Sacroiliac belt and composite structure

Abstract

A sacroiliac belt with a non-elastic inner belt to wrap around the user's hips and an elastic outer belt to wrap from the back to opposite sides of the inner belt. Non-cinchable hook and loop fastener construction is used to secure the inner and outer belts in position. The inner belt includes an inside urethane foam layer with open-cell frictional gripping surface, a non-elastic outside layer of loop material, and a hook tab for engaging the loop material to close the belt. The inner belt may be established with a non-elastic composite foam-fabric structure comprising a bi-laminate of the foam and elastic fabric, and a strip of loop material secured lengthwise onto the fabric side of the bi-laminate. The outer belt includes an elastic strip and hook tabs for connecting to the strip of loop material. The non-elastic composite foam-fabric may be used in other orthopedic braces and supports.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] None. INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC [0002] Not Applicable. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0003] Not Applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] 1. Field of Invention [0005] The present invention relates to a sacroiliac belt having a lengthwise non-elastic inner belt for snugly encircling the user's hips and a lengthwise elastic outer belt secured between the back and sides of the inner belt to establish elastic compression on the sacroiliac joint. The invention also relates to a lengthwise non-elastic foam-fabric composite structure for use in sacroiliac belts and other non-elastic orthopedic braces and supports for wrapping around a part of the body. [0006] 2. Background Art [0007] A sacroiliac belt is worn around the upper hips, to exert a compressive force around the pelvic girdle, and stabilize and reduce strain in the sacroiliac joint. The technical literatu...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022] The foam is an elastomeric, open-cell, urethane based composition foam. The open-cell nature of the foam results in many tiny, soft “edges” at the boundaries of the open cells that develop a relatively high coefficient of friction, or frictional surface characteristic, that maintains the sacroiliac belt in position when wrapped snugly around the user's hips. Advantageously, this surface frictional component

Problems solved by technology

This sacroiliac belt is not recommended for wearing directly against the skin because the closed-cell structure of Neoprene causes heat build-up which can lead to skin irritation.

These waste products are acidic, which lowers the pH within the joint.

Buckles and other fastener arrangements used in such belts can also pinch and be otherwise inconvenient or irritating to the user.

Sacroiliac belts of this type can also be overtightened by the user, and providing optimum support for pelvic girdle considerations that vary from one individual to another in belts using non-flexible elements (such as in Tyo) presents additional difficulties.

However, an overall elastic sacroiliac belt gives a false sense of security to the user because the actions that open the sacroiliac joint, i.e., bending, lifting, and twisting, can force the joint open beyond its normal range of motion even with the sacroiliac belt in place.

As ligaments are essentially non-elastic, movement of the sacroiliac joint beyond its normal range will stress the ligaments and potentially re-injure the joint.

Hand tightening this sacroiliac belt creates sufficient tension to compress the soft tissues so that the sacroiliac belt can create the correct stop point at the normal end of range of sacroiliac joint

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