Knee joint traction device

Abstract

This invention provides a knee joint traction device and a method for using the knee joint traction device that can alleviate the pain of patients suffering from knee pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee and facilitate the transition to exercise therapy for many patients suffering from knee pain. [Solution] A knee joint traction device 1 for tractioning the knee joint 5 of a patient A lying supine, comprising: a vibrating member 9 that transmits vibrations to the popliteal fossa 44 by bending the knee joint 5 of the patient A lying supine at a predetermined flexion angle θ; a foot holding member 13 that is attached to the foot 11 of the patient A to hold the foot 11; a traction device 17; wires 15 and 16, one end of which is connected to the foot holding member 13 and wound between pulleys 19 and 20 positioned at appropriate locations, with the other end connected to the traction device 17; a spring 21 provided at an intermediate position between the wires 15 and 16; and a support frame 23 that supports these various components.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a knee joint traction device that can perform traction on the knee joint in a supine position, and can separate the gap (knee joint fissure) between the femur and the tibia in the knee joint while relaxing the stiffened knee joint and the surrounding muscles. Place Place Regarding.

Background Art

[0002] Currently in Japan, it is said that there are more than about 30 million people aged 50 or older who are troubled by knee pain, and among them, about 24 million are considered to have osteoarthritis of the knee joint. As shown in FIG. 6, osteoarthritis of the knee joint is a symptom in which the fissure (gap) T of the knee joint 5 composed of the femur B and the tibia C becomes narrow due to damage caused by sports or accidents, foot deformity due to aging, etc., and the bones collide with each other and the cartilage D wears away, causing pain.

[0003] As treatment methods for osteoarthritis of the knee joint, there are injection of hyaluronic acid into the knee joint, exercise therapy, painkiller injection, block injection, etc. performed at an orthopedic hospital. Also, if it still does not improve, it will be a surgical operation, and a replacement operation with an artificial joint will be performed. However, as a patient, there is a feeling of wanting to avoid replacement with an artificial joint as much as possible. On the other hand, there are also many patients who complain that the pain is not alleviated at all even if the injection of hyaluronic acid, etc. is continued.

[0004] Here, a tibial elongation device has been proposed that holds the ankle and the lower knee of a person lying supine on a bed and pulls in the elongation direction (see Patent Document 1, etc.). The device described in Patent Document 1 includes an ankle holder that holds the user's ankle, a lower knee holder that holds the lower knee, an ankle traction device that pulls the ankle holder toward the toe side, and a lower knee traction device that pulls the lower knee holder toward the knee side, and is a device that stretches the user's height by pulling the tibia to either both sides or one side.

[0005] ​Furthermore, a device has been proposed that holds the lower leg portion while the user is sitting in a chair with their legs extended and pulls it forward in the length direction of the lower limb (see Patent Document 2, etc.). The device described in Patent Document 2 holds the lower leg portion with a footrest having a lower support portion that receives the user's lower leg portion, and by pulling the footrest forward in the length direction of the lower limb with a pulling means, an Achilles tendon pressure point press is applied to the calcaneal side portion of the user's Achilles tendon, thereby performing flexibility exercises for the Achilles tendon. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-161547 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 4169363 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Against this backdrop, the inventor, who runs a chiropractic clinic, initially only performed electrical therapy and massage around the knee, but saw no visible effects. He diligently continued his research, searching for a way to alleviate the knee pain of patients before they could move on to exercise therapy. In his research, he came to the idea that if there is a gap in the knee joint, and that pain is caused by the cartilage wearing down from years of walking, resulting in the femur and tibia rubbing directly against each other, then perhaps separating that gap would solve the problem.

[0008] Therefore, we started knee traction, but simply tractioning the knee joint was not effective. Through further trial and error, we tried a treatment in which the patient lay supine on the bed, the patient's hip joint was slightly bent and the knee joint was flexed, and the patient's lower leg was held under one armpit and pulled backward while the other hand was placed on the patient's popliteal fossa and vibrated up and down. As a result, there was no visible change in the patient's knee, but the patient reported clear effects such as "it's easier to walk," "it's easier to put on pants," and "the pain is gone." This is presumed to be the effect of the separation of the knee joint space.

[0009] Of course, this traction treatment alone will not completely eliminate knee pain, and the pain may return within a few days. However, recommending exercise therapy to a patient complaining of pain is harsh and places a heavy burden on the patient. Therefore, it is considered appropriate to alleviate the pain with this treatment method before proceeding with exercise therapy.

[0010] However, such treatment methods require specialized techniques and considerable physical strength from the practitioner, making them difficult to apply to a large number of patients with knee pain. Furthermore, while knee traction devices exist as shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, their original purpose is different, making it difficult to apply their structure directly to the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.

[0011] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to alleviate the pain of patients suffering from knee pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee, and to facilitate the transition to exercise therapy for many patients suffering from knee pain. knee Joint traction device Place The purpose is to provide it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The knee joint traction device of the present invention, which solves the above objective, is a knee joint traction device that tractions the knee joint of a patient lying in a supine position, A vibrating member that transmits vibrations to the popliteal fossa while the patient is lying supine, with the knee joint at a predetermined flexion angle, A foot support member that is attached to the patient's foot to hold the foot, Towing device and A wire, one end of which is connected to the foot-holding member, is wound around pulleys positioned at appropriate locations, and the other end of which is connected to the traction device, A spring is provided at an intermediate position of the aforementioned wire, It is characterized by comprising a support frame that supports these various members.

[0013] Here, the knee joint traction device of the present invention may be equipped with a bed on which the patient lies in a supine position, or it may be installed on a separately prepared bed. Also, the spring may be a spring scale (a hanging spring scale).

[0014] According to the knee joint traction device of the present invention, the knee joint can be tractioned while the knee joint is at a predetermined flexion angle, and vibrations are transmitted to the popliteal fossa by the vibrating member. This makes it possible to achieve the same effect as the treatment method performed by the practitioner described above, namely, to separate the knee joint space and alleviate knee pain. In particular, by positioning the spring in the middle of the wire, vibrations from the vibrating member can be transmitted intermittently in the traction direction, making it possible to apply traction force to the knee joint effectively while reducing the burden on the patient's knee joint.

[0015] In the knee joint traction device of the present invention, it is preferable that the vibrating member has a horizontal support surface that supports the lower leg of the patient, and that the height of the support surface can be changed.

[0016] By adopting this configuration, the flexion angle of the knee joint can be adjusted as desired by adjusting the height of the support surface in conjunction with the distance between the vibrating member and the patient's buttocks, according to differences in the patient's physique, etc.

[0017] Incidentally, the vibration member may be such that the entire support surface vibrates. By doing so, vibration can be transmitted in the vertical direction (the front-back direction of the knee joint) to the lower leg of the patient, and it becomes possible to effectively perform traction on the knee joint while relaxing the stiffened knee joint and the surrounding muscles.

[0018] Also, preferable The method of using the knee joint traction device is a method of using the knee joint traction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexion angle of the knee joint is adjusted within a range of 35° or more and 45° or less.

[0019] To separate the gap of the knee joint, it is preferable to perform traction at a flexion angle as close as possible to being parallel to the gap of the knee joint (a flexion angle close to 0°). However, if the flexion angle of the knee joint is less than 35°, the angle is too shallow and traction will reach the hip joint. On the other hand, if the flexion angle of the knee joint exceeds 45°, there is a risk that the gap of the knee joint cannot be effectively separated. That is, by setting the flexion angle of the knee joint within the range of 35° or more and 45° or less, it becomes possible to perform traction in a form as close as possible to being parallel to the gap of the knee joint without traction on the hip joint.

[0020] Also, preferable Another method of using the knee joint traction device is a method of using the knee joint traction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the traction force of the traction device is adjusted to 12 kg or more and 15 kg or less.

[0021] The inventor fabricated a model of the foot and conducted an experiment in which the actual procedure was performed using the model. As a result, it was estimated that the lower leg was being tractioned with a force of 12 kg or more and 15 kg or less. Therefore, the traction force of the traction device is adapted to the procedure in the technique.

[0022] Also, preferable Another method of using the knee joint traction device is a method of using the knee joint traction device according to claim 2, The method is characterized by adjusting the flexion angle of the knee joint by adjusting the distance between the vibrating member and the patient's buttocks and the height of the support surface.

[0023] According to another method of using the knee joint traction device of the present invention, the knee joint flexion angle can be adjusted to a range of, for example, 35° to 45° by adjusting the distance between the vibrating member and the patient's buttocks and the height of the support surface according to differences in the patient's physique. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to alleviate the pain of patients suffering from knee pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee and to facilitate the transition to exercise therapy for many patients suffering from knee pain. knee Joint traction device Place It can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0025] [Figure 1] This figure shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a side view showing a knee joint traction device. [Figure 2] This figure shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view showing a knee joint traction device. [Figure 3] This figure shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a rear view showing a knee joint traction device. [Figure 4] This figure shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a side view showing the knee joint traction device in use. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the foot support member. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a comparison between a normal knee joint (a) and a knee joint with osteoarthritis (b). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] The following describes embodiments of the knee joint space traction device of the present invention and the method of using this knee joint space traction device with reference to the drawings.

[0027] First, the overall configuration of the knee joint traction device 1 will be explained using Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is a side view of the knee joint traction device 1 of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a top view of the knee joint traction device 1 shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a rear view of the knee joint traction device 1 shown in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a side view showing the knee joint traction device 1 shown in Figure 1 in use. The knee joint traction device 1 of the present invention is used for a patient A with knee pain caused by osteoarthritis of the knee who lies supine on a bed 3, and is a device that can perform traction on the knee joint 5 while applying vibration.

[0028] The knee joint traction device 1 of this embodiment specifically comprises a bed 3 on which patient A can lie in a supine position, a vibrating member 9 positioned at a predetermined height on the bed 3, a foot holding member 13 attached to patient A's foot 11 to hold the foot 11, wires 15 and 16, a traction device 17, a spring 21, and a support frame 23 for positioning and mounting these components (specifically the bed 3, vibrating member 9, foot holding member 13, wires 15 and 16, traction device 17, pulleys 19 and 20, and spring 21) in the optimal position. In this embodiment, the knee joint traction device 1 is configured including the bed 3, but it is also possible to omit the bed 3 from the knee joint traction device 1 and separately prepare a suitable bed, such as a low-profile treatment bed used in a chiropractic clinic, and install the knee joint traction device 1 on this bed.

[0029] The vibrating member 9 is positioned at a predetermined height on the bed 3, supported at a predetermined height by a support plate 372 on the movable frame 371, which will be described in more detail later. The movable frame 371 is height-adjustable, and the height of the vibrating member 9 can be changed by adjusting the height of the movable frame 371. The vibrating member 9 is not particularly limited as long as it can transmit vibrations to the popliteal fossa 44 of patient A, but it is preferable that it can simultaneously support the left and right lower legs 7, 7 of patient A.

[0030] In this embodiment, a commercially available vibration device is used as the vibrating member 9. By placing the user on a plate, the vibration stimulates the muscles and supports training and conditioning. The vibrating member 9 has a vibrating plate 91 on top, and the upper surface of the plate 91 becomes a support surface 91A that supports the lower leg 7 of patient A with the knee joint 5 at a predetermined flexion angle θ. In this embodiment, when the lower leg 7 is placed on the support surface 91A of the plate 91 and the vibrating member 9 is activated, the vibration of the support surface 91A of the plate 91 is transmitted from the popliteal fossa 44 to the lower leg 7. Furthermore, although not particularly limited, the support surface 91A of the plate 91 in this embodiment is set to a horizontal state in order to adjust the flexion angle θ of the knee joint, as will be described in more detail later.

[0031] Various types of retainers capable of holding the foot 11 of patient A during treatment can be used as the foot retainer 13. In this embodiment, the foot retainer 13 is composed of a flat retaining plate 25 molded to the shape of the sole of the foot and placed against the sole, and two fixing bands 26, 26 that fix the retaining plate 25 to patient A's foot 11. As an example, the two fixing bands 26, 26 are connected using hook-and-loop fasteners.

[0032] Wires 15 and 16 are connected at one end to the foot holding member 13, wound around pulleys 19 and 20 positioned at appropriate locations, and the other end is connected to the traction device 17. Specifically, one end of wire 15 is connected to an eyebolt 27 attached to the bottom surface of the holding plate 25, for example via a carabiner 29. Wires 15 that are unfurled horizontally from the eyebolt 27 are wound around an upper pulley 19 attached to the support poles 31B and 31C of the support frame 23 (described later), then unfurled downwards and connected to the upper end of a spring 21 located near the lower ends of the support poles 31B and 31C. One end of wire 16 is connected to the lower end of the spring 21, and after being unfurled downwards, this wire 16 is wound around a lower pulley 20 attached near the lower ends of the support poles 31B and 31C, then unfurled upwards and the other end is connected to a traction device 17, for example, located somewhat above the midpoint between the support poles 31A and 31C.

[0033] The traction device 17 winds up the wires 15 and 16 and transmits a predetermined traction force F to the knee joint 5 of patient A via the wires 15 and 16. In this embodiment, a manual (hand-wound) traction device 17 is used that allows for fine adjustment of the traction force F considering the burden on the knee joint 5 of patient A, but it is also possible to use an electric traction device such as an electric winch.

[0034] In this embodiment, a spring scale (a suspension spring scale) is used as the spring 21. This spring 21 allows for the intermittent application of a traction force F in the traction direction Y, and also makes it possible to measure the traction force F.

[0035] As an example of a support frame 23, one can be assembled in a rectangular frame shape using lightweight aluminum pipes and joint members. The illustrated support frame 23 is composed of a vertical frame 33 including three support poles 31A, 31B, and 31C to which two pulleys 19 and 20, a spring 21, and a traction device 17 are attached, and another support pole 31D, a horizontal frame 35 provided to surround the bed 3, and an intermediate frame 37 positioned near the connection points of these.

[0036] The intermediate frame 37 is provided with a movable frame 371 for supporting the vibrating member 9. The movable frame 371 is formed in a frame shape and its position can be adjusted in the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, a transparent support plate 372 is provided on the movable frame 371, and the vibrating member 9 is placed on this support plate 372. Therefore, by adjusting the position of the movable frame 371 in the vertical direction Z, the height of the vibrating member 9, i.e., the height of the support surface 91A, can be adjusted.

[0037] Next, referring to Figure 4, the method of using the knee joint traction device 1. Law Let me give you an example.

[0038] First, patient A, who is to receive treatment, lies supine on the bed 3 with their feet 11 facing the side where the vertical frame 33 is provided. Next, patient A lifts their thigh 43 using their hip joint 41 as a pivot point and places their lower leg 7 on the support surface 91A of the vibrating member 9.

[0039] Next, the retaining plate 25 is placed against the sole of patient A's foot 11, and the fixing bands 26, 26 are used to connect patient A's foot 11 to the foot retaining member 13.

[0040] Then, the position P of patient A's buttocks 39 and the height H of the support surface 91A of the vibrating member 9 are adjusted. Specifically, the height of the movable frame 371 is changed by shifting the position P of patient A's buttocks 39 according to differences in patient A's physique (for example, if the patient is tall, the position P is moved away from the vibrating member 9, and if the patient is short, the position P is moved closer to the vibrating member 9) so that the flexion angle θ of patient A's knee joint 5 becomes a predetermined angle. Here, the flexion angle θ of the knee joint 5 is preferably in the range of 35° to 45°. As mentioned above, by setting the flexion angle θ of the knee joint in the range of 35° to 45°, it becomes possible to traction in a manner as close to parallel as possible to the knee joint space without traction on the hip joint. Note that a cushion K may be provided on the back of patient A's thigh, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 4.

[0041] In this state, the traction device 17 is operated to wind up the wires 15 and 16, and the traction force F is measured using a suspended spring scale used as a spring 21 and adjusted to a predetermined traction force F. Here, based on the results of the experiments described above, it is preferable to adjust the traction force F to be between 12 kg and 15 kg. That is, if the traction force F is less than 12 kg, the traction effect may be insufficient, while if the traction force F exceeds 15 kg, the load on the knee joint 5 may become too great.

[0042] Next, the vibrating member 9 is activated to apply vibration to the knee joint 5 in the vertical Z direction, and traction is performed while applying vibration to the knee joint 5 for a predetermined time. After the predetermined treatment time is completed, the vibrating member 9 is stopped, and the winding by the traction device 17 is loosened to remove the initial load. Then, the foot support member 13 attached to patient A's foot 11 is removed, and the lower leg 7 that was resting on the vibrating member 9 is lowered from the vibrating member 9, thus completing the series of treatments.

[0043] Furthermore, by using the knee joint traction device 1 of the present invention configured in this way, it becomes possible to separate the space T between the femur B and tibia C of the knee joint 5 and alleviate pain. In addition, the vertical vibration Z of the knee joint 5 performed simultaneously with the traction of the knee joint 5 relaxes the muscles of the knee joint 5 and its surroundings, thereby enhancing the effect of the traction of the knee joint 5. Moreover, the cushioning action of the spring 21 causes the traction force F applied to the knee joint 5 to act intermittently, accompanied by vibrations that change its magnitude. This makes it possible to perform a safe and effective treatment on patient A without causing any discomfort.

[0044] As a result, the same effects as those achieved by the practitioner can be obtained. In other words, since it is no longer necessary for the practitioner to perform the treatment as before, it becomes easier to apply this method to many patients suffering from knee pain, and it becomes possible to smoothly transition many patients to exercise therapy.

[0045] Next, a modified example of the foot-holding member 13 will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the foot-holding member.

[0046] As shown in Figure 5, the foot holding member 13' of this modified example includes, in addition to the holding plate 25 and fixing band 26 of the previously described embodiment, a second fixing band 51, a wide lower leg band 52 that wraps around the lower leg, and a third fixing band 53. The second fixing band 51, the lower leg band 52, and the third fixing band 53 can also be connected by hook-and-loop fasteners, just like the fixing band 26.

[0047] In the foot support member 13', first, as shown in Figure 5(a), the second fixing band 51 is wrapped around the lower leg. Next, as shown in Figure 5(b), the lower leg band 52 is wrapped around the lower leg. Then, as shown in Figure 5(c), the support plate 25 is placed against the sole of the foot, and the hook-and-loop fastener portion of the fixing band 26 is attached to the lower leg band 52. Finally, as shown in Figure 5(d), the ankle portion is secured with the third fixing band 53. In this modified example, the actions shown in Figures 5(a) to 5(d) may be performed after lying supine on the bed 3, or the actions shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b) may be performed first, then lying supine on the bed 3, and then the actions shown in Figures 5(c) and 5(d) may be performed.

[0048] Using the modified foot support member 13', the patient's foot can be held stably, and the traction force F can be applied more effectively.

[0049] The knee joint traction device 1 of the present invention, preferable The method of using the knee joint traction device 1 is not limited to the configuration described in the above-described embodiment, but is also limited to the method described in the claims. etc. Various modifications can be made. For example, if patient A is suffering from knee pain in both knees, the treatment of both knee joints 5, 5 may be performed simultaneously, or one knee at a time. In addition, to accommodate differences in the practitioner's dominant hand, the size of the room, or the layout, it is possible to appropriately select and use the four support poles 31, including the support pole 31D which was not used in the above-described embodiment, to position the traction device 17, etc.

[0050] Furthermore, the support frame 23 can be made foldable so that it can be folded and stored when not in use. Alternatively, lockable casters can be provided on the bottom of the support frame 23 so that it can be freely moved by unlocking the casters and rotating them when needed.

[0051] In addition, the configuration of the foot support member 13 can be modified in various ways. For example, a short leg orthosis for prosthetic limbs may be used, or the foot support member 13 may be modeled after a slipper or shoe and fixed to the patient A's foot 11 with a fixing band with a buckle or the like. Furthermore, in addition to the traction device 17 that uses the aforementioned wire winding method 15 and 16, a sliding type traction device 17 using an air cylinder or hydraulic cylinder may also be adopted. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 1. Knee joint traction device 3 beds 9. Vibrating Member 13 Foot holding member 15,16 wires 17 Traction device 23 Support frame 25 Holding plate 26 Fixing bands 31 Support pole A patient θ bending angle F Traction force T gap

Claims

1. A knee joint traction device for a patient lying supine, which provides traction to the knee joint. A vibrating member that transmits vibrations to the popliteal fossa while the patient is lying supine, with the knee joint at a predetermined flexion angle, A foot support member that is attached to the patient's foot to hold the foot, Towing device and A wire is connected at one end to the foot-holding member, wound around pulleys positioned at appropriate locations, and the other end is connected to the traction device. A spring is provided at an intermediate position of the aforementioned wire, A knee joint traction device characterized by comprising a support frame that supports these various components.

2. The knee joint traction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the vibrating member has a horizontal support surface that supports the patient's lower leg, and the height of the support surface is adjustable.

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