GB2213041A

GB2213041A - Orthopaedic support vest

Info

Publication number: GB2213041A
Application number: GB8828218A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Carmela Carelli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-12-04
Filing date: 1988-12-02
Publication date: 1989-08-09
Also published as: FR2624003B3; BE1001941A6; DE3839377A1; IT1211956B; FR2624003A1; ES2013369A6; IT8748678A0; GB8828218D0

Description

1 f4 J An orthopaedic support vest for persons with immobile or

immobilized arms The invention relates to an orthopaedic support vest for persons with immobile or immobilized arms. Conventionally, for a fractured limb. a dislocated joint or a contusion to heal successfully. the affected limb or joint needs to be set in a given position and rested for a prescribed duration. Methods of guaranteeing the correct rested position consist generallv in setting the limb in plaster or strapping it tightly with a bandage; setting in plaster or strapping also ensures that the limb, or, the joint. remains firmly in position and protected from undesirable movement or effort, hence from further damage that could be difficult or painful to remedy subsequently. Such contingencies are relatively simple to deal with in the case of the legs. Once the plaster has set, the patient can be constrained in a reclining or a sitting position; the limb can be supported if necessary, but at all events, will remain perfectly motionless and free from unwanted effort or stress.

IF 2 1 = i X- The problem with immobilizing an arm is first and foremost one of avoidina effort. or in other words. of providing support without inducing strain. In most instances, the means of support adapted will consist of a sling, strap. belt or the like, passed around the neck and under the affected arm. Such means of Support are in general sufficiently strong, but betray a number of disadvantages and drawbacks, first amanq which is that thev compress or pull against lacalized areas of the neck and the Rffected arm: the result is that the blood vessels often become pe.rtl,. yr constricted. and lack of normal circulation causes the relative muscles to arow numb -and becin achina. Thus. after a certain amount of time. the arm must be elevated to relieve the neck. and the neck and the free arm set in movement to reactivate the circulation. The use o+ a slina can attenuate the circulation problem at least as recards the forearm, inasmuch as this part of the limb is substantially straicht and therefore allows the sling.to be spread out, contacting and supporting the arni over a wide area. Attempts have been ma.de to overcome the difficulty in question by adopting wider slinas, but to little avail, since the natural contour of the neck and 1 Q 1 P 3 k 1 C) & A 25 shoulders causes the sling to roll up on itself, and the area of contact between the support and the anatomy is reduced.

Another problem with settipg and slinging is that the affected arm hangs immobile in an unnatural position; in consequence, the patient may overbalance and is inclined to lean forward, the arm tends to swing, and tiredness is induced through involuntary contraction of the muscles.

A further drawback stems from the impossibility o+ stabilizing the position of the arm, except by using further slings or belts to support localized areas. This aspect is especially important when one considers the need to support and constrain the arm of a paraplegic with brachial diplegia. In such an instance. the arm is not set in plaster, and there can be no question of utilizing a sling to enlarge the area of support, seeing that the limb must be held in a given position for long periods of time (perhaps permanently); thus it can happen that one has an increase in the localized strain and the _tendency to lean, and indeed both these conditions may become permanent.

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks descnibed above.

According to the present invention there is provided an orthopaedic support vest for the support of an immobile or immobilized arm, which includes a front panel and a pocket capable of accommodating and supporting the immobile or immobilized arm, which pocket is located over the front panel at least on the same side as the arm to be supported, and which is provided with an opening on that same side through which the immobile or immobilized arm may be inserted.

In one embodiment of the invention the pocket is located over the entire front panel and is provided with an opening on each side of the vest such that the immobile or immobilized arm may be inserted from either side of the vest.

The vest is preferably provided with means for fastening the vest onto a. wearer, which means may be located at the back of the vest or at one side under the free arm of the wearer of the vest.

The pocket is preferably anatomically shaped with an angled bottom, and is proportioned to suit the therapeutic requirements prescribed for the supported arm.

The vest may include additional support means located inside of the pocket which retain and/or support the arm or parts thereof in given positions or postures, and may further include rigid or padded reinforcing means located inside of the pocket. at least at the area occupied by the elbow of the supported arm.

The vest may be made of any suitable material. Preferably the pocket is of elasticated material, at least at the area to be occupied by the elbow of the supported arm, and/or along its top edge. The pocket may be either lined internally with or fashioned from heat-retaining material, at least at the area to be occupied by the hand of the supported arm.

0 i i 1 1 Preferably the pocket is provided with air holes, at least at the side nearest the free arm of the wearer.

The pocket is preferably removable with respect to the vest and is positionable thereto by means of adjustable fastening means.

The pocket may be secured to and suspended from the vest by means associated with the shoulder of the vest nearest the supported arm. The means by which the pocket is secured to and suspended from the vest may take the form of a strap provided with relative adjustment means.

41. JS- - 6 t Q --------- POOR GUALITY One of the advantaues of the invention the sense of wellbeing experienced even when the arm may remain immobile for duration. in view of the +act that the the limb, perhaps set in plaster and thus heavier. is supported Uniformly by the entire trunk instead of bearina aa;-:kinst a localized area of the bod,,/. Another advantace of the vest disclosed is trunk can retain its natural posture, free tendenc.,, to bend or overbalance involuntarilv in an attempt to counteract the weiaht of the arm, given that the affected arm is held stably in its natural position without drifting away from its support. A further advantace of the vest disclosed is that of practical and functional use; it can be put an and removed with considerable ease and speed, and fitted with a variety of retaining or reinforcing aids to suit the most disparate of therapeutical requirements.

disclosed is by the patient, a lonq weiaht of that the of Any A 7 1 Yet another advantaae of the invention relates to general appearance; in effect, the vest might be fashioned from any one of a given-range of suitable fabrics that match or tone in with the patient's personal clothing.

The invention will now be described in detail, by way a+ example, with the aid of the accompanying drawinas, in which:

fia 1 is a front elevation a+ the vest disclosed, JC) worn by a patient whose left arm is set in plaster:

fia 2 is the rear elevation of a vest as in fic 1.

With reference to fio 1, the vest according to the invL-nti(Dn,. dencted 7 in its entirety, is provided at the frontwith an anatomically shaped pocket 1 and, in a preferred embodiment, secured at the rear by a separable fastener In the example illustrated (fig 21), the separable fastener 3 is -=-k zip, althouah buttons or strips - c+ velcro miQht be adopted to equally good effect.

The fastener 3 could also be located in a position more readily accessible to the wearer, for example, at the side of the vest 7 beneath the free arm 6 (in the interests of simplicity, this alternative is not illustrated).

The packet 1 accuptles substantially the entire T p 1 8 z front panel 4 a+ the vest 7, at least on the side of the supported arm 2, to the end that the arm can be carried in its most natural and therapeutically advantageous posture. In a preferred embodiment, the packet 1 is created by applying a second +rant panel. denoted 5. which is lower cut than the first front panel 4 and has one shoulder strap 5a only. located at the side a+ the free arm 6. left or riaht as may be: the second panel 5 is applied over the first 4. in such a way that the bottom of the pocket 1 will be positioned on ---k leel coinciding with the height at which the supported arm 2 naturally comes to rest. The effective anatomical shape of the pocket 1 will be selected to suit therapy requirements prescribed for the arm 2, as also will the angle at which the bottom of the pocket is pitched; thus, the patient will be able to rest the arm 2 easily inside the pocket 1 for the prescribed duration, carrying it in the preferred and least uncom+ortable position. According to the invention, the vest 7 will be fashioned in a range of SiZeS to Suit different patients and dissimilar requirements, for example left hand or right hand, according to which arm 2 is supported.

i 9 O= i An alternative embodiment (not illustrated in the interests of simplicity) could have the pocket 1 suspended from two shoulder straps 5a, and capable of supporting either the left or the right arm. In the most simple type ofembadiment, the second front panel 5 will be simply sawed onto the first panel 4, using a reinforced stitch if appropriate. particularly in cases where there are no special ther-apv requirements or where the vest 7 happens to fit the patient to perfection. In the event of the vest 7 being worn by a number of different patients with differing requirements. as would occur in hospitals for example, the second panel 5 could be applied to the first 4, at least in key points, by way of adjustable means 11 such as laces threaded through holes in both panels 4 and 5 as shown in fig 2, or alternatively, using velcro strips. Similarly, laces 11 might be used to attach the shoulder strap 5a, as in fig 1, thereby providing means by which to adjust the anale o+ the bottom of the packet 1 at one and the same time. To avoid the pocket 1 gradually losing its shape with continued use, means might also be included to secure it to and suspend it from the vest 7; such means miaht take the form of a strap 5b, which connects the top edge of the pocket 1 with the shoulder strap on the side of the supported arm 2 and is provided with means of adjustment 5c. The interior of the pocket 1 might accommodate a variety of accessories, such as retaining means S designed to encompass at least one part of the - supported arm 22. sa.y the forearm 13 (see fig 1); retaining means 3 of this kind are particularly important, as they prevent any Possibility of the arm 2 being drawn from the pocket 1 inadvertently. SimiLS.r retaining means 8 may be provided at the elbow 115, the hand 10. or the finQers 9, in which case the vest Ir would be able to satisfy either one.of two distinct requirements, namely. obliging the finaers 1? to remain extended in the event of their tending to close up, or affording them freedom of movement in the event that exercise is desirable.

S imilarly, the pocket 1 might be fitted internally with reinforcina means 12, near the elbow 15 in particular; such means might be rigid in the case of an arm 2 set in plaster, serving to avoid wear on the pocket occasioned by the rough surface of the cast, or padded to prevent the elbow 15 from growing numb. The option also exists Of Utilizing an elasticated ...... 1.

1 Q, :i 11 m 1 (_) 0 -1 25 materi al, 1 i [.,Lwi se at the el bow, or al ong the top edge of the packet 1, which will facil itate the insertion of the arm 2 and ensure that the pocket itself hLtCS the arm more closely once inserted. The second front panel 5 might be either lined internally with or fashioned entirely in a heat retaining fa.bric, particularly near the hand 10, in such a way as to provide a glove or muff, affording protection when the ambient temperature is too low to be withstood comfortably. or at all events, low enough to prevent proper healing. Aaazin. the area occupied by the hand 10 could be provided with air holes 16 to avoid an excessivebuild-up of heat inside the pccP..:c-t 1 during warm weather. or in high ambient temperatures generally. As regards the appear.ance of the vest 7, a variety of fabrics might be adopted +or its embodiment; for example. a basic version for hospital use could be fashioned in rough linen, canvas etc., of strength sufficient to withstand frequent laundering and sterilization at hiah temperatures, whereas vests destined +or personal use could be finished in quality fabrics designed to tone in with everyday clothing worn by the user.

POOR QUALITY

Claims

1. An orthopaedic support vest for the support of an immobile or immobilized arm, which includes a front panel and a pocket capable of accommodating and supporting the immobile or immobilized arm, which pocket is located over the front panel at least on the same side as the arm to be supportedr and which is provided with an opening on that same side through which the immobile or immobilized arm may be inserted.

2. A vest according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is located over the entire front panel and is provided with an opening on each side of the vest such that an immobile or immobilized arm may be inserted from either side of the vest.

3. A vest according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vest includes means for fastening the vest onto a wearer.

4. A vest according to claim 3, wherein the means for fastening the vest is located at the back of the vest.

5. A vest according to claim 3, wherein the means for fastening the vest is located at one side of the vest, under the free arm of the wearer.

6. A vest according to any preceding claim, wherein the pocket is anatomically shaped with an angled bottom, and is proportioned to suit the therapeutic requirements prescribed for the supported arm.

7. A vest aci:;ording to any preceding claim, which includes additional support means located inside of the pocket which retain andlor support the arm or parts thereof in given positions or postures.

8. A vest according to any preceding claim, which includes-rigid or padded reinforcing means located inside of the pocket, at least at the area to be occupied by the elbow of the supported arm.

41 35 JQI k 4 .I 1

9. A vest according to any preceding claim. wherein the pocket is of elasticated material at least at the area to be occupied by the elbow of the supported arm and/or along its top edge.

10. A vest according to any preceding claim. wherein the pocket is either lined internally with or fashioned from heat-retaining material, at least at the area to be occupied by the hand of the supported arm.

11. A vest according to any preceding claim, wherein the pocket is provided with air holes, at least at the side nearer the free arm of the wearer.

12. A vest according to any preceding claim, wherein the pocket is removable with respect to the vest and is positionable thereto by means of adjustable fastening means.

13. A vest according to any preceding claim, wherein the pocket is secured to and suspended from the vest by means associated with the shoulder of the vest nearer the supported arm.

14. A vest acc ording to claim 13, wherein the pocket is secured to and suspended from the vest by a strap provided with relative adjustment means.

15. A vest substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

1>,,1i.h.,1 1Q951AtThepatentofnee,Statoe House, 6671 High Holborn, LondonWO1R4TP. Further copier maybe obtained from TI:Lep&teto=ce.

0