.
Sources
All sources below were checked on 2026-10-30.
- 21 CFR 888.5890, Noninvasive traction component: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/888.5890
- FDA 510(k) record K884132, Tecnol Bucks Traction w/ Heel Protector: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K884132
- FDA 510(k) record K823163, Universal Bucks Traction: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfPMN/pmn.cfm?ID=K823163
- openFDA device 510(k) API, product code KQZ: https://open.fda.gov/apis/device/ (openFDA states its data are unvalidated and not for medical decisions).
