Limb orthoses

Abstract

To provide an orthosis for extremities, which reduces cumbersomeness for a user while applying an urging force in an extension direction to the user's fingers.SOLUTION: An orthosis for extremities comprises a rigid base 20 for being attached to the palm or the sole, and four rigid support walls 30A, 30B, 30C and 30D erected at intervals from the base 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an orthosis for extremities to be worn on the upper or lower limbs. [Background technology]

[0002] Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease in which inflammation of the synovial membrane destroys cartilage and bone, resulting in joint deformation. One of the deformities is ulnar deviation, in which the four fingers (excluding the thumb) tilt toward the ulnar side (little finger side). Severe ulnar deviation requires surgical treatment such as artificial joint replacement, so there is a need for an orthosis that can suppress the progression of ulnar deviation. The upper limb support device in Patent Document 1 is worn on the hand, but its main purpose is to maintain the angle between the forearm and palm at a desired value, and it does not have the function of suppressing ulnar deviation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-94339 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In addition, there is a dynamic extension orthosis with outriggers that is used for rehabilitation after artificial finger joint replacement surgery, but it is very large and when worn, it significantly interferes with daily activities.

[0005] In light of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an extremity orthosis that can suppress ulnar deviation when worn and that causes minimal interference with daily life even when worn. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention comprises a rigid base attached to the palm or sole of the foot and four rigid support walls spaced apart from the base. and an elastic body disposed on the surface of the base on which the support wall rises.It is a limb orthosis equipped with: A portion of the elastic body protrudes from the base and is positioned between the support walls, and its lower side is supported only by the support walls. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The limb orthosis of the present invention can suppress ulnar deviation when worn, and causes little disruption to daily life even when worn. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a limb orthosis according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a view of the limb orthosis as seen from a different direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the limb orthosis in a worn state. [Figure 4] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing a main body of an orthosis for extremities according to a modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Fig. 1 shows a limb orthosis 1 of the present invention. The limb orthosis 1 includes a main body 10 having a base 20 and a support wall 30, an elastic sheet (elastic body) 40 arranged on the main body 10, and a support band 50 attached to the main body 10.

[0010] Base 20 is made of a hard material and formed into a surface extending in one direction. Base 20 has a configuration in which a first region 21 on the front side that is attached to the palm of the hand and a second region 22 on the rear side that is attached to the forearm are connected to each other. First region 21 may be flat, or may have a curved surface similar to the surface of a typical human palm.

[0011] The second region 22 has a basic half-pipe shape and is formed to easily fit the forearm. The material of the base 20 is not particularly limited as long as it has a certain level of rigidity, and synthetic resin, metal, wood, etc. can be used. Thermoplastic knit, which is a combination of thermoplastic resin and knit, can also be used.

[0012] The support wall 30 extends on one surface of the first region 21 in a direction intersecting the plane direction in which the first region extends. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, four support walls 30A to 30D are provided on the upper surface of the first region 21, extending upward and generally perpendicular to the first region 21. The four support walls 30A to 30D extend in generally the same direction in the plane direction of the first region 21 and are generally parallel to one another. Each support wall is arranged with a gap approximately equal to the width of an average adult finger. The upper end of each support wall is bent in the same direction. As a result, the upper side of the gap between each support wall is covered by the bent portion.

[0013] The elastic sheet 40 is attached to the upper surface side of the first region 21. As shown in Fig. 2, the elastic sheet 40 is located higher than the base of each support wall, and a portion of the elastic sheet 40 is located forward of the front end of the first region 21. The elastic sheet 40 can be made of, for example, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, elastomer, etc., and chloroprene rubber, also known as neoprene, etc. can be preferably used.

[0014] The support band (support) 50 is belt-shaped and is wrapped around the palm and forearm of the wearer wearing the main body 10 to support the main body 10. In this embodiment, a hook-and-loop fastener is used as the support band 50, but the structure for maintaining the wrapped state is not limited to this and may be, for example, a belt-like structure using a buckle.

[0015] The operation of the limb orthosis 1 configured as above when in use will be described. The user inserts his / her fingers into the gaps between the support walls while placing the palm and forearm along first region 21 and second region 22, respectively. At this time, the middle finger is inserted between support walls 30A and 30B, the ring finger between support walls 30B and 30C, and the little finger between support walls 30C and 30D, and the index finger is placed along the surface of support wall 30A that does not face support wall 30B. In this state, the support band 50 is wrapped around the palm and forearm and fastened, completing the wearing of the limb orthosis 1.

[0016] When the limb orthosis 1 is worn, support wall 30A is present on the ulnar side of the index finger. Similarly, support wall 30B is present on the ulnar side of the middle finger, support wall 30C is present on the ulnar side of the ring finger, and support wall 30D is present on the ulnar side of the little finger. In this way, because support walls are located on the ulnar side of all fingers except the thumb, when each finger attempts to move toward the ulnar side, it hits the support wall, interferes with it, and is unable to move. As a result, ulnar deviation is effectively suppressed.

[0017] As described above, the extremity orthosis 1 of the present invention can effectively suppress ulnar deviation of the four fingers. Furthermore, because it is configured to suppress ulnar deviation by using support walls that rise from the base, the orthosis is not large-scale like an extension dynamic orthosis with outriggers that pulls the fingers from the dorsum of the hand to the radial side, and various movements of daily life can be performed without any problems even while wearing it.

[0018] Furthermore, the upper ends of the support walls are bent and cover the upper sides of the gaps that exist between the support walls, which effectively prevents the finger from unintentionally escaping from the space between the support walls while the device is being worn, and effectively maintains a state in which ulnar deviation is suppressed.

[0019] In the limb orthosis 1, a portion of the elastic sheet 40 protrudes forward from the first region 21 of the base 20, and therefore when the orthosis is worn, the underside of the wearer's finger, which is located forward from the first region 21, more specifically, the base of the finger including the MP joint and its surrounding area, is supported by the elastic sheet 40 rather than a hard member. Therefore, even a wearer whose ability to hold the finger in position has decreased, such as a patient after artificial joint replacement surgery, can easily hold the finger in a nearly horizontal position, and rehabilitation, etc. can be carried out smoothly.

[0020] In front of the first region 21, the elastic sheet 40 is supported from below only at the portion that contacts the support wall, and is not supported from below by the base between the support walls. Therefore, between the support walls, the finger can deform downward without being restricted by the base 20 due to the weight of the finger or the force applied to the finger. As a result, the portion that contacts the elastic sheet in front of the first region 21 is supported as if resting on a hammock. As a result, passive extension of the attached finger is assisted and interference with active flexion movement is reduced, greatly contributing to rehabilitation after artificial finger joint replacement surgery.

[0021] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It is possible to change the combination of components, and to add various modifications to or delete components without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Some of such modifications are exemplified below, but these are not all, and other modifications are also possible. Two or more of these modifications may be combined as appropriate.

[0022] The second region is not essential to the base of the present invention. Therefore, the base may have only the first region, or may be small enough to cover only a portion of the front of the palm. This configuration simplifies the attachment operation and is therefore suitable for conservative therapy for rheumatoid arthritis patients prior to total joint replacement surgery, as well as for preventing ulnar deviation in patients with milder conditions.

[0023] In the supporting walls, it is not essential that the upper side of the gap between the supporting walls is covered by the bent upper end, and the upper side of the gap may be open. Furthermore, even when the upper side of the gap is covered, the manner in which it is covered is not limited to the above and various other manners are possible. For example, a structure in which the upper side of the gap between the support walls is completely closed may be used, as in the modified support wall 130 shown in Figure 4(a). In this case, the gap between the support walls is tunnel-shaped, so the wearer can place their finger between the support walls by passing it through the tunnel, and unintentional slippage of the finger after wearing the device can be almost completely prevented. Alternatively, a single support wall 30D may be configured to extend long enough to cover the upper sides of all of the gaps, as in the modified support wall 230 shown in Fig. 4(b). In this case, the portion covering the upper sides of the gaps may be separate from the support wall 30D and connected to the support wall 30D with a hinge or the like, and the portion covering the upper sides of the gaps may be configured to be able to engage with another support wall, so that the closed state is maintained while the device is attached. In addition, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the upper end of the support wall is bent radially, but the upper end may be bent ulnarly to cover the upper side of the gap, or the bending direction may differ depending on the support wall.

[0024] The scope of application of the limb orthosis of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned MP joint replacement surgery for rheumatoid arthritis, conservative therapy, or preventive use. For example, it can also be used in orthotic treatment after MP joint soft tissue closure, orthotic treatment after common extensor tendon rupture, or orthotic treatment for wrist drop due to radial nerve palsy, by effectively suppressing ulnar deviation and improving treatment effects.

[0025] While the above embodiment shows an example of a configuration in which the orthosis is worn on the hand, the extremity orthosis according to the present invention can also be applied to the lower limbs by appropriately changing the shapes of the base, support wall, etc. In other words, by wearing it on the foot, it can treat or prevent ulnar deviation of the toes, and is expected to be effective against various diseases such as hallux valgus.

[0026] In cases where the treatment is for diseases other than rheumatoid arthritis, the hammock-like support provided by the elastic sheet is not necessarily required. In such cases, the limb orthosis does not need to include an elastic sheet. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1. Limb orthoses 20 base 30, 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 130 supporting wall 40 Elastic sheet (elastic body)

Claims

1. a rigid base that is attached to the palm or sole of the foot; four rigid support walls spaced apart and upstanding from said base; an elastic body disposed on a surface of the base from which the support wall rises; Equipped with a part of the elastic body protruding from the base and positioned between the support walls, the lower side of the elastic body being supported only by the support walls; Limb orthoses.

2. The upper end of the support wall is bent, and the bent portion covers the upper side of the gap between the support walls. The limb orthosis according to claim 1.

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