JP2012085756A - Joint orthosis - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a joint orthosis which can finely adjusts timing of extension and rotation of a joint and is inexpensively manufactured.SOLUTION: The joint orthosis 1 includes an inside support member 10 and an outside support member 20 and is mounted on a joint part. At least one of the inside support member 10 and the outside support member 20 includes: a first arm 11 or 21, wherein a first shaft 12 and a first guide groove 14 are formed in the first arm 11, and a first shaft 22 and a first guide groove 24 are formed in the first arm 21; and a second arm 15 or 25, wherein a second shaft 16 and a second guide grooves 19 are formed in the second arm 15, and a second shaft 26 and a second guide groove 29 are formed in the second arm 25. The joint orthosis 1 is an extensible/contractible support member configured in such a way that the first and second arms are linked with each other relatively rotatable while extending or contracting the total length upon rotation, by a first cam mechanism composed of the first shaft 12, 22 and the second guide groove 19, 29, and a second cam mechanism composed of the second shaft 16, 26 and the first guide groove 14, 24, and the total length is configured so as to extend/contract upon rotation.

Description

  The present invention relates to a brace used for assisting or correcting the function of the extremities of a human body, and more particularly to a brace for assisting and correcting a joint.

  Numerous rigid joint braces that assist knee joint functions are provided for persons with knee joint disorders such as knee osteoarthritis and anterior cruciate ligament injury. For example, Patent Documents 1 to 5 listed below are provided. Is disclosed.

  In particular, Patent Documents 1, 2, and 5 disclose a rigid knee brace for appropriately correcting the timing of knee joint extension and rotation by applying a force from the lateral direction of the leg. In 1 and 5, appropriate assistance and correction is realized by adjusting the joint extension and rotation timing by combining a gear and a rack.

JP 2003-159267 A JP 2006-175143 A JP-T-2006-512178 JP 2007-283116 A JP 2010-69059 A

  However, in the joint orthosis using gears and racks, it is difficult to finely adjust the timing of extension and rotation because of the use of gears, and it is necessary to perform optimal correction for the symptoms of each knee joint It was difficult to manufacture a knee joint orthosis. Further, a joint device using gears needs to be a metal joint device from the viewpoint of strength, and a process such as welding is required for manufacturing, which increases the manufacturing cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a joint orthosis that can be manufactured at a low cost, with the timing of joint extension and rotation being finely adjustable.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a joint orthosis according to the present invention includes an inner support member and an outer support member, and the joint orthosis is attached to a joint portion that connects the first bone and the second bone. At least one of the inner support member or the outer support member is a first arm that is attached and fixed to the first bone side, and a first arm in which a first shaft and a first guide groove are formed, A second arm mounted on and fixed to the second bone side, the second arm having a second shaft and a second guide groove formed thereon, the first shaft and the second guide groove The first arm and the second arm are rotatable relative to each other by a first cam mechanism including the second cam mechanism and a second cam mechanism including the second shaft and the first guide groove. And an expansion / contraction support member configured to expand and contract its entire length when rotated. And wherein the door.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it is possible to provide the joint orthosis which can adjust the timing of joint extension and rotation finely, and can be manufactured at low cost.

FIG. 1 is an oblique front view showing a configuration of a knee joint orthosis for a right foot according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the inner first arm of the inner support member according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an inner second arm of the inner support member according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view of the state in which the inner support member according to the embodiment is extended. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which the inner support member according to the embodiment is bent. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the outer first arm of the outer support member according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the outer second arm of the outer support member according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a side view of a state in which the outer support member according to the embodiment is extended. FIG. 9 is a side view of the outer support member according to the embodiment in a bent state. FIG. 10 is an oblique front view showing a bent state of the knee joint orthosis according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a front view showing a state in which the knee joint orthosis according to the embodiment is mounted on the right knee joint part.

  Hereinafter, a rigid joint orthosis according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, description will be given by taking as an example a joint orthosis attached to a knee joint. FIG. 1 is an oblique front view showing a configuration of a knee joint orthosis for a right foot according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the knee joint orthosis 1 includes an inner support member 10, an outer support member 20, a first connection member 30 that connects the inner support member 10 and the outer support member 20 on the upper side, and the inner support member 10. A second connection member 31 is provided to connect the outer support member 20 to the lower side.

  The inner support member 10 includes an inner first arm 11 located on the upper side in the figure and an inner second arm 15 located on the lower side in the figure, and the outer support member 20 is an outer first arm located on the upper side in the figure. One arm 21 and an outer second arm 25 located on the lower side in the figure are provided.

  Note that the knee joint orthosis 1 in FIG. 1 is for the right foot, and is attached to the right foot in a state where the knee faces the back side in FIG. 1, and in the mounted state, the outer support member 20 is the outer side surface of the right foot. In addition, the inner support member 10 is positioned on the inner side surface of the right foot.

  In the present embodiment, the lower end of the inner first arm 11 and the upper end of the inner second arm 15 that are connected to each other are referred to as a connecting end, and the upper end of the other inner first arm 11 and the lower end of the inner second arm 15 are referred to as the connecting end. Called the free end.

  Next, the configuration of the inner support member 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing the configuration of the inner first arm of the inner support member. FIG. 2A is a side view of the inner first arm, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A- in FIG. It is sectional drawing by A line.

  3A and 3B are diagrams showing the configuration of the inner second arm of the inner support member, FIG. 3A is a side view of the inner second arm, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line B- in FIG. It is sectional drawing by a B line. FIG. 4 is a side view of the state in which the inner support member is extended, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the state in which the inner support member is bent.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the inner first arm 11 of the inner support member 10 includes a first shaft 12 that fits in a second guide groove 19 of an inner second arm 15 to be described later, and a first guide groove 14 having a substantially arc shape. Is formed. A fastening member 13 such as a nut for preventing the first shaft 12 from coming out of the second guide groove 19 is provided at the tip of the first shaft 12. In FIG. 2A, the first axis 12 is indicated by a dotted line.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the inner second arm 15 of the inner support member 10 is formed with a second shaft 16 that fits into the first guide groove 14 of the inner first arm 11 and a linear second guide groove 19. Has been. A fastening member 17 is provided at the tip of the second shaft 16 to prevent the second shaft 16 from coming out of the first guide groove 14. In addition, in Fig.3 (a), the 2nd axis | shaft 16 is shown with the dotted line.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the inner first arm 11 and the inner second arm 15 face each other on the surfaces on which the shafts 12 and 16 are provided, and the first shaft 12 has the second guide groove 19. Moreover, the inner side support member 10 is comprised by connecting so that the 2nd axis | shaft 16 may fit in the 1st guide groove 14. FIG.

  Next, the movement of the inner support member 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. First, the first shaft 12 of the inner first arm 11 is installed in the vicinity of the upper end portion (free end side end portion) of the first guide groove 14. Therefore, in the state where the second shaft 16 of the inner second arm 15 is positioned at the upper end portion (free end side end portion) of the first guide groove 14 and the inner support member 10 is extended, as shown in FIG. In addition, the first shaft 12 is positioned at the upper end portion (connection end side end portion) of the second guide groove 19 of the inner second arm 15, and the inner second arm 15 is located with respect to the first shaft 12. It will be in the most protruding state.

  On the other hand, from the state where the inner support member 10 is extended, the inner second arm 15 is moved relative to the inner first arm 11 while the first shaft 12 and the second shaft 16 are guided in the guide grooves 19 and 14. As shown in FIG. 5, the second shaft 16 of the inner second arm 15 is positioned at the lower end portion (connecting end side end portion) of the first guide groove 14 to rotate the inner support member. 10 is bent. In this bent state, the first shaft 12 is positioned at the lower end portion (the free end side end portion) of the second guide groove 19 of the inner second arm 15, and the inner second arm 15 is positioned at the first shaft 12. It will be in the most retracted state.

  Here, although the 1st axis | shaft 12 and the 2nd axis | shaft 16 act as a rotating shaft when the inner side 1st arm 11 and the inner side 2nd arm 15 rotate relatively, they are functioning also as a cam follower. That is, a first cam mechanism comprising a first shaft (cam follower) 12 and a second guide (cam) groove 19, and a second cam mechanism comprising a second shaft (cam follower) 16 and a first guide (cam) groove 14. The inner first arm 11 and the inner second arm 15 are rotatably connected by a double cam mechanism.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the inner first arm 11 and the inner second arm 15 are relatively rotated and the inner support member 10 is extended or bent, the inner second arm 15 is It functions to protrude and retract. Specifically, in the inner support member 10, the entire length from the free end of the inner first arm 11 to the free end of the inner second arm 15 via the connecting portion expands and contracts according to the bending angle. The length is the longest and the length is the shortest when bent.

  Next, the configuration of the outer support member 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the configuration of the outer first arm of the outer support member. FIG. 6A is a side view of the outer first arm, and FIG. 6B is C- in FIG. It is sectional drawing by a C line.

  7A and 7B are diagrams showing the configuration of the outer second arm, FIG. 7A is a side view of the outer second arm, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 7A. FIG. FIG. 8 is a side view of the state in which the outer support member is extended, and FIG. 9 is a side view of the state in which the outer support member is bent.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the outer first arm 21 of the outer support member 20 includes a first shaft 22 that fits in a second guide groove 29 of an outer second arm 25, which will be described later, and a substantially arc-shaped first guide groove 24. Is formed. A fastening member 23 such as a nut for preventing the first shaft 22 from coming out of the second guide groove 29 is provided at the tip of the first shaft 22. In addition, in Fig.6 (a), the 1st axis | shaft 22 is shown with the dotted line.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the outer second arm 25 of the outer support member 20 has a second shaft 26 that fits in the first guide groove 24 of the outer first arm 21 and a linear second guide groove 29. Is formed. Further, a fastening member 27 for preventing the second shaft 26 from coming out of the first guide groove 24 is provided at the tip of the second shaft 26. In addition, in Fig.7 (a), the 2nd axis | shaft 26 is shown with the dotted line.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the outer first arm 21 and the outer second arm 25 face each other on the surfaces on which the shafts 22 and 26 are provided so that the first shaft 22 is a second guide groove 29. Moreover, the outer side support member 20 is comprised by connecting so that the 2nd axis | shaft 26 may fit in the 1st guide groove 24. FIG.

  Next, the movement of the outer support member 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. First, the first shaft 22 of the outer first arm 21 is installed in the vicinity of the lower end (connection end side end) of the first guide groove 24, and the first shaft 12 of the inner first arm 11 is first. It is installed on the opposite side to the installation location for the guide groove 14.

  Therefore, in a state where the second shaft 26 of the outer second arm 25 is positioned at the upper end portion (free end side end portion) of the first guide groove 24 and the outer support member 20 is extended, as shown in FIG. The second shaft 22 is positioned at the lower end portion (free end side end portion) of the second guide groove 29 of the outer second arm 25, and the outer second arm 25 is located with respect to the first shaft 22. The most retracted state.

  On the other hand, from the state where the outer support member 20 is extended, the outer second arm 25 is moved relative to the outer first arm 21 while the first shaft 22 and the second shaft 26 are guided in the guide grooves 29 and 24. As shown in FIG. 9, the second shaft 26 of the outer second arm 25 is positioned at the lower end portion (the end portion on the connecting end side) of the first guide groove 24 as shown in FIG. 20 is in a bent state. In this bent state, the first shaft 22 is positioned at the upper end portion (connection end side end portion) of the second guide groove 29 of the outer second arm 25, and the outer second arm 25 is positioned at the first shaft 22. It will be in the state which protrudes most.

  Here, although the 1st axis | shaft 22 and the 2nd axis | shaft 26 act as a rotating shaft when the outer side 1st arm 21 and the outer side 2nd arm 25 rotate relatively, they are functioning also as a cam follower. That is, a first cam mechanism comprising a first shaft (cam follower) 22 and a second guide (cam) groove 29, and a second cam mechanism comprising a second shaft (cam follower) 26 and a first guide (cam) groove 24. The outer first arm 21 and the outer second arm 25 are rotatably connected by a double cam mechanism.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the outer first arm 21 and the outer second arm 25 are relatively rotated and the outer support member 20 is extended or bent, the outer second arm 25 is It functions to protrude and retract. Specifically, in the outer support member 20, the entire length from the free end of the outer first arm 21 to the free end of the outer second arm 25 via the connecting portion expands and contracts according to the bending angle. The length is the shortest and the longest is the longest when bent.

  The configuration and operation of the inner support member 10 and the outer support member 20 have been described above. In the present embodiment, the first support shafts 12 of the first arms 11 and 21 are formed by the inner support member 10 and the outer support member 20. 22 is greatly different, and the first shaft 12 of the inner support member 10 is located in the vicinity of the free end side end portion of the first guide groove 14, whereas the first shaft 22 of the outer support member 20. Is located near the end of the first guide groove 24 on the connecting end side.

  For this reason, the inner support member 10 expands and contracts so that the entire length becomes the longest when extended as shown in FIG. 4 and becomes the shortest when bent as shown in FIG. 5, whereas the outer support member 20 reverses. In addition, the total length becomes the shortest during the extension shown in FIG. 8, and the full length becomes the longest during the bending shown in FIG.

  Here, the difference in expansion and contraction between the inside and outside of the knee joint orthosis 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 10. FIG. 10 is an oblique front view showing a bent state of the knee joint orthosis according to the present embodiment. On the other hand, FIG. 1 described above shows the extended state of the knee joint orthosis 1.

  In the bent state of the knee joint orthosis 1 shown in FIG. 10, the inner support member 10 is contracted and the outer support member 20 is extended. When both the support members 10 and 20 start to gradually extend from this bent state, the inner support member 10 starts to gradually extend longer and the outer support member 20 starts to contract shorter and shorter. In the extended state of the knee joint orthosis 1 shown in FIG. 1, the inner support member 10 is in the most extended state and the outer support member 20 is in the most contracted state.

  Next, the operation during use of the knee joint orthosis 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a front view showing a state in which the knee joint orthosis according to the present embodiment is attached to the right knee joint part, and shows a state in which the knee is extended.

  When the knee joint orthosis 1 is attached to the right knee joint portion connecting the femur and the tibia, the first connection member 30 is attached and fixed to the thigh (femur), and the second connection member 31 is lowered. Attach and fix to the thigh (tibia). Accordingly, the free end sides of the first arms 11 and 21 can be fixed to the femur, and the free end sides of the second arms 15 and 25 can be fixed to the tibia.

  When the right leg is extended so that the right knee joint is changed from the bent state to the extended state with the knee joint orthosis 1 attached, in the knee joint orthosis 1, the inner support member 10 extends while the outer support member 20 extends. Shrink. Therefore, when the wearer of the knee joint orthosis 1 extends the knee, the knee is pulled so that the lower knee of the right foot is tilted outward (outside support member 20 side).

  The knee joint orthosis 1 that exhibits such a function is useful for a person with a disorder of knee osteoarthritis. In osteoarthritis of the knee, the femur is externally rotated and the tibia is relatively internally rotated when standing upright, causing pain and the like. The rotation is supported and the knee is pulled outwards when the knee joint is extended, and the above symptoms are corrected, thereby leading to pain relief.

  At this time, it is possible to adjust the expansion / contraction amounts of the inner and outer support members 10 and 20 with respect to the bending angle of the knee joint orthosis 1 by changing the curved shape of the first guide grooves 14 and 24 having a substantially arc shape. The timing of extension and rotation can be corrected according to the symptoms of each person.

  In the above-described embodiment, the knee joint orthosis 1 for the right foot has been described. However, the knee joint orthosis for the left foot has the same configuration. However, in the case of the left foot, since it is necessary to reverse the pulling direction, the inner support member and the outer support member are different from each other in the structure of the right foot.

  As described above, the knee joint orthosis according to the present embodiment has been described in detail. However, according to the present embodiment, in the knee joint orthosis 1 including the inner support member 10 and the outer support member 20, the inner and outer support members are extended and bent. Predetermined expansion and contraction can be generated at 10 and 20, and optimal assistance and correction can be performed on the knee joint.

  Of course, various other knees such as anterior cruciate ligament damage can be obtained by appropriately changing the amount of expansion / contraction of the support members 10 and 20 during extension / bending and the setting of whether the support members 10 and 20 extend or contract during extension. It is possible to respond to the disease.

  Further, according to the present embodiment in which the first arms 11 and 21 and the second arms 15 and 25 are connected to each other so as to be relatively rotatable by a double cam mechanism, compared to a metal joint device using a gear, a rack, or the like. It is also possible to use a relatively soft material such as plastic, composite material or wood. Therefore, since it is possible to simplify the manufacturing process without requiring welding or the like, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Further, by forming the curved shapes of the first guide grooves 14 and 24 appropriately in desired shapes, the expansion / contraction amounts of the inner and outer support members 10 and 20 with respect to the bending angle of the knee joint orthosis 1 can be tailor-made. The knee joint orthosis 1 that is optimal for each person can be provided.

  Although the present embodiment has been described in detail above, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the opening is made to penetrate the guide groove, but it may be a bottomed guide groove.

  In the above embodiment, the first guide groove has a linear shape and the second guide groove has a curved shape (substantially arc shape). However, both guide grooves may have a curved shape. By making both the curved shapes, the relationship between the bending angle of the support member and the amount of expansion / contraction can be set more freely. However, if one of the guide grooves is linear, the design can be easily performed.

  In the above embodiment, the first arm and the second arm are flat plates, and the guide groove is a two-dimensional groove. However, the guide groove is three-dimensional, for example, by making the first arm and the second arm a curved plate. By using the groove of the structure, a joint orthosis with a higher degree of freedom of movement can be obtained.

  In the above embodiment, the first arm and the second arm are bonded together. However, the second arm is formed by the auxiliary plate formed with the guide groove having the same shape as the first guide groove and the first arm. It is good also as a structure which pinches | interposes. By adopting such a sandwiching configuration, it is possible to provide a strong knee joint orthosis with stable movement.

  In the above embodiment, both the inner support member and the outer support member are support members that expand and contract during extension / bending, but only one of the inner and outer support members is an expandable support member and the other is a non-expandable support member. A support member may be used.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the joint orthosis for mounting | wearing to a knee joint part was mentioned as an example, it demonstrated for other joints, such as an elbow which connects a 1st bone and a 2nd bone, a wrist, and an ankle. Needless to say, it can also be used as a joint brace.

1 knee joint orthosis 10 inner support member 11 inner first arm 12 first shaft 14 first guide groove 15 inner second arm 16 second shaft 19 second guide groove 20 outer support member 21 outer first arm 22 first shaft 24 First guide groove 25 Outer second arm 26 Second shaft 29 Second guide groove 30 First connection member 31 Second connection member

Claims (4)

In a joint orthosis that has an inner support member and an outer support member and is attached to a joint portion that connects a first bone and a second bone,
At least one of the inner support member or the outer support member is
A first arm mounted and fixed on the first bone side, the first arm formed with a first shaft and a first guide groove; and a second arm mounted and fixed on the second bone side And a second arm formed with a second shaft and a second guide groove,
The first arm and the first cam mechanism are configured by a first cam mechanism including the first shaft and the second guide groove, and a second cam mechanism including the second shaft and the first guide groove. An articulated orthosis that is an expansion / contraction support member that is connected to the two arms so as to be relatively rotatable, and is configured to expand and contract its entire length when rotating.   2. The joint orthosis according to claim 1, wherein one of the first guide groove and the second guide groove has a linear shape and the other has a curved shape.   The inner support member is an expansion / contraction support member whose overall length is shortened when bent and is extended when extended, and the outer support member is an elastic support member whose overall length is increased when bent and is shortened when extended. The joint orthosis according to claim 1 or 2.   In the one arm in which the linear guide groove is formed, the telescopic support member has the same shape of the guide groove and the position of the shaft in the inner support member and the outer support member, and the curve 4. The other arm in which a guide groove having a shape is formed, wherein the inner support member and the outer support member are configured such that the shape of the guide groove and the position of the shaft are different. The joint orthosis described.

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