JP2001212162A - Correction method of leg abnormal posture and knee brace used for it. - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a correction method for correcting an abnormal posture of a leg and removing pain of unicompartmental knee arthritis, and a knee brace used for the correction method. A first support member surrounding the leg in the thigh region of the patient's leg, a second support member surrounding the leg in the tibial region of the patient's leg, and a knee of the leg. A rigid linkage coupled to a support member on a first side of the leg, the hinge having a hinge axis substantially coincident with the flexion axis, and a first link on a second side opposite the first side of the leg. The first cable fixing device fixed to the support member of the, the second cable fixing device fixed to the second support member on the second side of the leg, the front of the leg from the first fixing device Extending across to the hinge,
And a single cable extending from the hinge across the front of the leg to a second securing device, and the securing device arranged to allow the cable to be pulled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a brace for orthopedic surgery, and more particularly to a brace for correcting abnormal posture of a leg and unicompartmental osteoarthritis.
It is related to a lightweight knee brace that can eliminate pain of thritis.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION United States Patents 5,599,288 and 5,8
No. 57,988 stabilizes the knee and ligament of a patient with an injured knee,
Knee braces are disclosed that use cross-linked cables to hold them side by side. Because the cross-connecting cables have bilateral distribution of substantially equal stabilizing forces on both sides of the knee, these braces address the pain of unicondylar arthritis in the knee, or a rather healthy leg in children and adolescents. It is not effective in correcting the abnormal posture of the X leg (valgus knee) or 0 leg (varus knee), or in the treatment of unilateral condylar arthritis of the middle or side.

[0003]

Currently available braces designed to remedy these problems are heavy,
Expensive and unsightly. Therefore, there has been a demand for a technique relating to a light and inexpensive brace.

[0004]

The present invention has the following features to solve the above-mentioned problems. That is, the present invention enables correction of an abnormal posture through the technique using the cable of the above-mentioned patent, and also enables treatment of unicondylar arthritis of the knee. And, in the present invention, only a single cable is used. The cable extends from the fixation point on one side of the thigh to the direction in which the knee needs to be moved, to a point on the other side of the leg opposite the knee, and returns to the fixation point on the aforementioned side of the cuff. Tensioning the cable at a fixed point imparts a desired amount of rotation stress on the legs. Over time, this constant stress gradually straightens the patient's leg.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail based on illustrated embodiments. The brace 10 according to the present invention is formed of a soft and flexible material, and the thigh region 1 of the leg 20 is formed.
6 and a pair of lightweight cuffs 12, 14 covering the shin region 18. The cuffs 12 and 14 are substantially rectangular sheets wrapping around the thighs, and are held on the legs 20 by adjustment bands fixed by clips 24.

When the cuffs 12, 14 are correctly positioned on the legs 20, hinged link mechanisms 26, 28 attached to the cuffs are located on each side of the knee as shown. In addition, in the case of the above-described proper arrangement, the hinge shaft portions of the link mechanisms 26 and 28 are aligned with each other and with the bending axis of the knee 30, respectively. The link mechanisms 26, 28 include stops (not shown) to limit knee flexion and extension, if desired. The hinges of the link mechanisms 26 and 28 are shown in FIGS.
It may be covered with a protective sleeve as shown in.

The outer portion 32 of the cuffs 12, 14 has a Velcro surface. This surface is connected to the cable straps 34, 36
Engages a complementary Velcro surface formed on the inside of the The upper and lower ends of the cable straps 34 and 36 are attached to the cable 40 by hooks 38, respectively. Preferably, the cable 40 is a steel cable covered with a soft and washable synthetic resin.

[0008] In order for the brace 10 to operate properly, the cable strap 34 is secured to an area 34 of the cuff 12. At that time, cable strap 3
By pulling the 6 around the back of the shin area 18 and securing it in the area 34 of the cuff 14, the cable 40 is pulled tight.

When pulled in such a manner, the cable 40
From the hook 38 on the right side of the leg 20 (FIG. 1) to the thigh region 1
6, around a pulley 42 (FIG. 5 b) coaxial with the hinge shaft 43 of the link mechanism 28 on the left side of the knee 30 (FIG. 1), and a hook on the right side of the leg 20 (FIG. 1). Extends across the front of the tibia 18 to 38.

The cable 40 attached in this manner
As a result, the hook 38 serves as a fixing device for the cable 40, and the cuffs 12 and 14 serve as supporting members for these fixing devices. Cuff 12, 14
Is shown here as a separate device, but as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,288, a continuous sheath that extends from the thigh region 16 to the tibia region 18 together. May be formed.

FIG. 6 shows the legs 20, the thigh 41, and the tibia 4 when the cables 40 are arranged as shown.
5 shows the force applied. Thigh region 16 and tibia region 18
While the knee 30 is pulled to the right (arrow 46) while being pulled to the left (arrow 44). The interaction of these forces relieves the pain from unicondylar arthritis of the knee,
Legs can be kept straight.

An additional advantage of using a well-known soft and comfortable cell urethane stretch material in the material forming the cuffs 12 and 14 is to maintain the body heat of the legs 20, and thus the thighs adjacent to the knees 30. The tibial muscles are kept warm and flexible.

The left and right positions of the cable can be reversed from those shown to accommodate left or right leg and varus or valgus knee abnormalities.

The exemplary orthopedic knee brace described and illustrated herein is merely illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Indeed, various modifications and additions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, other modifications and additions will be apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention may be employed in a variety of different applications.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a brace according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is attached to a patient's foot.

FIG. 2 is a right side view of the brace of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the brace of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the brace of FIG. 1;

5A is a detailed perspective view of a race, and FIG. 5B is a side view of a link mechanism.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a force applied to a leg by a brace according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 brace 12,14 cuff 16 thigh region 18 shin region 20 legs 26,28 link mechanism 30 knee 34,36 cable strap 40 cable

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method for correcting an abnormal posture of a varus and valgus knee, which comprises the following steps a to h. a. Securing a first cable securing device to a first support member surrounding the leg in the thigh region of the patient's leg. b. Securing a second cable securing device to a second support member surrounding the leg in the tibial region of the patient's leg. c. Coupling the support member to a first side of the leg by a rigid linkage having a hinge having a hinge axis substantially coincident with the knee flexion axis of the leg; d. Providing a single cable. e. Securing one end of the cable to the first securing device on a second side opposite the first side. f. Securing the other end of the cable to a second securing device on the second side of the leg. g. Locating the cable extending from a first fixation device across the front of the leg to the hinge and extending from the hinge across the front of the leg to the second fixation device. h. Tightening the cable so as to pull the hinge onto the securing device. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said support member is a cuff disposed around a leg, and said securing device is a cable hook operably mounted on said cuff. Straightening method. 3. A knee brace having the following arrangements a to g. a. A first support member surrounding the leg in the thigh region of the patient's leg. b. A second support member surrounding the leg in the tibial region of the patient's leg. c. A rigid link mechanism comprising a hinge having a hinge axis substantially coincident with the knee flexion / extension axis of the leg, and coupled to the support member on a first side of the leg. d. A first cable fixing device fixed to the first support member on a second side opposite to the first side of the leg. e. A second cable securing device secured to the second support member on a second side of the leg. f. A single cable extending from the first fixation device across the front of the leg to the hinge and extending from the hinge across the front of the leg to the second fixation device. g. The fixation device wherein the cable is arranged to allow tensioning. 4. The knee brace of claim 3, wherein the hinge includes a pulley, and wherein the cable is located about the pulley of the hinge.