Universal functional shoulder orthosis

• US 4,417,569 A
• Filed: 10/19/1981
• Issued: 11/29/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alexander Mencher
• Original Assignee: Alexander Mencher
• Inventors: Brudny, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Frinks, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US06/312,228
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 3/1, 3/12, 128/77, 128/78, 128/82, 128/83, 128/85, 128/87 R, 128/88, 128/89 R, 128/94
• US Class Current: 602/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/013 for the arms, hands or fingers A61F5/0118 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/3753 Abduction support

Abstract

An orthotic device attached to the external part of the body is adapted to provide support for the malfunctioning arm of a patient, said support offering a variety of stable arm positions in space in a manner essential for functional use of the forearm and hand. A plate attached to the body anchors an artificial ball and socket joint. The joint is actuated by a lockable rod which carries an adjustable elbow support or trough. Such structure provides the adequate range of motion and the needed accompanying stabilization of the arm in space, while said ball and socket joint replaces and/or augments the human shoulder joint. The device is worn by the patient inconspicuously under a garment, is useful either during mobility, while seated or when recumbent, and is applicable to human beings whose willful control of the shoulder joint is absent or decreased as the result of illness or injury.

Claims

1. An orthotic device for the human upper limb comprising:

(a) a standard to support the device, and attaching means to secure said standard between the arm and body of the patient at the chest area;

(b) a rod member and connecting means operative between the rod at its proximal end and said standard, said connecting means being adapted to position the rod along a desired, fixed, and functional spatial arm position;

(c) elbow supporting means attachable to the arm of the patient and being rotatably and slideably mounted on said rod, said elbow supporting means having an intermediate opening for support and projection of patient'"'"'s olecranon process;

(d) first control means between said rod and elbow supporting means to adjust and releasably lock the adjusted longitudinal position of said elbow supporting means on said rod when applied to the patient whereby to control needed pressure application to the projecting portion of said olecranon process for stabilizing a malfunctioning arm by transmission of pressure proximally to and axially of the arm to provide for and render full elbow flexion, full forearm supination and pronation, and functional forearm extension in said locked longitudinal position; and

(e) second control means between said rod and elbow supporting means to releasably lock said adjusted and locked longitudinal position of the elbow supporting means on said rod against rotary movement.

2. An orthotic device as in claim 1 wherein said standard comprises a plate contoured to patient'"'"'s chest area below and adjacent the armpit and adapted to be functionally secured thereto;

and wherein said attaching means for the said standard comprises a removable and adjustable chest-encircling and resilient webbing element adapted to be applied across the patient'"'"'s chest area under comfortable and functional tension and over said plate for plate securement.

3. An orthotic device for the human upper limb comprising:

(a) a standard to support the device, and attaching means to secure said standard between the arm and body of the patient at the chest area;

(b) a rod member adapted to carry at least one supporting pad for and attachable to upper limb parts, said rod being operatively connected at its proximal end to said standard;

(c) a housing anchored to said standard and containing ball and socket joints means, the housing having an opening in the front wall for projection of part of said ball;

(d) connecting means between the proximal end area of said rod and the said ball to enable the rod to assume an adequate, operational, and predetermined range of spatial, functional and releasable fixed arm positions, whereby said ball and socket joint means serves to parallel, augment and replace the human shoulder joint for arm mobility.

4. An orthotic device as in claim 3 wherein said standard comprises a plate member contoured to patient'"'"'s lateral chest area below and adjacent the arm pit and adapted to be functionally secured thereto, said housing being anchored to said plate member;

and wherein said attaching means for the said standard comprises a removable and adjustable chest-encircling and resilient webbing element adapted to be applied across the patient'"'"'s chest area under comfortable and functional tension and over said plate for securement thereof.

5. An orthotic device for the human upper limb comprising:

(a) a standard to support the device, and attaching means to secure said standard between the arm and body of the patient at the chest area;

(b) a rod member adapted to carry an elbow support which is attachable to the arm of the patient, said rod member at the proximal end being operatively connected to the said standard, said elbow support being rotatbly and slideably mounted on said rod and having an intermediate opening for support and projection of patient'"'"'s olecranon process;

(c) first control means between said rod and elbow support to adjust and releasably lock the adjusted longitudinal position of said elbow support on said rod when applied to the patient whereby to control needed pressure application to the projecting portion of said olecranon process for stabilizing a malfunctioning arm by transmission of pressure proximally to and axially of the arm to provide for and render full elbow flexion, full forearm supination and pronation, and functional forearm extension in said locked longitudinal position;

(d) second control means between said rod and elbow support to releasably lock said adjusted and locked longitudinal position of the elbow support on said rod against rotary movement;

(e) a housing anchored to said standard and containing ball and socket joint means, the housing having an opening in the front wall for projection of part of said ball; and

(f) connecting means between the proximal end area of said rod and the said ball to enable the rod to assume an adequate, operational, and predetermined range of spatial, functional and releasably fixed arm positions, whereby said ball and socket joint serves to parallel, augment and replace the human shoulder joint for arm mobility while at the same time maintaining arm stability.

6. An orthotic device as in claim 5 wherein said standard comprises a plate member contoured to patient'"'"'s lateral chest area below and adjacent the armpit and adapted to be functionally secured thereto, said housing being anchored to said plate member;

and wherein said attaching means for the said standard comprises a removable and adjustable chest-encircling and resilient webbing element adapted to be applied across the patient'"'"'s chest area under comfortable and functional tension and over said plate for securement thereof.

7. In a process for stabilization of a malfunctioning upper limb wherein is provided an orthotic device having a rod attached at its proximal end to a standard secured under the armpit, said rod being adapted to assume any operational, adequate and functional position in space corresponding to that of the human arm, said rod carrying an adjustable elbow support attached to the arm, said support having an intermediate opening for the olecranon process, the improvement comprising:

(a) fitting and applying pressure proximally to the elbow support on and against the patient'"'"'s elbow and projecting olecranon process for transmission to and axially of the arm for arm stabilization, and simultaneously provide for and render full elbow flexion, full forearm supination and pronation, and functional forearm extension for any of said rod positions; and

(b) releasably locking said adjusted and pressure applied position of the elbow support by means of rotary and longitudinal controls between said elbow support and said rod.

8. In a process for mobilizing a malfunctioning upper limb wherein is provided an orthotic device having a rod operatively attached at its proximal end below the armpit to a standard, said standard being secured to the body of the patient for assuming operational and adequate functional positions in space corresponding to those of the human arm, said rod carrying at least one adjustable support for an upper limb part, said support being attachable to patient'"'"'s arm, the improvement comprising the steps of:

(a) introducing ball and socket joint means between the said rod and said standard to parallel, augment and replace the human shoulder joint function; and

(b) releasably locking any desired spatial position of the rod by means of controls between the rod and said joint means.

9. In orthosis, the process for stabilizing and mobilizing a malfunctioning upper limb and maintaining the stabilized condition during arm mobility, and wherein is provided an orthotic device having a rod attached at its proximal end to the ball of a ball and socket releasably lockable joint means, said joint means being attached to a standard secured below the patient'"'"'s armpit, said rod carrying an adjustable elbow support attachable to the arm and having an intermediate opening for receiving the olecranon process, the improvement comprising the steps of:

(a) fitting and applying pressure proximally to the elbow support on and against the patient'"'"'s elbow and projecting olecranon process for transmission of said pressure to and axially of the arm for stabilizing the arm and simultaneously to allow for and render full elbow flexion, full forearm supination and pronation, and functional forearm extension for any of said rod positions when in releasably locked condition;

(b) rleasably locking said adjusted and pressure-applied position of the elbow support by means of rotary and longitudinal controls between said elbow support and said rod; and

(c) changing and releasably locking the changed rod position while maintaining the stabilized condition of the arm by manipulating respectively controls between the elbow support and the rod, and between the rod and the ball and socket joint means.

10. In orthosis, the process as set forth in claim 9 wherein the improvement includes additional steps of utilizing a removable and adjustable chest-encircling and resilient webbing element as means to secure the device to the body, and which element is adapted to be applied across the lateral part of the chest area of the patient and below the armpit, and further utilizing a contoured plate fitted to the patient at the lateral chest area and below the armpit in place of said standard, and to which plate the ball and socket joint means is attached, said webbing element being adapted to secure said plate to the patient'"'"'s body at said lateral chest area and below the armpit.