Surgery: splint – brace – or bandage – Orthopedic bandage – Splint or brace
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-01
2001-12-11
Brown, Michael A. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: splint, brace, or bandage
Orthopedic bandage
Splint or brace
C128S878000, C002S016000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328706
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to wrist supports and more particularly to a wrist support for extended daily wear to permit use of the hand by the wearer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various types of wrist supporting devices that restrict movement of the wrist in one way or another are available for a variety of purposes. The motion(s) restricted and the way(s) in which way in this is achieved varies.
For example, a bowler's wrist brace is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,648, which issued Oct. 30, 1984. This brace includes a rigid channel member custom fit for receipt of a wearer's forearm therein. The brace is designed for supporting a wearer's wrist when throwing a bowling ball and so endeavors to ensure that a predetermined angle between hand and wrist is maintained for a proper release of the ball from the bowler's hand.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,766, issued Apr. 20, 1993, describes a wrist brace which aids healing of a fracture of the lower end of the radius, known in the medical community as a “Colles fracture”. The brace is intended to be worn by a person throughout the healing process and so is adjustable to permit the degree of restriction placed on the wearer's wrist to be varied, particularly pivotal movement of the wrist about the radiocarpal joint, depending upon the stage of repair of the person's wrist. To this end, the brace is composed of several parts. The desired fit is rather precise and use of an X-ray machine in fitting of the brace is described.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,092, issued Mar. 3, 1998, describes a protective arm and wrist guard for use by a sports participant, particularly a snowboarder. The guard comprises a substantially rigid dipartite sleeve adapted to receive the distal forearm, wrist and proximal portion of a hand; thumb receiving region at one end of the sleeve to receive and partially surround the base of the thumb of a user and retaining straps to hold the sleeve on the arm of a user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An aspect of the present invention is to provide a wrist support device that can be worn throughout the day by a person who needs to use their hand, say a worker in the roofing industry for gripping and using a hammer. At the same time, the device provides support to immobilize the wearer's wrist, as described further below, so as to reduce damage to the wrist from repetitive hammering action, for example, and to reduce pain that may result from movement of the wrist due to prior injury.
The invention therefore provides for a wrist supporting device, which allows limited extension and flexion of the wrist but substantially limits movement of the wrist in all other directions and further substantially limits pressure from being placed on the wrist and comprises a first elongated channel shaped rigid member having a generally longitudinal axis for aligning with the longitudinal axis of a user's forearm and abutting against the posterior aspect of the forearm. The lateral and medial aspects of the member substantially surround the lateral and medial aspects of the user's forearm, the member extending from about the metacarpo-phalangeal joint of the user's hand to about the mid forearm. The term “lateral” as used herein refers to a structure being further away from the median plane than another structure in the body. The term “medial” as used herein refers to a structure being closer to the median plane than another structure in the body. The term “median” as used herein refers to the midline plane dividing the body into left/right halves. Preferably, the proximal and distal portions of the member curve upwards and outwards at about a 30° and 20° angle respectively, relative to the longitudinal axis. The terms “proximal” and “distal” are employed with reference to the limbs only. The term “proximal” as used herein refers to a structure being closer to the median plane or root of the limb than another structure in the limb. The term “distal” as used herein refers to a structure being further away from the median plane or root of the limb than another structure in the limb. The distal lateral or medial edge portion of the member further have an aperture for receiving a velcro strap, wherein one end of the velcro strap is fixedly attached to the distal portion of the member substantially opposite the aperture and the free end of the velcro strap is passed through the aperture for releasably attaching to the top surface of the member. The velcro strap spans the wearer's palm between the thumb and the index finger. It is preferable that the velcro strap comprise of leather. The device also comprises a second small rigid substantially flat member independent from the first member for aligning with the longitudinal axis of the user's forearm and abuts against the anterior aspect of the forearm. The second member extends from about the carpo-metacarpal joint of the user's hand to about the lower forearm. A plurality of releasably attaching fastening members are adapted to attach the first and second members together and secure the first and second members to the wearer's hand such that when the fastening members are tightened the second member abuts the anterior aspect of the user's arm and is positioned so as to extend from about the carpo-metacarpal joint of the user's hand to about the lower forearm thereby limiting extension and flexion of the wrist and substantially limiting pressure being placed on the wrist.
In another aspect of the invention, the wrist support device comprises vents for providing comfort to the wearer. It is important, however, that the vents not be positioned such that they correspond to the radiocarpal joint of the wearer.
In yet another aspect the invention, the wrist support device comprises cushioning means on the surface abutting the wearer's arm for providing comfort to the wearer.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the cushioning means of the first member in the region corresponding to the radiocarpal joint is wedged shape with the widest portion of the wedge facing distally and tapering in thickness towards the proximal, lateral and medial aspects of the member.
In a second embodiment, the invention calls for a wrist support to immobilize movement of the hand and forearm of a person with respect to each other about the wrist, the support comprising a tubular member comprising a wall of generally arcuate cross section, shaped to receive contiguous portions of a person's forearm, wrist and hand therein, wherein the member is dimensioned and is sufficiently flexible to permit radially inward flexure of the lengthwise sides of the member for fitting of the posterior and sides of the forearm, wrist and hand in abutment against an inner concave surface of the wall in use, and sufficiently rigid to preclude flexure of the wall in other directions; first and second flexible straps, wherein each strap is secured to the outer back of the wall and disposed to permit extension of the strap from a first to a second lengthwise edge of the tubular member, to span a gap between the edges, wherein there is an aperture defined adjacent the second edge to permit passage of the strap therethrough and looping of the strap back onto itself, to permit the radial inward flexure of the lengthwise sides of the member by drawing of the strap through the aperture; complementary hook and loop fasteners disposed on the outer back of the wall and the free end of each strap to permit the looped-back end of each strap to be secured in a position selected by the person in which the inner concave surface of the wall is in abutment with the posterior and sides of the forearm, wrist and hand; a rigid member having first and second openings therein for passage of the first and second straps therethrough to locate the rigid member in the gap, in use, in abutment with an anterior surface of the arm wherein each opening is dimensioned with respect to the strap passing therethrough such that the rigid member is substantially
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