ORTHOPEDIC DEVICE FOR COMBINATION WITH A PLASTER CAST

• US 3,832,997 A
• Filed: 08/30/1972
• Issued: 09/03/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard R. Cappelletti
• Original Assignee: Richard R. Cappelletti
• Inventors: Cappelletti, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yasko, J.
• Application Number:
  US05/284,957
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 128/85,84,83,75,94,87,91
• US Class Current: 602/11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/041 Accessories for stiffening bandages, e.g. cast liners, heel-pieces

Abstract

The device is intended for combination with a plaster cast of the type which is applied to the foot of a fracture patient and leaving the toes uncovered. The device comprises a U-shaped member adapted to be attached at the ends thereof to the opposite sides of a plaster cast and extending around the front of the cast to protect the patient'"'"''"'"'s toes, and to serve as a toe traction splint when required.

Claims

1. An orthopedic device for combination with a plaster cast of the type applied to the foot of a fracture patient and leaving the toes uncovered, said orthopedic device comprising a substantially U-shaped member of semi-rigid material, said member being adapted to be attached at the ends thereof to the opposite sides of the plaster cast and extending around the front of the cast to protect the patient'"'"''"'"'s toes, said member including surface discontinuities longitudinally spaced along each end thereof to provide for anchorage of said ends within the plaster cast, the end portions of said member being slanted inwardly and having a constricted spacing between the ends thereof to engage the sides of the foot of the patient with a spring force during the construction of the plaster cast, said U-shaped member having a generally curved midsection intended to surround the front of the patient'"'"''"'"'s foot, said curved midsection including two curved portions and a straight portion intermediate to said curved portions, said straight portion being slanted at an angle of about 67* to the center line of said device to thereby approximate a direction parallel to a line tangent to the tips of the toes of a typical patient when the device is assemBled with a cast on the foot.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said member has a substantially uniform thickness from the inside surface to the outside surface thereof and a substantially uniform width between the upper and lower marginal edges thereof.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the dimension of said thickness is substantially less than the dimension of said width.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said surface discontinuities comprise protrusions from at least one surface of said member.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said protrusions are provided upon an outer surface of said member.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said protrusions are comprised of ribs transversely arranged with respect to the longitudinal dimension of said member and regularly spaced along said longitudinal dimension.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said protrusions comprise a series of knobs arranged in a regular pattern along the longitudinal dimension of said member.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is included a separate straight side portion between each of said curved portions and the associated slanted end portion, each of said straight side portions being substantially parallel to the center line of the device.

9. An orthopedic device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mid-portions of said U-shaped member in the vicinity of the curves therein are provided with surface discontinuity features for anchoring toe traction devices thereto so that said device is operable as a traction splint.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said surface discontinuity features are regularly spaced along the longitudinal dimension of said U-shaped member.

11. A device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said surface discontinuity features are comprised of ribs transversely arranged along the exterior surface of said U-shaped member.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11 wherein said transverse ribs extend beyond the upper and lower marginal edges of the body of said U-shaped member to enhance the anchoring effect of said ribs.

13. A device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said surface discontinuity features comprise openings extending through the body of said U-shaped member.

14. A device as claimed in claim 13 wherein said openings comprise a series of slots in the edges of said U-shaped member.

15. A device as claimed in claim 14 wherein said edge slots are alternately spaced in opposite edges of said U-shaped member.

16. A device as claimed in claim 13 wherein said openings comprise through holes in said U-shaped member.

17. A device as claimed in claim 16 wherein said holes consist of slotted U-shaped holes at regularly spaced longitudinal positions in said U-shaped member.

18. A device as claimed in claim 16 wherein said surface discontinuity features for anchoring a toe traction device include both through holes and integral pegs.

19. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the semi-rigid material of said U-shaped member consists essentially of a synthetic resin.

20. A device as claimed in claim 19 wherein said synthetic resin is a high density polyethylene.

21. An improved plaster cast and toe traction splint for the foot of a fracture patient comprising an open-toed cast structure including layers of plaster impregnated gauze wrappings, said cast including in combination a substantially U-shaped member of semi-rigid material having the ends thereof anchored in the sides of the plaster cast and having the curved midsection thereof extending around the front of the plaster cast to protect the toes of the patient, said curved midsection including two curved portions and a straight portion intermediate to said curved portions, said straight portion being slanted at an angle of about 67* to the center line of said U-shaped Member to thereby approximate a direction parallel to a line tangent to the tips of the toes of a typical patient, said curved midsection of said U-shaped member having a plurality of spaced surface discontinuity features for anchoring toe traction devices thereto.