Thoracolumbar orthosis
The thoracolumbar orthosis addresses the challenge of restricting trunk flexion and rotation with adjustable support structures, reducing pressure points and ensuring a comfortable fit through customizable adjustments.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NAGANO PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-08
AI Technical Summary
Existing thoracolumbar orthoses do not effectively restrict trunk flexion while minimizing pressure on the wearer, and lack adjustability to fit various body shapes.
A thoracolumbar orthosis with three interconnected support structures - an upper support, lower support, and back support, connected by adjustable belts and a connecting piece, allowing for adjustments in length, distance, and angle to conform to the wearer's body shape, using hook-and-loop fasteners to reduce pressure points.
The orthosis effectively restricts trunk flexion and rotation while minimizing pressure, providing a customizable fit that conforms to individual body shapes, enhancing comfort and support.
Smart Images
Figure 2026113952000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0002] , ,
[0001] The present invention relates to a thoracolumbar orthosis that restricts forward flexion of the trunk, for example. In addition, the "thoracolumbar orthosis" described in this specification and the "thoracolumbar orthosis" according to the present invention include not only the trunk orthosis generally called "thoracolumbar orthosis" but also the trunk orthosis called "thoracolumbar-sacral orthosis".
Background Art
[0007] In the above-described thoracolumbar orthosis, the lower part of the upper support and the upper part of the lower support may be connected by hook-and-loop fasteners (Claim 2). [Effects of the Invention]
[0008] The present invention provides a thoracolumbar orthosis that can restrict trunk flexion while also reducing the feeling of pressure experienced by the wearer.
[0009] In other words, the thoracolumbar orthosis of the invention described in each claim of this application restricts flexion of the trunk with three interconnected support structures, while the three support structures are configured so as not to support other sides, thereby reducing the feeling of pressure experienced by the wearer.
[0010] Furthermore, this thoracolumbar orthosis allows for adjustment of the length of the upper belt, the length of both upper belts, the distance between the upper part of the lower support or the lower part of the upper support and the center of the back support, and the distance and angle between the lower part of the upper support and the upper part of the lower support, thus enabling a fitting that conforms to the wearer's body shape.
[0011] In the thoracolumbar orthosis according to claim 2, the distance and angle between the lower part of the upper support and the upper part of the lower support can be changed using a relatively simple configuration of hook-and-loop fasteners. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0012] [Figure 1] This is a front view (photograph) of a thoracolumbar orthosis according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a posterior view (photograph) of the aforementioned thoracolumbar orthosis. [Figure 3] This is a left side view (photograph) of the aforementioned thoracolumbar orthosis. [Figure 4] This is a right side view (photograph) of the aforementioned thoracolumbar orthosis. [Figure 5] This is a top view (photograph) of the aforementioned thoracolumbar orthosis. [Figure 6] This is a bottom view (photograph) of the aforementioned thoracolumbar orthosis. [Figure 7] This is a view (photograph) of the aforementioned thoracolumbar orthosis from a slightly oblique angle below. [Figure 8] (A) and (B) are explanatory diagrams (photographs) showing the thoracolumbar orthosis in the state with the connecting piece removed and in the state with the connecting position of the connecting piece changed from the position shown in Figure 1. [Figure 9] (A) and (B) are explanatory diagrams (both photographs) showing the thoracolumbar orthosis from the outside and inside, respectively, with the upper and lower belts on the other side removed. [Figure 10] (A) is an explanatory diagram (photograph) showing the thoracolumbar orthosis as shown in Figure 9(A), with the cushioning material removed from the back support, viewed from the inside. (B) is a magnified view (photograph) of the thoracolumbar orthosis as shown, with the upper support removed from the other components. [Figure 11] (A) and (B) are enlarged sections (photographs) of the thoracolumbar orthosis showing examples of changes in the connection state between the upper support and the lower support. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0013] Embodiments of the present invention are described below.
[0014] The thoracolumbar orthosis having the structure shown in FIGS. 1 to 11 is configured to limit the forward bending and rotation of the wearer's trunk in the worn state, and includes an upper support body 1 that supports from the chest to the central portion of one side surface (in this example, a portion around the center in the vertical direction of the right side surface of the trunk body, and a portion at the height position between the upper part of the back and the waist), a lower support body 2 that supports from the waist to the central portion of one side surface, and a back support body 3 that supports the back. FIGS. 1 to 7 are taken in a state where a nylon thread (line) is passed through an appropriate part of the thoracolumbar orthosis (the part that becomes the upper side when placed on the floor) to lift it up in order to clearly show the structure of the thoracolumbar orthosis.
[0015] The upper support body 1 is a member made of a hard (non-flexible or poorly flexible) synthetic resin (a transparent member in the illustrated example), and as shown in FIGS. 1, 10(A) and (B), etc., it extends in a substantially V-shaped manner while being appropriately curved along the outer surface of the human body of the portion to be supported so as to be able to support from the waist to the central portion of one side surface. In FIG. 10(B), the upper support body 1 is shown in a state of being removed from other parts.
[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1, and 5 to 7, a cushion material 4 is detachably provided, for example, by a hook-and-loop fastener, inside (rear side) of the upper part of the upper support body 1.
[0017] The lower support body 2 is a member made of a hard (non-flexible or poorly flexible) synthetic resin (a white member in the illustrated example), and as shown in FIGS. 3, 10(B), etc., it extends in a substantially V-shaped manner while being appropriately curved along the outer surface of the human body of the portion to be supported so as to be able to support from the upper part of the back to the central portion of one side surface.
[0018] As shown in Figures 2 and 9(B), the rear support 3, as a whole, has a front and rear view shape in which the left and right widths at the bottom are slightly larger than the left and right widths at the top, and both left and right ends of the bottom are rounded and extend diagonally downwards. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(A), the rear support 3 has an inner and outer double structure composed of a flexible synthetic resin base material 3A and a cushioning material 3B that is detachably attached to the inside (front side) of the base material 3A.
[0019] In this example, both 3A and 3B are connected by hook-and-loop fasteners. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, multiple hook-and-loop fasteners (9 in the illustrated example) 3c are provided on the inside (front) side of the base material 3A, and the entire outer surface (back) of the cushion material 3B is configured to become a fastener surface that can be connected to each hook-and-loop fastener 3c. Note that the base material 3A of the back support 3 in the illustrated example is semi-transparent, so the hook-and-loop fasteners 3c are visible in Figure 2, but if the base material 3A is opaque, they will not be visible in Figure 2.
[0020] As shown in Figures 1-3, 5, and 6, the upper part of the upper support 1 and the upper part of the back support 3 are connected by an adjustable upper belt 5 located on the other side (the wearer's left side). In this example, a hook-and-loop fastener type belt is used for the upper belt 5, allowing for length adjustment (fine adjustment), but other methods may be used for length adjustment.
[0021] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the lower part of the lower support 2 and the lower part of the back support 3 are connected by two length-adjustable lower belts 6 and 7, located on one side (the wearer's right side) and the other side (the wearer's left side), respectively. In this example, hook-and-loop fastener type belts are used for the lower belts 6 and 7 to allow for length adjustment (fine adjustment), but other methods may be used for length adjustment.
[0022] In this example, the front ends of the lower belts 6 and 7 are detachably connected to the lower part of the lower support 2 (see Figure 1), and the rear ends of the lower belts 6 and 7 are fixed to the left and right sides of the lower part of the back support 3 (see Figure 2). Specifically, the former connection is made by providing a hook-and-loop fastener 2a on the outside (front) of the lower part of the lower support 2, as shown in Figure 1, and configuring the front ends of the lower belts 6 and 7 to have fastener surfaces that can be connected to the hook-and-loop fastener 2a.
[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 to 6, the upper part of the lower support 2 and the central part of the back support 3 in the vertical direction are connected by a connecting piece 8 that extends from the rear side of the lower part of the lower support 2 toward the rear, allowing the distance between them to be adjusted. That is, the front end of the connecting piece 8 is fixed to the upper part of the lower support 2. As shown in Figures 8(A) and (B), a hook-and-loop fastener 3d is provided on the outside (rear side) of the central part of the back support 3, and a fastener surface that can be connected to the hook-and-loop fastener 3d is provided on the inside (front side) of the connecting piece 8. The connecting piece 8 is a flexible synthetic resin member, and can be molded from the same material as the base material 3A of the back support 3, for example.
[0024] As shown in Figures 11(A) and (B), the lower part of the upper support 1 and the upper part of the lower support 2 are connected in such a way that the vertical distance between them and the angle between them can be changed. Specifically, a hook-and-loop fastener 1a is provided on the inside of the lower part of the upper support 1, and a hook-and-loop fastener 2b is provided on the outside of the upper part of the lower support 2, and the two are connected by these hook-and-loop fasteners 1a and 2b.
[0025] In the thoracolumbar orthosis of this example, configured as described above, the three interconnected support bodies 1-3 can restrict trunk flexion and rotation. Specifically, the upper part of the rigid upper support body 1 firmly supports the chest and restricts flexion, while the lower part of the rigid lower support body 2 firmly supports the lumbar region and restricts rotation. Furthermore, the upper part of the back support body 3 is connected to the upper part of the upper support body 1 by an upper belt 5, and the lower part of the back support body 3 is connected to the lower part of the lower support body 2 by lower belts 6 and 7. In addition, the central part of the back support body 3 is connected to the upper part of the lower support body 2, which is located on one side of the wearer, at a relatively close distance and with a relatively wide connecting piece 8. The back support body 3 has a larger surface area than the upper part of the upper support body 1 and the lower part of the lower support body 2, and is flexible, allowing for wider support of the wearer's back. This support force makes the restriction of flexion by the upper part of the upper support body 1 and the restriction of rotation by the lower part of the lower support body 2 even stronger.
[0026] Furthermore, in this thoracolumbar orthosis, the distance and angle between the lower part of the upper support 1 and the upper part of the upper support 2 can be changed using a relatively simple configuration of hook-and-loop fasteners.
[0027] Furthermore, this thoracolumbar orthosis allows for adjustment of the length of the upper belt 5, the lengths of the two lower belts 6 and 7, the distance between the upper part of the lower support 2 and the central part of the back support 3 (adjustment of the connection position of the connecting piece 8), and changes in the distance and angle between the lower part of the upper support 1 and the upper part of the lower support 2, thus enabling a fitting that conforms to the wearer's body shape.
[0028] Furthermore, this thoracolumbar orthosis is designed so that the three support structures 1-3 do not support the other side, thereby reducing the feeling of pressure on the wearer. Moreover, while the initial fitting of the thoracolumbar orthosis requires the adjustments described above to fit the wearer's body shape, subsequent attachment and removal of the orthosis can be done simply by attaching and detaching the upper belt 5 and lower belt 7 located on the other side (see Figures 9(A) and (B)), making it extremely convenient.
[0029] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the following modifications can be given.
[0030] Generally, since colostomies are often created on the left side of the body (lower left abdomen), it is preferable to configure the lower part of the upper support 1 and the upper part of the lower support 1 to support the wearer's right side, as in the example described above. However, the thoracolumbar orthosis in this example may also be configured with the left and right sides reversed.
[0031] In the example described above, the upper part of the lower support 2 and the central part of the rear support 3 are connected by a connecting piece 8 that extends backward from the rear of the upper part of the lower support 2, allowing the distance between them to be adjusted. However, the design is not limited to this. For example, the connecting piece 8 may extend backward from the rear of the lower part of the upper support 1 instead of from the rear of the upper part of the lower support 2, and this connecting piece 8 may be used to connect the lower part of the upper support 1 and the central part of the rear support 3, allowing the distance between them to be adjusted.
[0032] In the example described above, the lower part of the upper support 1 and the upper part of the lower support 2 are connected such that the former is on the outside of the latter, but this inner-outer relationship may also be reversed.
[0033] Needless to say, the modifications described herein may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0034] 1 Upper support 1a Hook and loop fastener body 2 Lower support 2a Velcro body 2b Velcro body 3 Back support 3A Base material 3B Cushioning material 3c hook and loop fastener body 3D hook-and-loop fastener body 4. Cushioning material 5. Upper belt 6. Lower belt 7. Lower belt 8 Connecting piece
Claims
1. An upper support that supports from the chest to the center of one side, A lower support that supports from the waist to the center of one side, It comprises a back support that supports the back, The upper part of the upper support and the upper part of the rear support are connected by length-adjustable upper belts located on their respective other sides. The lower part of the lower support and the lower part of the back support are connected by two length-adjustable lower belts located on one side and the other side of each. The upper part of the lower support or the lower part of the upper support and the central part of the rear support are connected by a connecting piece that extends backward from the rear side of the upper part of the lower support or the lower part of the upper support, allowing the distance between them to be adjusted. A thoracolumbar orthosis configured such that the lower part of the upper support and the upper part of the lower support are connected in a way that allows for changes in the vertical distance between them and the relative angle between them.
2. The thoracolumbar orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the lower part of the upper support and the upper part of the lower support are connected by hook-and-loop fasteners.