Knee supporter

Abstract

To provide a knee supporter capable of allowing a user to get at an ideal walking style and suppressing the abrasion of the articular cartilage of the leg due to the extension of the knee.SOLUTION: A knee supporter 1 includes a body part 2 which is substantially cylindrically attached from the femoral region to the crural region. The knee supporter comprises stretchable belts 3a and 3b which are spanned between the upper portion and the lower portion of the body part 2 and restrict extension of the knee by a tensile force, and stays 4a and 4b which vertically extend on at least one side of the left and right sides of the body part 2 and are rotatable around hinges 13 in response to bending of the knees. The rotation of the stays 4a and 4b is restricted so as not to be in a non-flexible state, that is, a fully extended state where an upper stay 11 and a lower stay 12 are linearly arranged in the vertical direction so that a flexion angle θ is 0°.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a knee supporter for the treatment and prevention of knee joint diseases of the lower limbs such as osteoarthritis of the knee and osteoarthritis of the hip joint.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, many knee supporters used for the treatment and prevention of knee joint diseases of the lower limbs protect the knee from external forces during walking and sports, and increase the fixing force on the knee in order to suppress the lateral movement of the knee joint.

[0003] As this type of knee supporter, for example, there is one including a main body that is worn so as to cover the thigh, lower leg, and knee joint, a hinge-type stay that extends vertically on the left and right sides of the front of the main body to enhance the supporting force of the main body, and an elastic belt for preventing the varus sway of the left leg and the valgus sway of the right leg, and the hinge-type stay is configured to bend according to the flexion of the knee (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In ideal walking, it is better not to create a moment when the knee is fully extended during walking. Conversely, people who create a moment when the knee is fully extended during walking are likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee or osteoarthritis of the hip joint. That is, when the weight load is applied in a state where the knee is fully extended, the area where the femur and the tibia collide becomes large, and the joint cartilage is rubbed by the force from above and below, so that the joint cartilage is worn away and the joint disease is likely to progress.

[0006] In the knee supporter described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, although it is possible to prevent lateral movement of the knee by the supporting force of stays arranged on the left and right sides of the leg and the lateral compressive force of the elastic belt, there is a problem that it is impossible to prevent wear of the articular cartilage of the lower limb due to knee extension.

[0007] The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a knee supporter that can approach an ideal walking style and suppress wear of the articular cartilage of the lower limb due to knee extension.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the knee supporter of the present invention is A knee supporter including a main body that is worn in a substantially cylindrical shape from the thigh to the lower leg, An elastic belt that is stretched between the upper and lower parts of the main body and restricts knee extension using tensile force, and At least one stay that extends vertically on at least one side of the left and right sides of the main body and is rotatable about a hinge portion in accordance with knee flexion, are provided, The stay is characterized in that it is rotationally restricted so as not to be in a non-flexed state. According to this feature, when the knee is pulled in the flexion direction by the elastic belt, the knee is maintained in a slightly flexed position during walking, and when the stay is rotationally restricted so as not to be in a non-flexed state, hyperextension and full extension of the knee are prevented, and wear of the articular cartilage due to knee extension can be prevented. As a result, anyone wearing it can approach an ideal walking style and suitably reduce the burden on the joints of the lower limbs.

[0009] The stay is characterized in that it is rotationally restricted so that the flexion angle does not become less than a restricted angle set in the range of 15° to 30°. According to this feature, the stay can keep the knee in a slightly flexed position at most.

[0010] The stay is characterized by being composed of a rigid member. According to this feature, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the holding force of the thigh and lower leg due to deformation of the stay.

[0011] The elastic belt is characterized in that its upper end is attached near the upper part of the stay, and its lower end is attached near the lower part of the stay. According to this feature, since the upper and lower ends of the stay can be pulled in a direction approaching each other by the contraction force of the elastic belt, the stay can be efficiently rotated in the bending direction with a small force.

[0012] The elastic belt includes a first elastic belt whose upper end is attached near the upper part of the left stay and whose lower end is attached near the lower part of the right stay, and a second elastic belt whose upper end is attached near the upper part of the right stay and whose lower end is attached near the lower part of the left stay. According to this feature, since the two elastic belts cross each other, the left and right stays act to sandwich the knee joint from the left and right sides, so the holding force of the thigh and lower leg by the stay is improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Modes for carrying out the knee supporter according to the present invention will be described below based on examples.

Examples

[0015] The configuration of the knee supporter 1 as an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In the following description, based on the front-back, left-right directions when facing the front of the wearer of the knee supporter 1, the front side of FIG. 1 is the front of the knee supporter, the back side is the back of the knee supporter, the left side is the left side surface, and the right side is the right side surface for explanation.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the knee supporter 1 mainly includes a main body 2 that is worn in a substantially cylindrical shape from the thigh to the lower leg of the wearer, elastic belts 3a and 3b that are stretched between the upper part 2a and the lower part 2b of the main body 2 and limit the extension of the knee using tensile force, and stays 4a and 4b that extend vertically on the left and right sides of the main body 2 and are rotatable about a hinge portion 13 (see FIG. 3) according to the flexion of the knee.

[0017] Note that the front of the knee supporter 1 shown in FIG. 1 is the back surface (inner surface) that contacts the wearer's leg, and the back of the knee supporter 1 shown in FIG. 2 is the surface (outer surface) that is exposed to the outside.

[0018] The main body 2 is mainly made of a mesh fabric, and the periphery is sewn with bias tape. It is mainly composed of an upper part 2a and a lower part 2b that is wound around the wearer's lower leg in the circumferential direction and worn. Concave portions 2c and 2c are formed at substantially central positions in the vertical direction on the left and right side edges of the main body 2, and the left and right ends of each of the upper part 2a and the lower part 2b are individually bent. Also, the region between the left and right stays 4a and 4b is difficult to expand and contract in the vertical direction and is capable of expanding and contracting in the horizontal direction.

[0019] Note that in this embodiment, the main body 2 is mainly composed of a mesh fabric, but it may be composed of a fabric other than the mesh fabric or a sheet material such as urethane resin.

[0020] Hook-and-loop fasteners 5a and 5b are attached to the left end of the back surface and the right end of the front surface of the upper part 2a. By winding the upper part 2a around the wearer's thigh in the circumferential direction and butting and locking the hook-and-loop fasteners 5a and 5b together, the upper part 2a can be worn on the thigh. Also, hook-and-loop fasteners 6a and 6b are attached to the left end of the back surface and the right end of the front surface of the lower part 2b. By winding the lower part 2b around the wearer's lower leg in the circumferential direction and butting and locking the hook-and-loop fasteners 6a and 6b together, the lower part 2b can be worn on the lower leg. Further, by peeling off the hook-and-loop fasteners 5a and 5b or the hook-and-loop fasteners 6a and 6b from each other to release the locked state, it can be removed from the leg.

[0021] Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper ends of the elastic belts 3a and 3b are fixed near the upper ends of the stays 4a and 4b on the upper part 2a of the back surface of the main body 2, and in the natural state, the lower ends have a length that is located approximately at the center in the vertical direction of the main body 2.

[0022] Specifically, the upper end of the elastic belt 3a is obliquely sewn in the vicinity of the upper side of the upper end of the left stay 4a so as to extend obliquely downward to the right, and the hook-and-loop fastener 7a attached to the lower end can be butted and locked to the hook-and-loop fastener 7b attached to the lower part of the right stay 4b. On the other hand, the upper end of the elastic belt 3b is obliquely sewn in the vicinity of the upper side of the upper end of the right stay 4b so as to extend obliquely downward to the left, and the hook-and-loop fastener 8a attached to the lower end can be butted and locked to the hook-and-loop fastener 8b attached to the lower part of the left stay 4a.

[0023] Next, the stays 4a and 4b will be described. Since the stays 4a and 4b have the same configuration, hereinafter, the stay 4a will be described, and the description of the stay 4b will be omitted.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the stay 4a includes a hinge portion 13 composed of an upper stay 11, a lower stay 12, and a rotation shaft 13a that rotatably supports the upper stay 11 and the lower stay 12, and a stopper 15 protruding near the rotation shaft 13a of the lower stay 12. The upper stay 11 and the lower stay 12 are made of flat aluminum bars, which are highly rigid and difficult to deform such as bending or twisting.

[0025] In addition, in this embodiment, the stay 4a is composed of a flat aluminum bar, but the material of the stay 4a is arbitrary. It may be a flat bar made of a metal other than aluminum, or may be composed of a flat bar made of synthetic resin. Also, the shape does not have to be a flat bar and may be formed as a round bar or the like.

[0026] The stay 4a is configured to be rotatable such that the upper stay 11 and the lower stay 12 bend about the rotation shaft 13a. In addition, when the fully extended state of a person's knee is defined as a knee bending angle of 0°, and the maximum knee bending angle is 140°, since the knee has a movable range in the range of a bending angle of 0° to 140°, the stay 4a is set with a bending angle θ corresponding to the movable range of the knee.

[0027] Specifically, the bending angle θ between the upper stay 11 and the lower stay 12 is 0° (θ = 0°) when the upper stay 11 is located at the upper rotation position T1 above the lower stay 12, 20° (θ1 = 20°) at the rotation position T2 where the upper stay 11 is located obliquely above the lower stay 12, and approximately 140° (θ2 = 140°) at the rotation position T3 where the upper stay 11 is located obliquely below the lower stay 12.

[0028] Further, the upper stay 11 is configured such that when it abuts against the stopper 15 at the rotation position T2, the rotation toward the rotation position T1 side is restricted with the bending angle θ1 = 20° as the limit angle. Therefore, the stay 4a is configured so that the upper stay 11 does not enter the extended state (non-bent state) where it is located at the rotation position T1 beyond the rotation position T2. That is, the stay 4a is rotatable in the range from the rotation position T2 to the rotation position T3, that is, in the range where the bending angle θ is 20° to 140°.

[0029] In other words, since the rotation is restricted so that the bending angle θ1 does not become less than 20°, for example, the bending angle θ does not become about 0°, and the lower stay 12 and the upper stay 11 do not enter the extended state (non-bent state) where they are linearly arranged in the vertical direction.

[0030] In addition, in this embodiment, the rotation of the stay 4a is restricted so that the bending angle θ1 does not become less than 20° as the limit angle of the stay 4a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. If the bending angle θ of the stay 4a is less than 15°, the range of the bending angle θ can be arbitrarily changed. However, in order to surely prevent the extension of the knee, it is preferable to restrict the rotation so that the bending angle θ1 does not become less than 30° (θ1 = 15° to 30°). That is, as the limit angle of the stay 4a, it can be set in the range of θ1 = 15° to 30°. Further, since the upper stay 11 is not restricted from rotating counterclockwise in a left side view at the rotation position T3, it can rotate even if the bending angle θ2 exceeds 140°.

[0031] The stays 4a and 4b configured in this way are prevented from being displaced by being housed in the housing portions 15a and 15b that extend vertically on the left and right sides of the main body 2. The housing portions 15a and 15b are formed in a bag shape by sewing a fabric slightly larger than the stays 4a and 4b on the surface side of the main body 2. The left housing portion 15a is formed in a substantially "く" shape in a front view, and the right housing portion 15b is formed in a substantially reverse "く" shape in a front view. Further, in a state where the main body 2 is worn by the wearer, the stays 4a and 4b are located on the left and right side surfaces of the leg (see FIG. 4).

[0032] Next, the method of wearing the knee supporter 1 and its action during wearing will be described with reference to FIG. 4. When the knee supporter 1 is worn on the wearer, it is easier to wear with the wearer's knees in a slightly bent position, but it may also be done in a standing position. FIG. 4 shows the wearing mode in the slightly bent position.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c), when the knee supporter 1 is worn on the wearer, first, with the front of the knee supporter 1, that is, the back surface facing the back side of the wearer's knee joint, the upper part 2a is positioned on the thigh and the lower part 2b is positioned on the lower leg, and the vertical position is adjusted.

[0034] Next, the hook-and-loop fasteners 5a, 5b on the left and right sides of the upper part 2a and the hook-and-loop fasteners 6a, 6b on the left and right sides of the lower part 2b are moved forward, pulled so that the hook-and-loop fasteners 5a, 5b approach each other and butted and locked in front of the thigh, and pulled so that the hook-and-loop fasteners 6a, 6b approach each other and butted and locked in front of the lower leg.

[0035] In this way, when the upper part 2a is wound around the thigh in the circumferential direction and the lower part 2b is wound around the lower leg in the circumferential direction, the hook-and-loop fasteners 5a, 5b and the hook-and-loop fasteners 6a, 6b are positioned in front of the thigh and the lower leg, and the left and right stays 4a, 4b are positioned on the left and right sides of the thigh and the lower leg. Specifically, the upper stay 11 is located on the thigh, the lower stay 12 is located on the lower leg, and the hinge part 13 is located on the left and right sides of the knee joint.

[0036] Then, the hook-and-loop fastener 7a of the elastic belt 3a is pulled diagonally downward to the right and butted and locked to the hook-and-loop fastener 7b at the lower part of the right stay 4b, and the hook-and-loop fastener 8a of the elastic belt 3b is pulled diagonally downward to the left and butted and locked to the hook-and-loop fastener 8b at the lower part of the left stay 4a, whereby the knee supporter 1 is worn on the wearer's leg.

[0037] In a state where the knee supporter 1 is worn near the knee joint of the wearer's leg, as shown in FIGS. 4(b) and 4(c), the elastic belts 3a and 3b are stretched between the upper and lower ends of the stays 4a and 4b on the back side of the main body 2, so that the upper and lower ends of the stays 4a and 4b are pulled in a direction approaching each other by the contraction force of the elastic belts 3a and 3b. By biasing the stays 4a and 4b in the bending direction in this way, the thigh and the lower leg are more likely to bend around the knee joint. On the other hand, since a load is applied to the stays 4a and 4b during rotation in the extending direction, the knee is maintained in a slightly bent position.

[0038] Further, the left and right elastic belts 3a and 3b cross each other in a substantially X shape when viewed from the back on the back side of the main body 2, and the crossing portion is located in the popliteal fossa. Thus, the stays 4a and 4b arranged on the left and right are pulled in a direction approaching each other by the contraction force of the elastic belts 3a and 3b to sandwich the leg from the left and right sides. Therefore, the holding force of the thigh and the lower leg by the stays 4a and 4b is improved. As a result, the stays 4a and 4b are maintained in a bent state by the rotation restriction by the stopper 15, thereby preventing hyperextension of the knee (a predetermined angle at which the bending angle θ is less than 0°) and full extension (bending angle θ is 0°) integrated with the stays 4a and 4b.

[0039] As described above, the knee supporter 1 as an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 2 that is worn in a substantially cylindrical shape from the thigh to the lower leg, and elastic belts 3a and 3b that are stretched between the upper and lower parts of the main body 2 and use tensile force to limit the extension of the knee. The knee supporter 1 also includes stays 4a and 4b that extend vertically on at least one side of the left and right sides of the main body 2 and are rotatable about the hinge portion 13 in accordance with the bending of the knee. The stays 4a and 4b are rotationally restricted so as not to be in a non-bent state, that is, an extended state in which the upper stay 11 and the lower stay 12 are linearly arranged in the vertical direction and the bending angle θ is 0°.

[0040] According to this, when the knees are pulled in the bending direction by the telescopic belts 3a and 3b, the knees are maintained in a slightly bent position during walking, and the stays 4a and 4b are rotationally restricted so as not to be in a non-bent state, thereby preventing hyperextension and full extension of the knees, preventing abrasion of the articular cartilage due to knee extension, and thus enabling anyone to approach an ideal walking style and suitably reducing the burden on the joints of the lower limbs.

[0041] In addition, the stays 4a and 4b are rotationally restricted so that the bending angle θ1 does not become less than 20°, so that the knees can be maintained in a slightly bent position at most by the stays 4a and 4b. In particular, it is preferable that the stays 4a and 4b are rotationally restricted so that the bending angle θ1 is less than a set limit angle in the range of 15° to 30°.

[0042] In addition, since the stays 4a and 4b are composed of members having rigidity, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the holding force of the thigh and lower leg due to deformation of the stays 4a and 4b.

[0043] In addition, since the upper ends of the telescopic belts 3a and 3b are attached near the upper parts of the stays 4a and 4b and the lower ends are attached near the lower parts of the stays 4a and 4b, the upper and lower ends of the stays 4a and 4b can be pulled in a direction approaching each other by the contraction force of the telescopic belts 3a and 3b. Therefore, the stays 4a and 4b can be efficiently rotated in the bending direction with a small force.

[0044] In addition, the telescopic belts 3a and 3b include a telescopic belt 3a as a first telescopic belt whose upper end is attached near the upper part of the left stay 4a and whose lower end is attached near the lower part of the right stay 4b, and a telescopic belt 3b as a second telescopic belt whose upper end is attached near the upper part of the right stay 4b and whose lower end is attached near the lower part of the left stay 4a. When worn, the two telescopic belts 3a and 3b cross each other, so that the left and right stays 4a and 4b act to sandwich the knee joint part from the left and right sides, thereby improving the holding force of the stays 4a and 4b on the thigh and lower leg.

[0045] In addition, the main body 2 can be expanded and contracted only in the horizontal direction without expanding and contracting in the vertical direction. By expanding and contracting in the horizontal direction (left - right direction), the fixing force of the main body 2 to the thigh and calf parts can be increased, and by not expanding and contracting in the vertical direction (up - down direction), it is possible to prevent the twisting and displacement of the main body 2 accompanying the bending and straightening of the knee.

[0046] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and even if there are changes and additions within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention, they are included in the present invention.

[0047] For example, in the above - mentioned embodiment, the form in which the stays 4a, 4b and the expansion - contraction belts 3a, 3b are respectively provided on the left and right sides of the main body 2 has been exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stays and the expansion - contraction belts may be provided on at least either the left or the right side.

[0048] Also, in the above - mentioned embodiment, the form in which the rotation range of the stays 4a, 4b is restricted by the stopper 15 has been exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the rotation may be restricted by rotation - restricting means other than the stopper. Note that the stopper 15 does not necessarily have to be provided. Also, the hinge portion of the stay does not have to be constituted by a rotation axis and may be constituted by a deformable member such as a bellows.

[0049] Also, in the above - mentioned embodiment, the form in which the upper ends of the expansion - contraction belts 3a, 3b are fixed in the vicinity above the upper ends of the stays 4a, 4b has been exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lower ends of the expansion - contraction belts may be fixed in the vicinity below the lower ends of the stays, or may be fixed at positions away from the upper and lower ends of the stays.

[0050] Also, in the above - mentioned embodiment, the form in which the upper and lower ends of the expansion - contraction belts 3a, 3b are fixed so as to cross in an X - shape with respect to the left and right stays 4a, 4b has been exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the upper and lower ends may be fixed so as to be spanned between the upper end and the lower end of a single stay.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0051] 1 Knee supporter 2 Main body 2a Upper part 2b Lower part 2c Concave part 3a Stretch belt (first stretch belt) 3b Stretch belt (second stretch belt) 4a, 4b Stay 5a, 5b Hook-and-loop fastener 6a, 6b Hook-and-loop fastener 7a, 7b Hook-and-loop fastener 8a, 8b Hook-and-loop fastener 11 Upper stay 12 Lower stay 13 Hinge part 13a Rotation axis 15 Stopper θ Bending angle

Claims

1. A knee supporter comprising a main body that is worn in a substantially cylindrical shape from the thigh to the lower leg, An elastic belt that is stretched between the upper and lower parts of the main body and restricts knee extension using tensile force, At least one stay that extends vertically on at least one side of the left and right sides of the main body and is rotatable about a hinge portion in accordance with knee flexion, and The knee supporter is characterized in that the stay is rotationally restricted so as not to be in a non-flexed state.

2. The knee supporter according to claim 1, wherein the stay is rotationally restricted so as not to be less than a set limit angle within a range of a flexion angle of 15° to 30°.

3. The knee supporter according to claim 1, wherein the stay is constituted by a member having rigidity.

4. The knee supporter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elastic belt has an upper end attached near the upper part of the stay and a lower end attached near the lower part of the stay.

5. The knee supporter according to claim 4, comprising a first elastic belt having an upper end attached near the upper part of the left stay and a lower end attached near the lower part of the right stay, and a second elastic belt having an upper end attached near the upper part of the right stay and a lower end attached near the lower part of the left stay.

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