Bent elbow part extension correction device

Abstract

To provide a bent elbow part extension correction device for an arm that is easy to wear, is easily adaptable to slight bending movements of an arm after wearing, is lightweight, and can be used for rehabilitation without imposing a physical load.SOLUTION: In a bent elbow part extension correction device which pivotally connects an upper arm unit and a forearm unit each covering approximately half of each outer surface of the upper arm and forearm of an arm body, and in which a pivotally connecting part is configured to rotate only in one direction via a ratchet mechanism normally, the upper arm unit consists of: an upper arm protector which covers the upper arm; an elbow upper part protector which covers the elbow upper part; and a flexible rod which extends between the upper arm protector and the elbow upper part protector, and the forearm unit consists of: an elbow lower part protector which covers the elbow lower part; a forearm protector which covers the forearm and a flexible rod which extends between the elbow lower part protector and the forearm protector.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an arm flexion and elbow extension correction device used in elbow extension rehabilitation when flexion and extension disorders occur in the upper limbs due to a stroke or the like, particularly when a symptom occurs in which the elbow of the arm remains flexed and cannot be extended. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, typical symptoms of strokes and other conditions were that the patient was unable to move freely due to damage to various parts of the body. In particular, the upper limbs were unable to bend or extend at the elbow. In other words, the elbow of the arm became stiff and could not be extended.

[0003] To treat such symptoms, rehabilitation for elbow extension (treatment to put a bent elbow in an extended position by wearing a brace) is performed, and a tool (device) for extending the arm's elbow used in rehabilitation is composed of an upper arm cover body and a forearm cover body connected at the elbow, each cover body being made of hard plastic with a roughly U-shaped cross section that can be attached to the front and back of the upper arm and forearm, respectively. The upper arm cover body and the forearm cover body are generally known to have a ratchet gear at the pivot part corresponding to the elbow that restricts operation in one direction, i.e., the upper arm cover body and the forearm cover body rotate in the direction in which they extend but not in the opposite bending direction.

[0004] This structure restricts the rotational movement of the elbow in one direction, allowing arm extension rehabilitation at the elbow. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the above-mentioned conventional rehabilitation equipment, the front and back sides of the upper arm cover body and the front and back sides of the forearm cover body are connected by connecting belts, so the arm attachment structure is generally fixed and there is absolutely no play, making it impossible to perform even slight flexion and extension movements of the upper arm or forearm, and there is a risk that rehabilitation will not be relaxed.

[0006] To provide an arm flexion and elbow extension correction device which is easy to wear, easily adapts to slight arm flexion and extension movements after wearing, is lightweight, and can be used without unnecessary physical burden during rehabilitation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, an upper arm unit and a forearm unit which cover approximately half of the outer sides of the upper arm and forearm of the arm body, respectively, are pivotally connected, and the pivotal connection is configured so that the pivotal connection can normally only rotate in one direction via a ratchet mechanism.The upper arm unit comprises an upper arm protector which covers the upper arm, an upper elbow protector which covers the upper part of the elbow, and a flexible rod which is stretched between the upper arm protector and the upper elbow protector, and the forearm unit comprises a lower elbow protector which covers the lower part of the elbow, a forearm protector which covers the forearm, and a flexible rod which is stretched between the lower elbow protector and the forearm protector.

[0008] Another feature is that the ratchet mechanism of the pivotal connection that pivotally connects the upper arm unit and the forearm unit is fixed via an insertion portion that is integrally formed on the upper elbow protector and the lower elbow protector, respectively.

[0009] Another feature is that a finger extension device can be freely connected to the tip of the forearm protector, and the finger extension device is composed of a palm protector and a back of the hand protector that clamps the palm surface and the back of the hand.A traction cord is provided on the back of the back of the back of the hand protector, and the base end of the traction cord is connected to a cord winding mechanism that can be attached to the forearm protector.The traction cord can be wound up by the winding action of the cord winding mechanism, thereby pulling the back of the hand and freely urging it in the direction of a curved posture. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, in a flexion and extension correction device for an elbow, which is configured by pivotally connecting an upper arm unit and a forearm unit that respectively cover approximately half of the outer surface of each of the upper arm and forearm of an arm body, and by using a ratchet mechanism to rotate the pivotal connection part in only one direction, the upper arm unit is made up of an upper arm protector that covers the upper arm, an upper elbow protector that covers the upper part of the elbow, and a flexible rod that is stretched between the upper arm protector and the upper elbow protector. The forearm unit is composed of a lower elbow protector that covers the lower part of the elbow, a forearm protector that covers the forearm, and a flexible rod that is stretched between the lower elbow protector and the forearm protector.This allows the flexible rod to flex and absorb the force caused by spasticity of the elbow flexion muscles (biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis), i.e., the force that causes the elbow to return to a bent position, making it possible to perform rehabilitation treatment that straightens the bent elbow with minimal burden on the patient.

[0011] In addition, the ratchet mechanism of the pivot connection part that pivotally connects the upper arm unit and the forearm unit is fixed via an insertion part that is integrally formed in the upper elbow protector and the lower elbow protector, respectively.As a result, the ratchet mechanism is firmly fixed to the upper elbow protector and the lower elbow protector and can perform its reliable pivot function without being affected by the enormous stress placed on the pivot connection part during rehabilitation treatment to straighten a bent elbow.

[0012] In addition, a finger extension device can be freely connected to the tip of the forearm protector, and the finger extension device is composed of a palm protector and a dorsal hand protector that clamps the palm surface and the back of the hand. A traction cord is provided on the back of the dorsal hand protector, and the base end of the traction cord is connected to a cord winding mechanism that can be attached to the forearm protector. The traction cord is wound up by the winding action of the cord winding mechanism, thereby pulling the back of the hand and freely urging it in the direction of the arched posture. This makes it possible not only to perform rehabilitation treatment to straighten a bent elbow, but also to perform coordinated correction of the extended position of the fingers, and can be used to treat sudden bending of the elbow, wrist, fingers, etc. due to comprehensive involuntary muscle spasticity from the arm to the fingers. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the basic configuration of an elbow flexion and extension correction device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an elbow flexion and extension correction device as viewed from the lateral side of the arm. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an elbow flexion and extension correction device as viewed from the medial side of the arm. [Figure 4] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a ratchet mechanism of a pivot joint portion. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a finger extension correction device. [Figure 6] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the elbow flexion extension corrective device and the finger extension corrective device connected together, viewed from the outside of the arm. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram viewed from the outside of the arm, showing the elbow in an extended position after the elbow extension correction device is attached. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram viewed from the inside of the arm, showing the elbow in an extended position after the elbow extension correction device is attached. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which fingers are extended by the finger extension correction device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The gist of this invention is that in a flexion and extension correction device which pivotally connects an upper arm unit and a forearm unit which cover approximately half of the outer sides of the upper arm and forearm of the arm, respectively, and the pivotal connection is configured so that the pivotal connection can normally only rotate in one direction via a ratchet mechanism, the upper arm unit comprises an upper arm protector which covers the upper arm, an upper elbow protector which covers the upper part of the elbow, and a flexible rod which is stretched between the upper arm protector and the upper elbow protector, and the forearm unit comprises a lower elbow protector which covers the lower part of the elbow, a forearm protector which covers the forearm, and a flexible rod which is stretched between the lower elbow protector and the forearm protector.

[0015] Another feature is that the ratchet mechanism of the pivotal connection that pivotally connects the upper arm unit and the forearm unit is fixed via an insertion portion that is integrally formed on the upper elbow protector and the lower elbow protector, respectively.

[0016] Another feature is that a finger extension device can be freely connected to the tip of the forearm protector, and the finger extension device is composed of a palm protector and a back of the hand protector that clamps the palm surface and the back of the hand.A traction cord is provided on the back of the back of the back of the hand protector, and the base end of the traction cord is connected to a cord winding mechanism that can be attached to the forearm protector.The traction cord can be wound up by the winding action of the cord winding mechanism, thereby pulling the back of the hand and freely urging it in the direction of a curved posture.

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the elbow flexion and extension correction device M according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiment is an example of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the basic configuration of the flexed elbow extension corrective device M. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the flexed elbow extension corrective device M from the outside of the arm. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the flexed elbow extension corrective device M from the inside of the arm. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the ratchet mechanism 510 of the pivot joint 500. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the finger extension corrective device A. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the flexed elbow extension corrective device M and the finger extension corrective device A are connected, as seen from the outside of the arm. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the elbow is in an extended position by wearing the elbow extension corrective device M, as seen from the outside of the arm. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the elbow is in an extended position by wearing the elbow extension corrective device M, as seen from the inside of the arm. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the fingers are extended by the finger extension corrective device A.

[0019] The elbow flexion and extension correction device M of the present invention is basically intended to be used by therapists and others as an elbow extension training tool as part of rehabilitation treatment when the elbow becomes fixed in a flexed state (a spastic state that remains flexed) due to a physical illness caused by the aftereffects of a cerebral hemorrhage or the like, making it difficult to extend the elbow, and is composed of a combination of the following components:

[0020] That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper arm unit U1 is made up of an upper arm protector 100 that covers the upper arm, an upper elbow protector 300a that covers the upper part of the elbow, and a flexible rod 400 that is stretched between the upper arm protector 100 and the upper elbow protector 300a, a forearm unit made up of a lower elbow protector 300b that covers the lower part of the elbow, a forearm protector 200 that covers the forearm, and a flexible rod 400 that is stretched between the lower elbow protector 300b and the forearm protector 200, and a pivot connection part 500 that pivotally connects the upper arm unit U1 and the forearm unit U2.

[0021] Each protector (upper arm protector 100, upper elbow protector 300a, lower elbow protector 300b, and forearm protector 200) has an approximately U-shaped cross section and can cover the corresponding part of the patient's arm B (the patient's upper arm b1 in the case of upper arm protector 100, and the patient's forearm b2 in the case of forearm protector 200).

[0022] A flexible rod 400 is stretched between the upper arm protector 100 and the upper elbow protector 300a, and between the lower elbow protector 300b and the forearm protector 200. That is, the flexible rod 400 is stretched between the upper arm protector 100 and the upper elbow protector 300a, and the upper arm protector 100 and the upper elbow protector 300a are integrated to form an upper arm unit U1 that can cover the entire upper arm b1 of the patient, and the flexible rod 400 is stretched between the forearm protector 200 and the lower elbow protector 300b, and the forearm protector 200 and the lower elbow protector 300b are integrated to form a forearm unit U2 that can cover the entire forearm b2 of the patient.

[0023] Furthermore, when rehabilitation treatment is performed to straighten the elbow using the elbow flexion extension correction device M, the flexible rod 400 flexes to absorb the force that is applied to the elbow as it tries to return to a bent position when the elbow is extended (force due to spasticity of the elbow flexor muscles), thereby enabling rehabilitation treatment to be performed with minimal burden on the patient.

[0024] 1, the pivot joint 500 is made up of a ratchet mechanism 510 that is rotatable in only one direction, and fittings 520 provided on the upper elbow protector 300a and the lower elbow protector 300b. The rotatable direction of the ratchet mechanism 510 is the direction in which the pivot joint 500 is released from bending, i.e., the direction in which the elbow is extended.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4, the ratchet mechanism 510 comprises a tooth base 511 having teeth 511a formed with an upward tip, an engaging body 512 having a generally L-shaped claw portion 512a at one end and a release portion 512b at the other end, a spring body 513 that pushes the release portion 512b of the engaging body 512 upward with a biasing force, an operating base 514 that is pivoted at a bent portion of the engaging body 512 and holds the spring body 513, and a pivot shaft 515 that rotatably connects the tooth base 511 and the operating base 514.

[0026] The ratchet mechanism 510 has the tips of the teeth 511a facing upward, thereby restricting the engagement of the interlocking claw portions 512a, and allowing the tooth base 511 and the operating base 514 to rotate only in the direction from a bent state to an extended state.

[0027] In addition, the release portion 512b of the articulating body 512 maintains the occlusal state between the tooth portion 511a and the claw portion 512a by constantly being pushed upward by the urging force of the spring body 513. Therefore, in order to return the tooth base 511 and the operation base 514 fixed in the extended state to the bent state again, the release portion 512b of the articulating body 512 is pressed down against the urging force of the spring body 513 to release the occlusal state between the tooth portion 511a and the claw portion 512a.

[0028] Furthermore, the ratchet mechanism 510 is firmly fixed by fitting both ends into fitting parts 520 formed integrally with the upper elbow protector 300a and the lower elbow protector 300b. By firmly fixing the ratchet mechanism 510 to the upper elbow protector 300a and the lower elbow protector 300b, it can perform a reliable pivot function without succumbing to the great stress applied to the pivot connection part 500 during rehabilitation treatment to straighten a bent elbow.

[0029] 2 and 3, a belt-like upper arm tightening band body 110 and a belt-like forearm tightening band body 210 for fastening to the patient's arm B are connected to both end edges of the upper arm protector 100 and the forearm protector 200. The upper arm tightening band body 110 and the forearm tightening band body 210 are fixed at the bases of the band bodies to both end edges of the corresponding upper arm protector 100 and forearm protector 200, respectively, and the tip parts are configured to be freely adjusted in length to fit the patient's arm circumference and to be attached and detached by an adjustment fixture such as a hook-and-loop fastener.

[0030] The left and right sides of the pivot connection portion 500 (the right edge of the upper elbow protector 300a and the right edge of the lower elbow protector 300b, and the left edge of the upper elbow protector 300a and the left edge of the lower elbow protector 300b) are each equipped with an elbow tightening band body 310 consisting of a mountain-shaped band body 311 which is a strip-shaped band body twisted once to form a mountain shape, and a tensioning band body 312 which is stretched over the mountain-shaped band body 311 and can be freely adjusted in length to fit the patient's arm and can be easily attached and detached using an adjustment fixing device provided at the tip.

[0031] In other words, the elbow tightening band body 310, which fixes the patient's arm B at the pivot connection part 500 that pivotally connects the upper arm unit U1 and the forearm unit U2, is a band body with a special structure consisting of a roughly triangular mountain-shaped band body 311 that straddles the pivot connection part 500 and a tension band body 312 that crosses and connects to the top of the mountain-shaped band body 311 in an intertwined manner.

[0032] In other words, in the elbow tightening band body 310 of this embodiment, the mountain-shaped band body 311 and the tension band body 312 are connected in a cross-twisted and intertwined state at the top of the mountain shape, so that when the upper arm b1 and forearm b2 are displaced from an elbow flexed state to an extended state during rehabilitation treatment, the mountain-shaped band body 311 stretches, and the ends of the tension band body 312 pull on each other at the top of the mountain shape, allowing for a more firm and tight fit.

[0033] In addition, the inner surface of each protector (upper arm protector 100, upper elbow protector 300a, lower elbow protector 300b and forearm protector 200), i.e., the surface that comes into contact with the patient's arm B, can be fitted with an upper arm pad 120, inner elbow pad 320 and forearm pad body 220, for example, by hook-and-loop fastener.

[0034] Each pad (upper arm pad 120, inner elbow pad 320 and forearm pad body 220) is attached to protect the surface of the patient's arm B from the hard protectors (upper arm protector 100, upper elbow protector 300a, lower elbow protector 300b and forearm protector 200) and is made of a soft material such as urethane resin.

[0035] Additionally, outer elbow pad 330, which is made of a soft material such as urethane resin like the above-mentioned pads (upper arm pad 120, inner elbow pad 320, and forearm pad body 220), can be attached to the outer surface of pivotal connection part 500. This outer elbow pad 330 is intended to prevent accidents such as entanglement from occurring due to the exposed ratchet mechanism 510 of pivotal connection part 500. Outer elbow pad 330 has small holes at corresponding locations so that release part 512b of ratchet mechanism 510 can be operated as described above.

[0036] In addition, a finger extension correction device A is detachably attached to the tip of the forearm protector 200. As shown in Fig. 5, the finger extension correction device A is mainly composed of a hard palm protector 600a and a back protector 600b that press the palm surface and the back surface of the hand, and a hard thumb protector 600c with a cross section of a roughly U-shaped shape that corresponds to the thumb part of the back protector 600b. This finger extension correction device A generates a bending stress opposite to the bending when the palm or fingers show an inward bending symptom (symptoms in which extension is difficult) due to muscle contraction symptoms, and is used for rehabilitation treatment of extension correction.

[0037] The back of the hand protector 600b, the palm protector 600a, and the thumb protector 600c are clamped and fixed between the palm surface and the back of the hand of the patient by a tightening band body. The tightening band body is made up of a hand tightening band body 610 that tightens the back of the hand protector 600b and the palm protector 600a, and a thumb tightening band body 620 that tightens the back of the hand protector 600b and the thumb protector 600c.

[0038] The hand tightening band body 610 is composed of a tip hand band body 611, the base of which is fixed near the finger tips of the back hand protector 600b, and a central hand band body 612, the base of which is fixed to the approximate center of the palm. The thumb tightening band body 620 has its base fixed to a position on the back hand protector 600b corresponding to the mother and child. The hand tightening band body 610 and the thumb tightening band body 620 are configured so that the length can be freely adjusted to fit the patient's arm and the bands can be freely attached and detached by an adjustment fixture such as a hook-and-loop fastener and a ring body with a long fastening hole provided in the middle of the band.

[0039] The back side of the hand back protector 600b of the finger extension correction device A, i.e., the outside of the hand, is provided with an elongated connecting rod 700. Specifically, the connecting rod 700 is provided at three locations in total: two locations where the tip of the connecting rod 700 is fixed to the tip hand band body 611 and straddles the central hand band body 612, and one location where the tip of the connecting rod 700 is fixed to the thumb tightening band body 620 and extends toward the wrist.

[0040] The rear end of connecting rod 700 has insertion holes through which traction cords 800 are inserted. Traction cord 800 is connected to cord winding mechanism 910 provided at the rear end of palm protector 600a via winding aids 910 provided at the wrist and forearm parts of palm protector 600a.

[0041] The cord winding mechanism 910 is a rotary dial type that can rotate in only one direction, formed by a ratchet mechanism. In other words, the rotary dial of the cord winding mechanism 910 is rotated according to the degree of inward bending of the palm and fingers to wind up the traction cord 800, and the connecting rod 700 is pulled backward to generate a bending stress in the palm and fingers of the patient in the opposite direction to the bending, thereby performing rehabilitation treatment for straightening.

[0042] 6, the finger extension corrective device A is attached by fixing the cord winding mechanism 910 to the rear part of the forearm protector 200 and inserting the rear end of the palm protector 600a into the insertion hole provided at the tip part of the forearm protector 200. In other words, by firmly fixing the cord winding mechanism 910 to the flexed elbow extension corrective device M, the extension rehabilitation treatment by winding the traction cord 800 can be reliably performed.

[0043] In addition, by providing a thumb protector 600c separately, the finger extension correction device A can simultaneously perform extension rehabilitation treatment for a mother and child whose height direction is slightly different from that of other fingers and the palm. The finger extension rehabilitation treatment can be performed to the maximum extent possible by finely adjusting the winding of the traction cord 800 with the cord winding mechanism 910 using a ratchet mechanism.

[0044] The inner sides of the palm protector 600a, the dorsal hand protector 600b, and the thumb protector 600c, i.e., the surfaces that come into contact with the palm surface and the dorsal surface of the patient's hand, may be provided with a palm pad, a dorsal hand pad, and a mother-child pad, not shown in the figure. The palm pad, the dorsal hand pad, and the mother-child pad can be provided to protect the surfaces of the patient's fingers from the hard protectors, and are made of a soft material such as urethane resin.

[0045] Therefore, the elbow flexion extension correction device M covers the patient's upper arm b1 and forearm b2, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, and can extend the elbow, which is fixed in a flexed position, by the ratchet mechanism 510 of the pivot connection part 500.

[0046] In addition, the finger extension correction device A attached to the elbow flexion extension correction device M can bend and extend the wrist and fingers that are bent inward in a direction opposite to the bending direction, as shown in FIG.

[0047] The above-described embodiment is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Therefore, even if the embodiment is different from the above-described embodiment, various modifications can be made depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical idea of ​​the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described various effects are merely a list of preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the present embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] M Flexion elbow extension correction device U1 Upper arm unit U2 Forearm Unit A Finger extension correction device 100 Upper Arm Protector 110 Upper arm tightening band body 120 Upper Arm Pad 200 Forearm Protector 210 Forearm tightening band body 220 Forearm Pad 300a upper elbow protector 300b lower elbow protector 310 Elbow tightening band body 311 Mountain-shaped band body 312 Tension band body 320 Elbow Inner Pad 330 Elbow outer pad 400 Flexible Rod 500 Pivot joint 510 Ratchet mechanism 511 Tooth base 511a Teeth 512 Occlusion 512a Claw part 512b Release part 513 Spring part 514 Operation base 515 Pivot shaft 520 Inset part 600a palm protector 600b Back of hand protector 600c Mother and Child Protector 610 Hand tightening band body 611 Tip hand band body 612 Central band body 620 Mother and Child Tightening Band Body 700 Connecting rod 800 towing cord 900 Cord winding mechanism 910 Winding aid

Claims

1. An elbow flexion and extension correction device, comprising an upper arm unit and a forearm unit, which respectively cover approximately half of the outer surface of the upper arm and the forearm of an arm body, and which are pivotally connected to each other, and the pivotal connection is configured to rotate normally in only one direction via a ratchet mechanism, The upper arm unit includes: An upper arm protector that covers the upper arm; An upper elbow protector that covers the upper part of the elbow; A flexible rod stretched between the upper arm protector and the upper elbow protector, The forearm unit includes: A lower elbow protector that covers the lower elbow, A forearm protector that covers the forearm; A flexible rod is stretched between the elbow lower protector and the forearm protector.

2. The elbow flexion and extension correction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ratchet mechanism of the pivotal connection part that pivotally connects the arm unit and the forearm unit is fixed via an insertion part formed integrally with the upper elbow protector and the lower elbow protector, respectively.

3. A finger extension device can be freely connected to the tip of the forearm protector, and the finger extension device is composed of a palm protector and a back of the hand protector that clamps the palm surface and the back of the hand. A traction cord is provided on the back of the back of the hand protector, and the base end of the traction cord is connected to a cord winding mechanism that can be attached to the forearm protector. The traction cord is wound up by the winding action of the cord winding mechanism, thereby pulling the back of the hand and freely urging it in the direction of the curved posture. This is the flexed elbow extension correction device described in claims 1 and 2.

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