GB2612595A

GB2612595A - A splint

Info

Publication number: GB2612595A
Application number: GB2115817.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Avraam Stelios; Photiou Demetris
Original assignee: Simlead Ltd
Current assignee: Simlead Ltd
Priority date: 2021-11-03
Filing date: 2021-11-03
Publication date: 2023-05-10
Also published as: GB202115817D0

Abstract

Aspects of the invention relate to a splint for treating a patient’s injured limb, the splint 10 comprising of (i) a substantially rigid anterior shell 11 and (ii) a substantially rigid posterior shell 12; the two shells surrounding the injured limb, in use, such that the injured limb is received within a passage defined between them. The splint further comprises a proximal strap 30a for securing a proximal end of the anterior shell and posterior shell relative to each other and a distal strap 30c for securing a distal end of the anterior splint shell and posterior splint shell relative to each other. A gap 25, 40 is provided between the anterior shell and the posterior shell and wherein the width of the gap may be varied by adjusting the proximal strap and distal strap to vary the diameter of the passage of the splint and accordingly to accommodate varying sizes of injured limb.

Description

A SPLINT

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a splint for treating an injured limb, particularly, but not exclusively, to an adaptable splint for providing support to a fractured bone or to an area weakened by a degenerative disease on a patient's limb. Aspects of the invention relate to a splint for treating an injured limb and to a method of applying a splint to an injured limb.

Background

Broken bones and degenerative diseases like arthritis affect a large proportion of the population. The prevalence of wrist arthritis in the overall US population is 13.6%, with this number significantly higher in the elderly population. Furthermore, the prevalence of osteoarthritis is increasing in younger patients, leading to a rise in demand for advanced support-immobilization products that can improve the lifestyle of these younger patients. In addition to this, each year, a large number of people suffer from broken arms and wrists, with studies estimating that in any given year, up to 1% of people will suffer a broken bone in the arm or wrist. As with arthritis, this number increases in the elderly population as they have weaker bones and are more prone to falling.

The most common solution for treating broken bones, especially broken wrists and arms, is to use a conventional plaster cast. While these do provide the broken bone with the physical support it requires to heal, plaster casts have many disadvantages. Firstly, they have to be made bespoke each time. This means they are both time consuming to make and expensive in the long run as they cannot be reused once they are taken off. In addition to this, plaster casts can result in swelling of the tissue, skin problems, and allergic reactions, often resulting in a lot of patient discomfort. Another issue surrounding plaster casts is that they cannot get wet, meaning that simple tasks such as having a shower can become very challenging. Because of this, the skin under the plaster cast does not get cleaned which is unhygienic. Likewise, plaster casts can often be quite heavy, which can lead to pain in the limb trying to support the weight and loss of muscle mass. Furthermore, over 400,000 people each year in the US will seek medical attention for a broken wrist, resulting in 600,000 kg of waste being created.

There have been developments in the field of splint technology over recent years, which have aimed to tackle some of the issues posed by conventional plaster casts. For example, 3D printing technology has been widely used to create bespoke splints for an injured individual. However, much like plaster casts, the bespoke nature of these splints mean they are solely designed for one patient and do not offer any adaptability for reuse. These 3D printed splints also require the arm to be scanned and input into a computer so that the splint can be printed to size. This means the arm has to be placed in a plaster cast beforehand, which removes any of the cost or time saving benefit of using the 3D printing technology to develop the splint. In addition to this, 3D printing has a very high capital investment due to the requirements for advanced equipment and specialized employees.

Another development in the field of splint technology is the advent of liquid ultra-violet casts. US 2019/0105423 describes a splint that works by sliding a sleeve onto the patients arm and filling it with a fast-curing resin. The sleeve can then be moulded to the user's arm before curing the resin into its final solid position. However, this technology has the major drawback of not being reusable as once the resin has cured it cannot be re-moulded.

It is the aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages with the prior art.

Summary

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a splint for treating a patient's injured limb, the splint comprising: an anterior splint portion comprising a substantially rigid anterior shell; and a posterior splint portion comprising a substantially rigid posterior shell; the anterior splint portion and posterior splint portion being configured to surround the injured limb, in use, such that the injured limb is received within a passage defined between the anterior splint portion and the posterior splint portion; the splint further comprising a proximal strap for securing a proximal end of the anterior splint portion and a proximal end of the posterior splint portion relative to each other and a distal strap for securing a distal end of the anterior splint portion and a distal end of the posterior splint portion relative to each other; wherein a gap is provided between the anterior splint portion and the posterior splint portion and wherein the width of the gap may be varied by adjusting the proximal strap and distal strap to vary the diameter of the passage of the splint such that varying sizes of injured limb may be accommodated within the passage.

Advantageously, the splint may be quickly fitted to a patient's injured limb without the requirement to apply a plaster cast or to 3D print a bespoke splint for the patient Furthermore, the splint may be easily removed from the patient after treatment has been completed and cleaned prior to being reused on a different patient. This beneficially reduces material wastage in the hospital setting. The proximal and distal straps may be adjusted by a clinician applying the splint to a patient such that the diameter of the passage is adjusted to snugly fit on the patient's arm. The gap between the anterior portion and posterior portion provides clearance between the two portions such that they move relative to each other to accommodate the patient's limb. The gap may extend along a pathway where support is not required to be given to the patient's limb. For example, the gap may follow an S-shaped, linear, curved or helical path where the limb is not prone to injury.

In one embodiment the proximal strap and distal strap may extend around the external diameter of the splint. For example, the proximal strap and distal strap may encircle the splint. The proximal strap and distal strap may be wound around the splint two or more times. For example, the proximal and distal strap may be wound around the splint such that the straps extend helically around the splint thereby extending along a longitudinal axis of the splint. This may be beneficial as the straps may provide support to the splint along the longitudinal axis of the splint.

In another embodiment the splint may further comprise an intermediate strap or wrist strap disposed between the proximal strap and the distal strap. The intermediate strap may be located substantially over a wrist portion of the splint. The splint may comprise a thumb hole. The intermediate strap may be located proximally of the thumb hole such that the intermediate strap is located between the proximal strap and the distal strap. The thumb hole may be designed to fit both a left hand and a right hand.

The proximal strap and distal strap may both be connected to either the anterior splint portion or the posterior splint portion. The intermediate strap may be connected to the opposing splint portion to the proximal strap and distal strap such that the intermediate strap extends around the splint in an opposing direction to the direction that the proximal and distal strap extend. For example, the proximal strap and distal strap may extend in a clockwise direction around the splint and the intermediate portion may extend in an anti-clockwise direction around the splint. Alternatively, the proximal strap and distal strap may extend in an anti-clockwise direction around the splint and the intermediate strap may extend in a clockwise direction around the splint This is beneficial as opposing the directions of the straps creates a balanced tensioning system that provides an improved fit of splint to the patient's injured limb.

In one embodiment the injured limb may be a forearm and wrist, a leg, a shoulder, a knee, an ankle, or any other joint or limb that can be treated using orthopaedic immobilisation. The splint may beneficially be adapted and dimensioned to fit on any limb of a patient. Furthermore, it is envisaged that the splint may also be used to treat injured limbs on animals due to the ease of attachment of the splint to the injured limb.

In another embodiment the gap may extend proximally along a curved path from a thumb side of the distal portion of the splint. The curved path may be a pathway along which the limb is unlikely to suffer injury. The curved path may be substantially S-shaped.

In another embodiment the gap may extend proximally along a substantially straight path from the distal portion of the splint. The gap may extend along an upper surface and/or lower surface of the splint. The gap may extend along a centre point of the upper and/or lower surface of the splint. The splint may comprise two gaps.

In one embodiment the width of the gap may reduce in a proximal direction from the distal portion of the splint. The width of the gap may reduce in a distal direction from the proximal portion of the splint. The width of the gap may be at a maximum at the proximal and/or distal end of the splint. This is beneficial as variability in the diameter of a patient's forearm is at its greatest at the patient's hand and their forearm. As such, maximising the width of the gap at those locations beneficially provides maximum variability in the diameter of the splint such that the splint can accommodate varying sizes of limb.

In an embodiment the anterior splint portion and posterior splint portion may be substantially semi-circular in cross-section. This is beneficial as the anterior splint portion and posterior splint portion may be shaped to accommodate the patient's limb.

Furthermore, the anterior and posterior splint portions may encircle a patient's injured limb within the passage defined between the anterior and posterior splint portions.

In another embodiment the gap may be defined between a first edge of the anterior splint portion and a corresponding first edge of the posterior splint portion. The splint may further comprise a second gap disposed between a second edge of the anterior splint portion and a second edge of the posterior splint portion. The second gap may be positioned on a substantially opposing side of the splint to the gap. The second gap may extend along a second pathway. The second pathway may be S-shaped, straight, curved or helical.

The splint may comprise a thumb aperture located at the distal end of the splint for receiving a patient's thumb, in use. The intermediate strap may be positioned proximally of the thumb aperture and the distal strap may be positioned distally of the thumb hole.

In one embodiment the anterior splint portion and posterior splint portion may each comprise an inner portion disposed on an inner surface of the anterior shell and posterior shell respectively. The inner portion may be bonded to the inner surface of the anterior shell and posterior shell respectively. Alternatively, the inner portion may be a separate component positioned on a patient's injured limb prior to securing the posterior and anterior shells to the limb. The inner portion may comprise a deformable material for conforming to the injured limb. The inner portion may comprise a foam.

In an embodiment the proximal strap and/or distal strap may be integrally formed with the inner portion of the posterior splint portion or the anterior splint portion.

In another embodiment one or more of the proximal strap, distal strap and intermediate strap may comprise a locking mechanism for locking the anterior splint portion relative to the posterior splint portion. This is beneficial as the splint may be fitted to a patient by a clinician before being locked in place thereby ensuring the patient does not inadvertently remove the splint. This may be particularly beneficial for elderly patient's suffering from dementia or the like.

In another embodiment the splint may comprise a plurality of patterned holes extending through the outer-shell of the splint. The plurality of patterned holes may take one of the following shapes: circular, ovular, auxetic, honeycombed.

In a further aspect there is provided a method of applying the splint according to any of the aforementioned aspects or embodiments to a patient's injured limb, the method comprising: placing the injured limb in the passage of the splint; adjusting the proximal strap and the distal strap to vary the width of the gap between the anterior and posterior portions of the splint such that the diameter of the passage is varied to accommodate the injured limb and securing the proximal and distal straps to fix the position of the anterior portion of the splint relative to the posterior portion of the splint such that the anterior and posterior portions of the splint immobilise the injured limb.

In a further aspect the splint may be manufactured using one or more of the following manufacturing methods: 3-dimensional printing, injection moulding selective laser sintering, fused deposition modelling, stereolithography, multi jet fusion, and any other type of polymer manufacturing method.

The method may further comprise locking one or more of the distal strap and proximal strap such that the splint is locked to the injured limb.

Further features and advantages of the aforementioned aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent from the claims and the following description.

Brief Description of Drawings

S

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams, in which:-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a splint for supporting an injured arm or wrist according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a distal end of the splint of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of an inner casing of the splint of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of an outer casing of the splint of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a plan view of the splint of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a perspective view of an adaptor for attaching to the splint of Figure 1; Figure 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention comprising the adaptor of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention comprising a thumb extension, a finger extension, and a strap locking mechanism; Figure 9 is a perspective view of an upper arm extension attachable to the splint of Figure 1; and Figures 10a to 10c are perspective views of alternative embodiments of the splint of Figure 1 each comprising an array of patterned holes extending through the outer-shell of the splint.

Detailed Description

In general terms embodiments of the invention relate to a splint for treating a patient's injured limb. The splint comprises an anterior portion and a posterior portion which together form the splint around the injured limb. Each splint portion comprises a substantially rigid outer shell for immobilising the injured limb. The splint further comprises a series of straps for securing the anterior portion relative to the posterior portion such that the splint may be secured to the injured limb. The straps are configured to vary the width of a gap between the anterior portion and the posterior portion of the splint such that the diameter of the splint may be varied.

The splint may beneficially be fated and adapted to immobilise and/or support an injured limb. The straps allow a clinician or patient to adjust the position of the anterior and posterior portions relative to each other to control the diameter of the splint. This allows the splint to be quickly fitted to a patient's limb without the requirement of fitting a plaster cast to the patient or 3D printing a bespoke cast to fit the patient.

To place embodiments of the invention in a suitable context reference will firstly be made to Figure 1 which shows a rear perspective view of a splint 10 for supporting an injured limb such as an injured forearm or wrist of a patient. The splint 10 comprises an anterior portion 11 and a posterior portion 12 which form the splint 10. The anterior portion 11 of the splint 10 is configured to substantially fit over and support the anterior side or extensor side of the forearm (i.e. the thumb facing side). Conversely, the posterior portion 12 of the splint 10 is configured to substantially fit over and support the posterior side or flexor side of the forearm (i.e. the same side as the little finger). The anterior portion 11 and posterior portion 12 of the splint 10 are bisected by an upper cut-out 25 and a lower cut-out 40.

As shown in Figure 1, each of the anterior portion 11 and a posterior portion 12 of the splint 10 comprise an outer casing 15 and an inner casing 20 which together form the splint 10. The outer casing 15 of the anterior and posterior portions 11, 12 may be a substantially rigid plastics material for immobilising the injured forearm when the splint 10 is fitted to a patient's forearm. The inner casing 20 is a soft, resiliently deformable material located on the inner surface of the outer casing 15, such that the inner casing 20 contacts the patient's skin when the splint 10 is fixed to the patient's forearm. The outer casing 15 is located on the outer surface of the splint 10, enwrapping the inner casing 20, such that the outer casing 15 forms an outer shell-like structure around the inner casing 20 thereby providing rigidity and support to the splint 10. The inner casing 20 may be bonded to the outer casing 15.

The inner casing 20 and the outer casing 15 are engaged with each other using a plurality of studs (not shown) on the inner casing 20 and holes (not shown) on the outer casing 15. The plurality of studs (not shown) engage with the plurality of holes (not shown) using an interference fit. These plurality of interference fits hold the outer casing 15 onto the inner casing 20.

The splint 10 further comprises three straps 30a, 30b, and 30c, for securing the anterior portion 11 of the splint to the posterior portion 12 such that the splint 10 may be secured to a patient's forearm. The straps 30a, 30b, 30c are spaced along the splint 10 such that a proximal strap 30a is located at the proximal end 55 of the splint, a distal strap 30c is located at the distal end 60 of the splint and an intermediate strap 30b is positioned between the proximal and distal ends 55, 60 of the splint 10. Additionally, the three straps 30a, 30b, 30c are all extensions of the inner casing 20. The straps 30a, 30b, 30c may be integrally formed with the inner casing 20.

The straps 30a, 30b, 30c may be adjusted by a clinician fitting the splint 10 to the patient 10 such that splint 10 may be fitted to the patient's forearm. Each of the straps 30a, 30b, 30c may be adjusted independently such that the splint 10 conforms to patients with varying shapes of arm, wrist and hand. Varying the tension of the straps 30a, 30b, 30c varies the width of the gaps or cut-outs 25, 40. As such, varying the tension of the straps 30a, 30b, 30c allows a clinician to vary the diameter of the splint 10 such that the splint 10 may be fitted to injured limbs of varying sizes.

Each of the plurality of straps 30a, 30b, 30c are fed through a series of loops 35 located around the outer circumference of the outer casing 15 of the splint 10. The series of loops may hold the plurality of straps 30a, 30b, 30c place when the splint 10 is being fixed onto the user's arm and wrist and may also hold the splint 10 in place once it has been fixed to the user's arm and wrist Furthermore, the straps 30a, 3 Ob, 30c may encircle the anterior and posterior portions 11, 12 of the splint 10 and secure the outer casing 15 of the splint to the inner casing 20. This is beneficial as the inner casing 20 may be disposed of after use and replaced with a new inner casing 20 for use with the outer casing 15 such that the outer casing 15 may be reused with multiple patients.

The splint 10 further comprises of a forearm aperture 45 at the proximal side SS of the splint 10. The forearm aperture 45 provides an adjustable opening to the splint 10 to accommodate the patient's forearm. Similarly, the splint 10 comprises a hand aperture SO at the distal side 60 of the splint 10. The hand aperture SO provides an adjustable opening in the splint 10 to accommodate the patient's hand. The forearm aperture 45 and hand aperture 50 are located at opposing ends of the splint 10 such that a passage extends through the splint 10 for accommodating the patient's limb. The passage is defined by the anterior and posterior portions 11, 12 of the splint 10.

The upper cut-out 25 and lower cut-out 40 run the length of the splint 10, from an elbow facing or proximal end 55 of the splint 10 to a hand facing or distal end 60 of the splint 10.

The upper cut-out 25 and lower cut-out 40 provide a free space between the anterior and posterior portions 11, 12 of the splint 10 thereby allowing the circumference of the splint 10 to change such that the passage can be adapted to different patient's forearms. The upper cut-out 25 and lower cut-out 40 are large enough to allow the splint 10 to be fixed onto users with a range of different forearm and wrist diameters. The upper cut-out 25 and lower cut-out 40 additionally provide an entry point for water to allow the user to clean the skin that is contained within the splint 10. This improves hygiene and reduces bad odours.

Turning now to Figure 2 there is shown a perspective view of the distal side 60 of the splint 10. As shown in Figure 2, the anterior portion 11 of the splint 10 comprises a thumb hole 80 for accommodating the patient's thumb when the splint 10 is fitted to a patient's forearm. The thumb hole 80 is an opening extending through the inner and outer casing of the anterior portion 11 of the splint 10 for accommodating the patient's thumb. The distal strap 30c is located distally of the thumb hole 80 and the intermediate strap 30b is located proximally of the thumb hole 80 such that the straps 30b, 30c do not interfere with the patient's thumb.

Turning now to Figure 3 there is shown a perspective view of the proximal end SS of the inner casing 20 of the splint 10. As described above, the inner casing 20 is located on the inner surface of the outer casing 15, such that it is in contact with a patient's skin (not shown) when the splint 10 is fixed onto the patient's arm or wrist. The inner casing 20 may be manufactured from a soft material, for example a supple polymer or an elastomer, such that the inner casing 20 may conform to the shape of the patient's forearm thereby making the splint 10 comfortable when attached to the patient and providing support to the patient's forearm. Furthermore, a soft material, such as a foam or soft plastics material, allows the inner casing 20 to be malleable to the user's contours, providing an adaptable and adjustable splint 10 that can be reused on different users.

The inner casing 20 of the splint 10 comprises an anterior portion 22, and a posterior portion 24. The straps 30a, 30c are connected to the anterior portion 22 of the inner casing 20 and an opposing end of each strap 30a, 30c may be connected to the posterior portion 24 to secure the anterior and posterior inner casing portions 22, 24 relative to each other.

The intermediate strap 30b is secured to the posterior portion 24 such that the intermediate strap 30b extends around the splint 10 in a direction opposing the straps 30a, 30c. This is beneficial as the straps 30a, 30b, 30c create a multi-direction tensioning system that improves the fit of the splint 10 to a patient's forearm. The straps 30a, 30b, 30c may also secure the outer casing 15 to the inner casing 20 in use.

Each strap 30a, 30b, 30c comprises a series of adjustment holes 65 for securing each strap 30a, 30b, 30c to a corresponding engagement formation on the posterior portion 24. The adjustment holes 65 beneficially allow each strap 30a, 30b, 30c to be independently adjusted to control the size of the splint 10. The series of adjustment holes 65 are located at the distal end 120 of each strap 30a, 30b, 30c and are spaced longitudinally along each strap 30a, 30b, 30c to allow the diameter of the splint 10 to be adjusted when it is fitted to a patient Each of the straps 30a, 30b, 30c comprise a series of adjustment holes 65 such that each strap 30a, 30b, 30c can be adjusted to a desired tightness by a clinician.

Turning now to Figure 4 there is shown a perspective view of the outer casing 15 of the splint 10 with the inner casing 20 removed for clarity. As shown in Figure 4, the anterior portion 11 and posterior portion 12 each comprise three channels 70 extending around the external surface of the splint 10. The channels 70 are located at positions longitudinally along the splint 10 that correspond to the longitudinal position of each strap 30a, 30b, 30c such that each strap 30a, 30b, 30c may be accommodated within a respective channel 70. Each channel 70 comprises a series of engagement formations or teeth 75 disposed within the channel 70 on the anterior portion 11 for engaging a corresponding hole 65 on the respective strap 30a, 30b, 30c.

Each channel 70 accommodates a respective strap 30a, 30b, 30c such that outer casing 15 is held in place when the straps 30a, 30b, 30c are secured to the teeth 75. The channels 70 are configured to accommodate a respective strap 30a, 30b, 30c such that each strap 30a, 30b, 30c lies flush with outer surface of the outer casing 15. Furthermore, each channel 70 may comprise a retaining loop 35 for locating and retaining each strap 30a, 30b, 30c in its respective channel 70. This is beneficial as each strap 30a, 30b, 30c may surround the outer casing 15 of the splint 10 such that when the straps 30a, 30b, 30c are tightened the straps 30, 30b, 30c provide support around the entire diameter of the splint 10 thereby improving the fit of the splint 10 to a patient's forearm. The retaining loops 35 may also secure the outer casing 15 to the inner casing 20 of the splint 10.

Turning now to Figure 5 there is shown a schematic plan view of the splint 10. The splint 10 shown in Figure 5 is configured in an intermediate size position in which there is a gap or cut out 25 between the anterior and posterior portions of the splint 10. The cut-out 25 extends along the pathway 2b shown in Figure lb where the forearm is unlikely to be injured and thus does not require support from the splint 10 in that region. The cut-out 25 or gap beneficially allows the splint 10 to be expanded to be fitted to a patient's arm such that the splint 10 both immobilises and supports the patient's arm in the required regions.

When the straps 30a, 30b, 30c are fully tensioned the splint 10 is at its smallest diameter the anterior and posterior portions 11, 12 of the splint 10 abut each other such that the gap or cut-out 25 is filled. Conversely, as the straps 30a, 30b, 30c are loosened, thereby increasing the diameter of the splint 10, the upper cut out 25 and lower cut-out 40 increase in width thereby increasing the overall diameter of the splint 10.

As shown in Figure 5, the width of the splint 10 changes in dependence on the longitudinal position between the proximal side SS and the distal side 60 of the splint 10. The forearm proximal side 55 of the splint 10 is the widest part of the splint 10 to accommodate teg patient's forearm. The width of the splint 10 reduces in a distal direction from the proximal side 60 of the splint 10 towards a central portion of the splint 10. The diameter of the splint is at its smallest directly under the intermediate wrist strap 30b. The width then increases in a distal direction from the wrist strap 30b towards the distal side 60 of the splint 10 to accommodate the patient's wrist. These width changes over the length of the splint 10 have been designed into the splint 10 to accommodate the dimensions of the patient's forearm.

Turning now to Figure 6 there is shown an adaptor 95 for attaching to the splint 10 to allow a further splint to be coupled to the splint 10. For example, an elbow splint may be fitted to the adaptor 95 to immobilise the patient's elbow joint in conjunction with their forearm and wrist. Furthermore, the adaptor 95 could be dimensioned to fit to the thumb hole 80 such that a splint for immobilising the patient's thumb may be attached to the adaptor 95.

The adaptor 95 allows for further splints or supports to be attached to one or more of the proximal side 55, distal side 60 or thumb hole 80 of the splint 10. These attachable supports may support and immobilise the user's elbow or the user's finger(s). As shown in Figure 6 the adaptor 95 comprises two semi-circular adaptor portions 95a, 95b for attachment to the anterior portion 11 and posterior portion 12 of the splint 10 respectively.

The adaptor 95 further comprises of a series of clips 100 and crimps 105. The hooks or crimps 105 are located on a distal side 115 of the adaptor portions 95a, 95b and allow the adaptor 95 to be fixed to the splint 10. For example, the adaptor 95 may be a snap fitted onto the splint 10 using the crimps 105. Additionally, the adaptor 95 comprises of a ridge located at the distal side 115 of the adaptor 95. The ridge 110 extends radially from the adaptor 95 and provides a flat surface or shelf on which any additional supports may rest when assembled onto the adaptor 95. The adaptor 95 further comprises a flange 120 extending proximally from the ridge 110. An additional splint or support may be fitted over the flange 120 such that the flange 120 provides support to the additional splint. The additional splint may comprise a series of hooks or crimps configured to engage the clips 100 such that the additional splint can be snap fitted to the adaptor 95 and thus secured to the splint 10.

Whilst the aforementioned splint has been described in the context of a forearm splint 10 the splint 10 may be configured to support other limbs and body parts, for example legs, knees, ankles, shoulders or the like.

Turning now to Figure 7 there is shown a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the splint 150. The splint 150 comprises a substantially rigid outer casing 15 and a soft or deformable inner casing 20, which combine together to form the splint 150. The splint 150 shown in Figure 8 comprises two semi-circular portions which together form the splint 150, namely an anterior portion 11 and a posterior portion 12.

The splint 150 shown in Figure 7 differs from the splint 10 shown in Figures 2 to 6 in that the anterior and posterior portions 11, 12 are shaped such that the upper gap or upper cutout 85 on an upwardly facing side of the splint 10 and a lower gap or lower cut-out 90 on the downwardly facing side of the splint 10 are substantially linear such that the cut-outs 85, 90 extend along a longitudinal axis of the splint 150.

The upper cut-out 85 and lower cut-out 90 run the full length of the splint 150 from the forearm aperture 45 on the proximal side 55 of the splint 150 to the hand aperture 50 on the distal facing side 60 of the splint 150. The upper cut-out 85 and lower cut-out are both straight in shape, running down the centre of the splint 150 on its upwardly most facing side and downwardly most facing side. The upper cut-out 85 and lower cut-out 90 allow the splint 10 to be loosened or tightened depending on the dimensions of the user's arm, wrist and hand using straps 30a, 30b, 30c (not shown) as described with reference to splint 10. The upper cut-out 85 and lower cut-out 90 are large enough to accommodate enough tightening of the splint 10 such that the splint 10 can fit on a small arm, wrist and hand.

The splint 150 may further comprise the adaptor 95, as previously described with reference to Figure 7, which may be clipped on to either the proximal side SS, distal side 60 or thumb hole 80 of the splint 10.

Turning now to Figure 8 there is shown a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the splint 10. The splint 10 comprises a thumb extension 160 attachable to the thumb hole 80 on the side of the splint 10. The thumb extension 160 comprises two thumb extension portions 160a, 160b. The two thumb extension portions 160a, 160b comprise a flange extending around the base of the thumb extension 160. The flange 170 engages an inner surface of the splint 10 such that, in use, the flange 170 is located between a patient's hand and the inner surface of the splint 10 such that the thumb extension is secured in position. The two thumb extension portions 160a, 160b are fixed together using an elastomeric band 190. The elastomeric band 190 fits within a recess 180 at the tip of the thumb extension 160 such that the two thumb portions 160a, 160b are held together.

As shown in Figure 8, the splint 10 further comprises a finger extension 210 attachable to the distal end 60 of the splint 10. The finger extension 210 comprises two finger extension portions 210a, 210b. The two finger extension portions 210a, 210b are engageable with the splint 10 using a plurality of clips 230. The two finger extension portions 210a, 210b can be either be attached to the splint 10 independently of each other or in combination with each other. When attached in combination with each other, the two finger extension portions 210a, 210b are held together using a pair of finger extension straps 220a, 220b located on the outwardly facing side of the finger extension 210. The finger extension straps 220a, 220b can be loosened or tightened depending on the requirements of the user.

Each finger extension portion 210a, 210b may further comprise a finger strap 225a, 225b. The finger straps 225a, 225b allow each of the finger extension portions 210a, 210b to be used independently of the other. The finger straps 225a, 225b keep the user's fingers contained within their respective finger extension portion 210a, 210b.

The splint 10 further comprises a strap locking mechanism 250 attachable to any one of the plurality of straps 30a, 30b, 30c. The strap locking mechanism 250 locks dosed one of the straps 30a, 30b, 30c such that the user can not remove the splint 10 without someone unlocking it. The strap locking mechanism 250 may be locked or unlocked using a key 240.

The key 240 can be stored by a doctor or guardian to ensure the user does not remove the splint 10.

In an alternative embodiment of Figure 8, the strap locking mechanism 250 may take the form of a snap-fitting locking mechanism (not shown). The alternative snap-fitting locking mechanism (not shown) may lock closed any one of the straps 30a, 30b, 30c such that the user can not remove the splint 10 without someone unlocking it As shown in Figure 8, the splint 10 further comprises an extension element 280 that is attachable to the proximal end 55 of the splint 10. The extension element 280 may be secured to the splint 10 using a fastener 300. The extension element 280 comprises a clip or mechanical fastener 270, such as a screw, for attaching the extension element 280 to an extension connector 260. The mechanical fastener 270 allows the extension connector 260 to be fixedly attached to the splint 10.

Moving now to Figure 9, there is shown a perspective view of an upper arm extension 290 attachable to the splint 10. The upper arm extension 290 may be attached to the splint 10 using the extension connector 260. The upper arm extension 290 may comprise of two upper arm extension portions 290a, 290b. The two upper arm extension portions 290a, 290b may be held together using a plurality of straps (not shown). The upper arm extension 290 may be secured to the upper arm of a patient thereby immobilising the elbow joint of the patient.

Turning now to Figures 10a to 10c there is shown a perspective view of alternative embodiments of the splint 10 comprising a plurality of patterned holes 350 extending through the outer-shell of the splint 10. The plurality of patterned holes 350 may take different shapes as seen in Figures 10b and 10c. The holes beneficially improve comfort for the patient by allowing the skin under the splint to breath.

Although particular embodiments of the disclosure have been disclosed herein in detail, this has been done by way of example and for the purposes of illustration only. The aforementioned embodiments are not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A splint for treating a patient's injured limb, the splint comprising: an anterior splint portion comprising a substantially rigid anterior shell; and a posterior splint portion comprising a substantially rigid posterior shell; the anterior splint portion and posterior splint portion being configured to surround the injured limb, in use, such that the injured limb is received within a passage defined between the anterior splint portion and the posterior splint portion; the splint further comprising a proximal strap for securing a proximal end of the anterior splint portion and posterior splint portion relative to each other and a distal strap for securing a distal end of the anterior splint portion and posterior splint portion relative to each other; wherein a gap is provided between the anterior splint portion and the posterior splint portion and wherein the width of the gap may be varied by adjusting the proximal strap and distal strap to vary the diameter of the passage of the splint to accommodate varying sizes of injured limb.
2. A splint as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the proximal strap and distal strap extend around the external diameter of the splint.
3. A splint as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the splint further comprises an intermediate strap disposed between the proximal strap and the distal strap.
4. A splint as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the proximal strap and distal strap are both connected to either the anterior splint portion or the posterior splint portion.
5. A splint as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the intermediate strap is connected to the opposing splint portion to The proximal strap and distal strap such that the intermediate strap extends around the splint in an opposing direction to the direction that the proximal and distal strap extend.S
6. A splint as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the injured limb is a forearm and wrist.
7. A splint as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the gap extends proximally along a curved path from a thumb side of the distal portion of the splint
8. A splint as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the gap extends proximally along a substantially straight path from the distal portion of the splint.
9. A splint as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the width of the gap reduces in a proximal direction from the distal portion of the splint.
10. A splint as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the width of the gap reduces in a distal direction from the proximal portion of the splint.
11. A splint as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the anterior splint portion and posterior splint portion are substantially semi-circular in cross-section.
12. A splint as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the gap is defined between a first edge of the anterior splint portion and a corresponding first edge of the posterior splint portion.
13. A splint as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the splint further comprises a second gap disposed between a second edge of the anterior splint portion and a second edge of the posterior splint portion.
14. A splint as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the second gap is positioned on a substantially opposing side of the splint to the gap.
15. A splint as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the splint comprises a thumb aperture located at the distal end of the splint for receiving a patient's thumb, in use.
16. A splint as claimed in Claim 15, when dependent on Claim 2, wherein the intermediate strap is positioned proximally of the thumb aperture and wherein the distal strap is positioned distally of the thumb hole.
17. A splint as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the anterior splint portion and posterior splint portion each comprise an inner portion disposed on an inner surface of the anterior shell and posterior shell respectively.
18. A splint as claimed in Claim 17, wherein the inner portion comprises a deformable material for conforming to the injured limb.
19. A splint as claimed in Claim 17 or Claim 18, wherein the proximal strap and/or distal strap are integrally formed with the inner portion of the posterior splint portion or the anterior splint portion.
20. A splint as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the proximal strap and distal strap comprise a locking mechanism for locking the anterior splint portion relative to the posterior splint portion.
21. A splint as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising an adaptor portion attached to the splint for coupling a second splint to the splint.
22. A splint as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of patterned holes extending through the anterior shell and/or the posterior shell of the splint.