Intrapalmar orthosis

• US 5,672,151 A
• Filed: 01/13/1997
• Issued: 09/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jose Calderon-Garciduenas
• Original Assignee: Jose Calderon-Garciduenas
• Inventors: Calderon-Garciduenas, Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, KIM M
• Application Number:
  US08/785,155
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: 602/20, 602/21, 602/22, 602/60, 602/61, 602/62, 602/64, 128/869, 128/878, 128/879, 128/880, 2/455, 2/16, 2/159, 2/161.1, 2/161.6, 2/161.7
• US Class Current: 602/21
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0118 for the arms, hands or fingers

Abstract

Intrapalmar orthosis to protect and give stability to the carpus'"'"' zone of the hand, without limiting normal the hand'"'"'s movement, which consists of one semiflexible or rigid support splint arranged on a gauntlet to put on the hand'"'"' palm, the splint forming a whole body. Once incorporated to the hand, the splint functions only if the hand is working, then a firm pressure is exerted over the palmar face of the carpus.

Claims

1. An intrapalmar orthosis to protect and give palmar region stability and support to the osseus carpus region of a hand without limiting normal movement of fingers and thumb of the hand or normal wrist movement during manual work, comprising in combination:

a flexible gauntlet shaped and sized to fit only around the palmar region of the hand terminating short of the fingers and wrist and apertured for slipping over the thumb, thereby to permit unimpeded movement of the fingers and wrist, and

a semi-flexible palmar splint adapted to fit only over the carpus palmar region retained in said gauntlet and shaped with a carpus region from which extends a metacarpus tongue for following, covering and supporting dorsal and palmar contours of the hand in a rest position of the hand and to provide firm pressure on the palmar face of the carpus when the hand is doing manual work,

said metacarpus tongue leaving fingers free to move and having a palmer center structure serving as a support center on the orthosis at a mechanic center of the hand,

whereby protection and support is given to reduce instability of the osseous carpus and to reduce pain induced from said instability while doing manual work while introducing little interference with normal functions of the hand.

2. The orthesis of claim 1 wherein a splint contact surface follows the contour of the palm and the gauntlet and splint are cooperatively configured to avoid pressure on the hand at rest and to exert a force on the carpus bones when the hand is working.

3. The orthosis of claim 1 wherein the splint is configured with a carpus support area from which a metacarpus support tongue extends.

4. The orthosis of claim 3 wherein the carpus support area comprises a transverse arch surface configuration and the tongue comprises a longitudinal arch surface configuration.