Orthesis for immobilizing thumb base joint

Details Orthesis for immobilizing thumb base joint Orthesis for immobilizing thumb base joint

1999-09-01

2001-12-04

Lewis, Kim M. (Department: 3761)

Surgery: splint, brace, or bandage

Orthopedic bandage

Splint or brace

C602S060000, C602S061000, C602S064000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06325772

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to an orthesis, made of flexible material, for immobilizing the thumb base joint, with a wrist strap surrounding the wrist and with a tubular extension piece receiving the thumb.
An orthesis of this type is known from DE-A-36 31 253. This orthesis serves, in particular, for absorbing high loads on the hand, such as occur, for example, in some types of ball sports and in heavy manual activity. For this purpose, the orthesis contains a flexible barlike supporting element in the region of the tubular thumb extension piece. This supporting element is also intended to provide support for the thumb base joint in the case of injuries in the region of the latter.
A similar orthesis is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,388,330, in which a half shell, with a flap capable of being secured to the thumb, is provided instead of the tubular thumb extension piece, the half shell being fastened to the wrist via elastic steel springs.
The object of which the invention is based is to provide an orthesis according to the information given above, which allows therapy adapted to the given conditions of an injury. This object is achieved, according to the invention, in that the extension piece contains a sheathlike reinforcement, with a transverse cutout located on the inside of the thumb base joint, and has in the region of the thumb base joint, on the outside of the thumb, a transverse slit of a length such that the transverse slit opens when the thumb base joint is bent, the degree of opening being limited by a flap which, bridging the transverse slit, extends from the outer region of the extension piece to the wrist strap and can be secured to the latter. Since the possibility of bending the thumb base joint is limited by the respective position of the flap, it is possible, depending on diagnosis, to establish a mobility of the thumb base joint which is limited to a greater or less extent, the securing of the flap bridging the transverse slit determining whether, on the one hand, the opening of the slit is prevented completely, that is to say the thumb base joint is not given any possibility of movement, or, on the other hand, the securing of the flap allows the slit to open to a greater extent, thus making it possible for the thumb base joint to bend correspondingly. Within these limits, it is possible, merely by securing the flap selectively to the wristband, to determine whether at all or to what extent the patient can move his thumb base joint, whilst, even during the period of treatment, this treatment can be adapted to the patient's respective state, specifically, where appropriate, by giving the thumb base joint an increasing possibility of movement. In this case, because of the sheathlike reinforcement in the extension piece, the thumb base joint continues to be supported against any undesirable lateral flexion which, in the case of an injury of the side ligaments of the thumb base joint, would be possible and is prevented by the sheathlike reinforcement. However, the latter allows the thumb base joint to bend to an extent which is desired where appropriate, since, in this case, this bending is limited, depending on the securing of the flap to the wristband, the transverse cutout in the sheathlike reinforcement being pushed together correspondingly on the inside of the thumb base joint, so that, therefore, the sheathlike reinforcement, on the one hand, allows the necessary transverse stabilization of the thumb base joint and, on the other hand, because of the presence of the transverse slit and inner cutout, permits therapeutically adapted bending of the thumb base joint.
The wrist strap is expediently provided, on its outside, with a coating of fleecy material of a touch-and-close fastening and the flap, on its inside, with the hooked material for selective securing to the wrist strap. By virtue of the fleecy material, the orthesis thereby acquires outwardly a soft outer surface which is agreeable to the wearer and to which the flap can then be secured by means of the hooked material attached on its inside. Since it is possible, at the same time, for the flap to be selectively secured to a greater or lesser extent in the vicinity of the transverse slit, a corresponding degree of opening of the latter is obtained, with the result that securing the flap to the wrist strap also makes it possible to establish the degree of possible movement and achieve a corresponding therapeutic effect.
In order, at the same time, essentially to define this latitude of movement, the wrist strap, together with the extension piece, and the flap are expediently designed in such a way that they consist of essentially nonstretchable material. It is also possible, however, to produce the flap from elastic material, so that an additional therapeutic effect can thereby be achieved.
In order to connect the tubular extension piece and the wrist strap to one another in a stable manner, the reinforcement is expediently designed in such a way that it extends into the wrist strap which is covered, on its outside, with the fleecy material and, on its inside, with a textile material. This makes it possible for the orthesis to be worn with a good degree of comfort.
In order to make it easier to put on the orthesis, in particular adapted to hands of different size, the wrist strap is expediently designed in such a way that it terminates in a touch-and-close fastening. The latter can comfortably be adapted to any wrist of a patient. So that the wrist strap can, at the same time, be put on particularly firmly, it is expediently designed in such a way that it contains a belt which can be secured selectively to the wrist strap by means of an eyelet passing through said wrist strap.


REFERENCES:
patent: D. 373639 (1996-09-01), McKie
patent: D. 405180 (1999-02-01), Reina
patent: 2388330 (1945-11-01), Jungmann
patent: 5397296 (1995-03-01), Sydor et al.
patent: 5554107 (1996-09-01), Shannahan
patent: 5873130 (1999-02-01), Lafferty
patent: 5928172 (1999-07-01), Gaylord
patent: 6093165 (2000-07-01), Estwanik
patent: 6098200 (2000-08-01), Minkow et al.
patent: 6119267 (2000-09-01), Pozzi
patent: 6142966 (2000-11-01), Hely
patent: 30 06 362 A (1981-08-01), None
patent: 36 31 253 (1988-03-01), None
patent: 88 06 792 U (1988-10-01), None
patent: 42 18 594 A (1993-12-01), None

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