JP6439199B2 - Knee covering orthosis - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an orthosis used by covering a knee. In particular, the present invention relates to a knee covering device provided with a function of suppressing the occurrence of lateral thrust.

For example, there are many diseases related to the knee, such as the deterioration of muscles and ligaments that support the knee due to aging, and damage to the knee due to sports, and various knee coverings aimed at preventing the occurrence of such diseases and assisting recovery after surgery A brace has been developed.
As such a knee covering device, for example, one disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. In the knee covering device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a circular hole drilled to approximately the same width as that of the patella is positioned on the patella, and the curved concave portion of the pressing body is brought into close contact with the outer edge of the patella to expand and contract. The band is pulled and fixed to the back side of the stretchable endless band, and the pressing body is pressed inward by the pressing piece to prevent the displacement of the patella to the outside.

  Moreover, what was disclosed by patent document 2 is also known as another knee-covering orthosis. In the knee covering brace disclosed in Patent Document 2, a plurality of regions having different extensibility are knitted and knitted at a portion covering the periphery of the patella, and at least a part of the portion other than the portion is provided. It is considered as a low extensibility area | region which has low extensibility compared with this area | region. In this way, in the knee covering orthosis, a part of the knee covering braid is made into a low-extension region by knitting, so that the wearing operation is easy, and compression, fixation, heat retention, etc. are focused on an appropriate place according to the pain. can do.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-12316 JP 2011-130784 A

As described above, a variety of devices for covering the knee have been developed.
Here, as a walking feature of people suffering from knee joint diseases, so-called `` lateral thrust '' in which the knee joint instantaneously moves and displaces from the center of the normal knee joint to the outside at the start of walking or in the stance phase. There is an event called.
This lateral thrust is a phenomenon that acts on joints to which weight is added in the human body (such as knee joints and hip joints), and the cause is considered to be an abnormal balance of muscle strength around the knee. There is a problem that the knee joint is inverted by the occurrence, and deformation occurs on the inner joint surface of the knee joint (the femoral medial condyle and the tibial condyle).
Due to such problems, there has been a demand for a knee covering device that suppresses the occurrence of lateral thrust.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, facing the main body portion made of a stretchable material and a non-stretchable material or a stretchable material, and at least a part of the outer side collateral ligament and the vicinity thereof, A first extension portion having a higher extension force than the main body portion; a second extension portion inclined from the knee joint outer side to the thigh inner side and having a higher extension force and / or tightening force than the main body portion; The present invention also relates to a knee covering brace comprising: a third extending portion that is inclined from the outside of the knee joint to the inside of the crus and has a higher extension force and / or tightening force than the main body portion.

  The knee covering device of the present invention includes the first extension part, the second extension part, and the third extension part, and is considered to be capable of suppressing movement displacement (lateral thrust) to the outside of the knee joint. .

1 is a front view of a knee covering device according to a first embodiment to which the present invention is applicable. It is the side view which observed the knee part covering device shown in Drawing 1 from a wearer's knee joint outside. It is a rear view of the knee part covering orthosis shown in FIG. It is the side view which observed the knee part covering device shown in Drawing 1 from a wearer's knee joint inside. It is the figure which observed the state by which the knee covering orthosis shown in FIG. 1 was expand | deployed from the surface of the said knee covering orthosis. It is the figure which observed the state by which the knee covering orthosis shown in FIG. 1 was expand | deployed from the back surface of the said knee covering orthosis. It is a front view of the knee covering device according to the second embodiment to which the present invention is applied. It is the side view which observed the knee part covering device shown in Drawing 7 from a wearer's knee joint outside. FIG. 8 is a rear view of the knee covering device shown in FIG. 7. It is the side view which observed the knee covering brace shown in Drawing 7 from a wearer's knee joint inside. It is a front view of the knee part covering device concerning a third embodiment to which the present invention is applied. It is the side view which observed the knee part covering device shown in Drawing 11 from a wearer's knee joint outside. FIG. 12 is a rear view of the knee covering device shown in FIG. 11. It is the side view which observed the knee part covering device shown in Drawing 11 from a wearer's knee joint inside.

  Embodiments to which the present invention can be applied will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, embodiment described below shows an example of typical embodiment of this invention, and, thereby, the range of this invention is not interpreted narrowly.

<First embodiment>
First, the knee covering device according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applicable will be described with reference to FIGS. The knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment is broadly divided into a main body 10 that covers the periphery of the wearer's knee joint, and is formed integrally with the main body 10 to face the outer collateral ligament of the wearer and the like. A first elongating portion 20 that is inclined from the outer side of the knee joint of the wearer to the inner side of the thigh, and a third elongating portion that is inclined from the outer side of the knee joint of the wearer to the inner side of the lower leg. Unit 40. In addition, the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment is not an indispensable component, but may include a dish portion 50 that covers the wearer's patella and a holding portion 11 that contacts the wearer's skin. Below, each part is demonstrated in detail.

In addition, in FIGS. 1-6, although the boundary surface is represented with the continuous line so that the boundary surface of each adjacent part can be discriminate | determined, the magnitude | size etc. of each part are the range which has an effect of each part. It can be changed as appropriate.
1 to 4 show a state where the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment is mounted on the left leg of the wearer, the knee covering device to which the present invention is applicable is mounted. Can be worn on both the left and right legs. Here, when the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment is mounted on the right leg of the wearer, the knee covering device 1 is inverted by 180 degrees around the axis along the longitudinal direction of the knee covering device 1, The first elongating part 20 is mounted so as to be arranged outside the knee joint of the wearer.
These points are the same in the knee covering orthosis according to the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 and the knee covering orthosis according to the third embodiment shown in FIGS.

  The body 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape that is closely attached to the upper part of the lower leg through the knee joint from the lower part of the wearer in the body axis direction. The main body 10 has a length along the body axis direction of the wearer of 10 to 80 cm, more preferably 15 to 70 cm, and further preferably 20 to 60 cm. Moreover, the internal diameter of the said main-body part 10 is 20-100 cm, More preferably, it is 25-90 cm, More preferably, it is 30-80 cm.

Further, the main body 10 is made of a stretchable material and a non-stretchable material or a stretchable material, and can be formed as a knitted fabric knitted from a yarn material. Although it does not specifically limit as said elastic material, What is necessary is just a material which has the expansion | extension which can be closely_contact | adhered to the surface structure of a human body. Further, the extension force of the main body portion 10 is 1.0 to 8.0 N from the viewpoint of facilitating the detachment so as to be able to cope with changes in the peripheral diameter accompanying the bending and stretching movements of the knee joint as much as possible. Preferably there is.
Here, the extension force refers to a test piece obtained by cutting the side surface of the main body 10 (the side opposite to the first extension 20) in a vertical direction (a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the main body 10). Pull in the circumferential direction or diagonal direction. A test piece is attached to a constant-speed extension type tensile tester (“Autograph (registered trademark)” AG-20KNI, 1 kN load cell manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) with a grip length of 25 mm and a grip interval of 100 mm, and the test piece has an elongation of 100%. This refers to the stress acting on the test piece when it reaches a state of 30% elongation when stretched to 100% elongation per minute, and can be measured by a known method. As a known method, for example, the grab method (Method B) shown in “JIS L 1096 Fabric and Knitted Fabric Test Method” can be used.
The “elongation” means that the length of the test piece in the stretch direction in the stretched state of the test piece is d, and the original length of the test piece before stretching (that is, the gripping interval) is e. It is a numerical value represented by (d−e) / e] × 100.
When the extension force of the main body portion 10 is outside the above range, it is not possible to cope with the change in the peripheral diameter associated with the bending and stretching movements of the knee joint as much as possible, resulting in a deterioration in wearing feeling.

Furthermore, in the knee covering orthosis 1 according to the first embodiment, it is necessary to eliminate excessive tightening force and to have a suitable wearing feeling, so the main body 10 has a predetermined tightening force. Need to be.
Here, the tightening force means that the side surface of the main body 10 (the side opposite to the first extending portion 20) is cut in the vertical direction (direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the main body 10) to obtain a test piece. Pull in the circumferential direction or diagonal direction. A test piece is attached to a constant-speed extension type tensile tester (“Autograph (registered trademark)” AG-20KNI, 1 kN load cell manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) with a grip length of 25 mm and a grip interval of 100 mm, and the test piece has an elongation of 100%. After stretching to 100% elongation at a speed of / min and holding for 5 seconds, the stress applied to the test piece was removed at an elongation of 100% / min, and the test piece was restored to 30% elongation. It refers to the stress that acts.
The tightening force of the main body 10 is 0.1 to 4.0 N from the viewpoint of facilitating removal and attachment so as to be able to cope with changes in the peripheral diameter accompanying the bending and stretching movements of the knee joint as much as possible. It is preferable that it is the range of these.
When the tightening force of the main body 10 is out of the above range, it is not possible to respond as much as possible to the change in the peripheral diameter accompanying the bending and stretching movements of the knee joint, as in the case of the extension force. It will be.

  The yarn material constituting the main body 10 may be either natural fiber or chemical fiber, for example, polyamide fiber, polyester fiber, acrylic fiber, cellulosic fiber (cotton, rayon, polynosic, lyocell, etc.) , Polyurethane fiber, polyolefin fiber (polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.), acetate fiber, polyvinylidene chloride fiber, polyvinyl chloride fiber, yarn (wool, animal hair, etc.) alone, or these fibers Can be used. As the type of yarn, monofilament, multifilament, twisted yarn, covered yarn, core yarn and the like can be used, and those subjected to stretch processing or bulk processing may be used.

  As the knitting of the main body 10, various knitting structures such as warp knitting or weft knitting can be used. For example, flat knitted fabric, rubber knitted (rib knitted) fabric, pearl knitted fabric, tuck knitted fabric, circular knitted fabric, Flat knitted fabric, tricot fabric, raschel fabric, pile knitted fabric, spliced yarn knitted fabric, etc. can be used. Stretchability and stretchability are adjusted by inserting elastic yarns such as covered yarns of polyurethane fibers and rubber yarns into the yarns that make up these knitted structures, and adjusting the number of insertions of these elastic yarns. Is possible. As a cylindrical rubber knitted fabric (rib knitted fabric) in which elastic yarn such as polyurethane yarn or rubber yarn is inserted into a ground yarn such as polyamide-based yarn, it can be suitably knitted by a circular knitting machine or a sock knitting machine.

Further, the main body portion 10 includes a pair of holding portions 11. The pair of holding portions 11 are provided at both ends of the body portion 10 in the body axis direction of the wearer, and hold portions 11a that go around the wearer's thigh F and holding portions 11b that go around the wearer's lower leg C. And consist of Each holding | maintenance part 11a, 11b has suppressed that the knee part covering device 1 slip | deviates from a mounting position at the time of mounting | wearing.
And the extension force of each holding | maintenance part 11a, 11b does not have excessive tightening, and it is good that it is a grade which closely_contact | adheres with respect to a wearer's thigh F and crus C. It is preferable that it is the range of 0-8.0N. Further, the tightening force of each of the holding portions 11a and 11b is not excessively tightened as in the case of the extension force, and can be tightly attached to the thigh F and the crus C of the wearer. A range of 0.0 N is preferable.
If the extension force and the tightening force of the holding portions 11a and 11b are out of the above ranges, the wearer's thigh F and crus C will be excessively tightened, resulting in a deterioration of the feeling of wearing and further easy attachment / detachment. It becomes difficult to do.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, non-slip members 12 a and 12 b are provided on the inner side surfaces of the holding portions 11 a and 11 b in contact with the wearer's skin. Each of the anti-slip members 12a and 12b generates a frictional force by coming into contact with the wearer's skin and prevents the knee covering device 1 from being displaced. The material of each of the anti-slip members 12a and 12b is not particularly limited. However, in order to function reliably as an anti-slip material, it is applied to nanofibers, rubber yarn (urethane yarn, natural rubber), and fabric (thermoplastic elastomer, silicone resin). Is preferably used.
The anti-slip member 12 is not essential in the present invention. For example, a convex portion may be provided on the inner surface of each of the holding portions 11a and 11b so as to function as an anti-slip.

Next, the dish part 50 will be described.
This dish part 50 is formed in a substantially elliptical shape, and two knee covering devices 1 according to the first embodiment are provided as a whole. Each dish part 50 is formed from a stretchable material like the main body part 10. And one plate part 50a has faced the wearer's patella front at the time of wearing. The other dish part 50b is located on the back side of the wearer's knee joint at the time of wearing, and the one dish part 50a and the other dish part 50b are arranged to sandwich the knee joint of the wearer at the time of wearing.
Each dish part 50a, 50b has a function of protecting the wearer's patella and preferably has a low extension force. For this reason, the extension force of each plate part 50a, 50b should be lower than the extension force of the main body part 10. Specifically, a constant speed extension type tensile tester (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation "Auto" When measured using a graph (registered trademark) “AG-20KNI, 1 kN load cell), a range of 1.0 to 8.0 N is preferable. Furthermore, when the clamping force of each plate part 50a, 50b is measured by using a constant speed extension type tensile tester (“Autograph (registered trademark)” AG-20KNI, 1 kN load cell manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) with a gripping interval of 40 mm. The range of 0.1 to 3.0 N is preferable.
As described above, since the knee covering device 1 according to the present embodiment can be mounted on either the left or right leg of the wearer, the knee covering device 1 according to the present embodiment is mounted on the right leg of the wearer. In this state, the dish part 50b faces the front surface of the wearer's patella when worn, and the dish part 50a is located on the back side of the knee joint. Here, the dish part 50 has a low extension force, and the number of yarn materials constituting the dish part 50 is small. For this reason, there exists an effect which improves the air permeability of the knee joint back side by arrange | positioning the said plate part 50 on the knee joint back side.

  In the knitting of the knee covering orthosis 1 according to the first embodiment, the first extension part 20, the second extension part 30, and the third extension part, which are different braids, around the dish part 50 having the above-described configuration. 40 are knitted. Further, the first elongated portion 20, the second elongated portion 30, and the third elongated portion 40 are also knitted together. The first elongating portion 20, the second elongating portion 30, and the third elongating portion 40 can be knitted by changing the knitting structure, adjusting the knitting density, adjusting the loop length, changing the type of knitting yarn, or the like. By knitting different knitted tissues, a predetermined stretchability can be imparted to a predetermined part of the knee covering device 1. The knitting of the first extension part 20, the second extension part 30, and the third extension part 40 is the same as the knitting in the main body part 10, and therefore the description thereof is omitted here.

  The knitting is performed, for example, by a cut boss process in which the number and type of attachment yarns to be knitted are partially changed while knitting by knitting different yarns (attachment yarns) into the ground yarn (front yarn and back yarn). Is preferred. Specifically, when the front and back yarns are supplied and knitted with a circular knitting machine, a splicing yarn (medium yarn) is inserted between the front and back yarns at the part where low extensibility is desired. Align yarn, splicing yarn and back yarn and supply them with a circular knitting machine. Next, the part which wants to increase extensibility is knitted with only the front yarn and the back yarn, with the additional yarn floating on the back side so that the splicing yarn is not inserted between the front yarn and the back yarn. Then, by cutting the splicing yarn floated on the back side, the low stretchability region that is difficult to stretch where the splicing yarn is inserted and the high stretchability region that is knitted only with the front yarn and the back yarn are knitted separately. In addition, the level of extensibility can be adjusted by knitting the knitting structure while sequentially changing the number and types of yarns used as splicing yarns, and the number of splicing yarn inserted regions or splicing yarns is relatively large. The region can be knitted as a low stretch region that is difficult to stretch, and the region where no splicing yarn is inserted or the region where the number of splicing yarns is relatively small can be knitted as a high stretch region that is easy to stretch. Thus, by using the cut boss process, it is possible to easily knit and knitting a plurality of regions having different extensibility with a simple manufacturing process.

It is preferable to use a yarn having a color different from the color of the knitting ground yarn as the splicing yarn to be inserted in the cut boss processing, and a color different from the color of the knitting ground yarn and the same color as the ground yarn. It is more preferable to use a yarn of
Also, by using a yarn of the same color as the base yarn as the splicing yarn, the splicing yarn may come off from the stitches of the ground yarn due to long-term use or friction with the outside, or a splicing yarn that should originally appear on the fabric front side is manufactured Even if a part of the fabric is missing from the front side in the process, it is inconspicuous if it is a similar color, and it is possible to prevent deterioration of the design due to the unraveling of the yarn and the occurrence of mottled patterns. Here, the similar color means colors having the same or similar hue.
In addition, the fall of the spliced yarn from the stitches may be caused by increasing the length of the spliced yarn knitted into the ground yarn, using a yarn that is difficult to expand or contract as the spliced yarn, or yarn with high frictional resistance to the ground yarn (spun This can be prevented by using, for example, yarns, twisted yarns, dull yarns, etc., which are difficult to slip) as an attachment yarn.

  When knitting the first extension part 20, the second extension part 30 and the third extension part 40 using cut boss processing, on the back side of the knee covering device 1 (inside the knee covering device 1 serving as a skin contact surface), It is preferable to provide a convex portion formed by a set of inserted splicing yarns, and it is more preferable to provide a convex portion formed by a set of cut splicing yarn end portions. It is particularly preferable that the convex portion formed of the cut bossed yarn is provided as a linear convex portion along the outer edge of each portion. By using the cut boss process, a convex portion by the cut end of the splicing yarn can be easily formed on the skin contact surface side of the knee covering device 1. And it becomes possible by this convex part to provide compression effectively around a patella.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first elongated portion 20 is formed in a substantially circular shape, and is connected to a pair of plate portions 50a and 50b. Further, the first elongated portion 20 supports the outer collateral ligament by applying a force when the knee joint is moved and displaced outward due to the occurrence of the lateral thrust.
Specifically, the first elongated portion 20 is formed so that the width in the front-rear direction of the wearer is larger than the width of the outer collateral ligament of the wearer, and the length along the body axis direction of the wearer is It is shorter than the outer side collateral ligament. In other words, the first elongated portion 20 faces at least a part of the outer collateral ligament when mounted. Further, the first elongated portion 20 faces not only a part of the outer collateral ligament but also a part of the outer meniscus disposed in the vicinity of the outer collateral ligament, and a part of the lower end of the femur and the upper end of the tibia. .
In addition, the 1st expansion | extension part 20 is not limited to the said structure, The other structure may be employ | adopted if the said lateral thrust can be suppressed. In such a case, the configuration of the first elongating portion 20 is not a substantially circular shape, but includes a belt-like shape along the front-rear direction of the wearer.

The first elongated portion 20 is made of a stretchable material, and the elongation force is preferably in a range in which the generation of the lateral thrust can be suppressed, specifically, in the range of 5.0 to 23.5 N. More preferably, it is the range of 7.0-20.0N, More preferably, it is the range of 9.0-15.0N. Further, since the extension force of the first extension portion 20 is set with a focus on suppressing the occurrence of lateral thrust, and the extension force of the main body portion 10 is set with a focus on improving the wearing feeling, the first extension portion The extension force 20 is set larger than the extension force of the main body 10. If the extension force of the first extension part 20 is lower than 5.0 N, a force acting on the outer side of the wearer's knee joint is not generated, and it becomes difficult to suppress the lateral thrust. On the other hand, if the extension force of the first extension part 20 is higher than 23.5N, the wearing feeling at the time of wearing may be lowered.
The extension force of the first extension part 20 is measured by the same method as the main body part 10 using a part of the first extension part 20.

As described above, the first elongated portion 20 needs to suppress the occurrence of the lateral thrust. For this reason, it is desirable that the first extending portion 20 has a predetermined tightening force. The tightening force of the first elongated portion 20 is in the range of 0.1 to 23.5, more preferably in the range of 0.2 to 15.0, and still more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 10.0. It is. If the tightening force of the first extending portion 20 is lower than 0.1 N, a force acting on the outer side of the wearer's knee joint is not generated, and it becomes difficult to suppress lateral thrust. On the other hand, when the tightening force of the first extending portion 20 is higher than 23.5 N, the wearing feeling at the time of wearing may be lowered.
Here, in the first extension part 20, it is not necessary to provide both the extension force and the tightening force, and either one can be measured as an indicator that the structure can suppress the occurrence of lateral thrust. Any configuration may be used.
The tightening force of the first extension part 20 is measured by the same method as the main body part 10 using a part of the first extension part 20.

Next, the second extending portion 30 will be described.
The second elongated portion 30 is formed in a substantially band shape, and cooperates with the first elongated portion 20 to suppress the lateral thrust. For this reason, the extension force of the second extension portion 30 is preferably in the range of 5.0 to 23.5 N, more preferably in the range of 7.0 to 20.0 N, and still more preferably in the range of 9.0 to 15.0 N. Range. When the extension force of the second extension part 30 is lower than 5.0 N, a force acting on the outside of the knee joint of the wearer is not generated, and it becomes difficult to suppress the lateral thrust. On the other hand, if the extension force of the second extension part 30 is higher than 23.5N, the wearing feeling at the time of wearing may be lowered.
In addition, since the second extending portion 30 has a function to resist the lateral thrust, it is necessary to have a predetermined tightening force. Specifically, it is the range of 0.1-23.5, More preferably, it is the range of 0.2-15.0, More preferably, it is the range of 0.5-10.0. If the tightening force of the second extending portion 30 is lower than 0.1N, a force acting on the outer side of the wearer's knee joint is not generated, and it becomes difficult to suppress lateral thrust. On the other hand, if the tightening force of the second extending portion 30 is higher than 23.5 N, the wearing feeling at the time of wearing may be lowered.
Since the second extension portion 30 contributes to the suppression of the occurrence of lateral thrust in cooperation with the first extension portion 20, the extension force thereof is larger than the extension force of the main body portion 10, like the first extension portion 20. It is set large.
Here, in the second extension part 30, it is not necessary to provide both the extension force and the tightening force, and either one can be measured as an indicator that the structure can suppress the occurrence of lateral thrust. Any configuration may be used.
The extension force and the tightening force of the second extension part 30 are measured by the same method as that of the main body part 10 using a part of the second extension part 30.

And the said 2nd extending | stretching part 30 is provided in the knee covering device 1 whole, and in the state in which the knee covering device 1 was mounted | worn, it is the front side of the said knee covering device 1, ie, a wearer's front side. The front knee upper extending portion 30a and the knee back upper extending portion 30b disposed on the rear side of the knee covering device 1, that is, on the back side of the wearer.
The front knee upper extension 30a extends from the first extension 20 toward the inner side of the thigh F of the wearer to form a substantially belt-like shape, and one end is connected to the first extension 20 while the other The end is connected to the holding portion 11a. Moreover, this knee front upper side extension | expansion part 30a is connected with the dish part 50a formed in the substantially elliptical shape, and is curving so that the upper edge of the said dish part 50a may be met.
In the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment, the knee front upper extension part 30a is connected to the first extension part 20, but if the lateral thrust can be suppressed, they are separated from each other. There is no problem.

  As can be understood from FIGS. 1 and 4, the anterior knee upper extending portion 30 a configured in this way covers the inner part of the knee joint of the wearer and the upper edge of the patella at the time of wearing, and at least the wearer's upper part. It faces (intersects) a part of the quadriceps femoris, and finally inclines toward the inside of the thigh F along the outer periphery of the wearer's thigh F.

On the other hand, the knee back upper side extension part 30b has the same shape as the knee front upper side extension part 30a, is formed in a substantially band shape, and one end is connected to the first extension part 20. Furthermore, the other end of the knee back upper extension part 30b is connected to one end of the holding part 11a and the knee front upper extension part 30a, and the knee front upper extension part when the knee covering device 1 is observed from the back side. Combined with 30a, it forms a V shape (see FIG. 4).
As described above, the upper knee extension portion 30b is connected to the dish portion 50b formed in a substantially elliptical shape, and is curved along the upper edge of the dish portion 50b (see FIG. 3).
The upper knee extension portion 30b is connected to the first extension portion 20 and the knee front upper extension portion 30a, but may be separated from each other as long as the lateral thrust can be suppressed.

  The upper knee extension portion 30b configured in this manner is disposed at a position symmetrical to the front knee upper extension portion 30a via the thigh F of the wearer in the front-rear direction of the wearer when worn. The upper knee extension portion 30b faces (intersects) at least a part of the wearer's biceps femoris, biceps tendon, semitendonoid muscle, meningiform muscle, and intestinal shin ligament when worn. And finally, it inclines toward the inner side of the thigh F along the outer periphery of the thigh F of the wearer.

  Since the knee covering device to which the present invention is applicable can be mounted on either the left or right leg of the wearer, the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment is mounted on the right leg of the wearer. In this state, the above-knee extension part 30b functions as the above-knee upper extension part 30a, and the above-knee upper extension part 30a functions as the above-knee upper extension part 30b.

In the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment, the third extending portion 40 cooperates with the first extending portion 20 and the second extending portion 30 to suppress the occurrence of the lateral thrust. For this reason, like the second extension part 30, the third extension part 40 needs to have a predetermined extension force and tightening force.
That is, the extension force of the third extension 40 is preferably in the range of 5.0 to 23.5 N, more preferably in the range of 7.0 to 20.0 N, and still more preferably in the range of 9.0 to 15.0 N. It is a range. If the extension force of the third extension part 40 is lower than 5.0 N, no force acting on the outer side of the knee joint of the wearer is generated, and it becomes difficult to suppress the lateral thrust. If the stretching force is higher than 23.5 N, the wearing feeling at the time of wearing may be lowered. Here, since the third extending portion 40 cooperates with the second extending portion 30 to contribute to the suppression of the occurrence of lateral thrust, the extension force is the same as that of the second extending portion 30. It is set larger than the force.
Further, the tightening force of the third elongated portion 40 is in the range of 0.1 to 23.5, more preferably in the range of 0.2 to 15.0, and still more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 10.0. Range. When the tightening force of the third extending portion 40 is lower than 0.1 N, no force acting on the outside of the wearer's knee joint is generated, and it becomes difficult to suppress the lateral thrust. When the tightening force is higher than 23.5 N, the wearing feeling at the time of wearing may be lowered.
The extension force and the tightening force of the third extension part 40 are measured by the same method as that of the main body part 10 using a part of the third extension part 40.

And the said 3rd extending | stretching part 40 is provided with the knee part covering device 1 whole, and in the state with which the knee part covering device 1 was mounted | worn, the knee front lower side extending part 40a distribute | arranged to the wearer's front side, and And a lower knee extension part 40b arranged on the back side of the wearer.
The lower front knee extension 40a extends from the first extension 20 toward the inner side of the lower leg of the wearer to form a substantially belt-like shape, and one end is connected to the first extension 20 while the other The end is connected to the holding portion 11b. Moreover, this knee front lower side extension | expansion part 40a is connected with the dish part 50a formed in the substantially elliptical shape, and is curving so that the lower edge of the said dish part 50a may be met.
In addition, although the said knee front extension part 40a is connected with the 1st extension part 20, if the said lateral thrust can be suppressed, it does not interfere even if it mutually spaces apart.

  As can be understood from FIGS. 1 and 4, the front lower knee extension portion 40 a configured in this way covers at least the inner part of the knee joint of the wearer and the lower edge of the patella, and at least the wearer. Faces (crosses) a part of the patella ligament, anterior tibial muscle and gastrocnemius muscle of the person, and finally inclines toward the inside of the lower leg C along the outer circumference of the lower leg C of the wearer .

On the other hand, the lower knee extension part 40b has the same shape as the front knee lower extension part 40a, is formed in a substantially band shape, and one end is connected to the first extension part 20. Furthermore, the other end of the lower knee extension part 40b is connected to one end of the holding part 11b and the lower knee front extension part 40a, and the knee front covering 1 is observed when the knee covering device 1 is observed from the back side. Together with the side extension 40a, it forms a V shape (see FIG. 4).
Moreover, the said knee back lower side extension part 40b is connected with the dish part 50b formed in the substantially elliptical shape, and is curving so that the lower edge of the said dish part 50b may be met.
In addition, although the said knee back lower side extension part 40b is connected with the 1st extension part 20 and the knee front lower side extension part 40a, as long as the said lateral thrust can be suppressed, it may be spaced apart from each other. Absent.

  The lower knee extension part 40b configured in this way is arranged at a position symmetrical to the anterior knee lower extension part 40a via the wearer's thigh F in the longitudinal direction of the wearer when worn. Yes. Then, the lower knee extension portion 40b faces (intersects) at least a part of the wearer's gastrocnemius and iliac peroneal muscles when worn, and finally along the outer circumference of the wearer's lower leg C. Inclined toward the inside of the lower leg C.

  Since the knee covering device to which the present invention is applicable can be mounted on either the left or right leg of the wearer, the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment is mounted on the right leg of the wearer. In this state, the lower knee extension part 40b functions as the anterior knee lower extension part 40a, and the lower knee extension part 40a functions as the lower knee extension part 40b.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment is cut along the longitudinal direction of the knee covering device 1 and shows the surface of the knee covering device 1.
As described above, the upper knee extension portion 30b is disposed at a position symmetrical to the knee front upper extension portion 30a and the knee sole lower extension portion 40b is symmetrical to the knee front lower extension portion 40a when worn. Placed in position.
For this reason, in the state shown in FIG. 5, the pair of plate portions 50a, 50b, so as to be symmetrical about the center line of the knee covering device 1 along the body axis of the knee wearer, An anterior knee upper extension part 30a, an upper knee extension part 30b, a lower knee extension part 40a, and a lower knee extension part 40b are arranged.

In the knee covering orthosis 1 according to the first embodiment configured as described above, when the first elongated portion 20 having a higher stretching force than the main body portion 10 is worn, the wearer's outer side collateral ligament and its The second extending portion 30 and the third extending portion 40 have a higher extension force than the main body portion 10 and have a predetermined tightening force. .
Thereby, since the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment has the compressibility to suppress the displacement and displacement of the wearer's knee joint to the outside at the start of walking or when standing in the walking cycle, Generation of lateral thrust can be suppressed.
Furthermore, since the compression is provided, pain in the knee joint can be suppressed at the start of walking or standing.

  Further, since pain appears at the start of walking or standing, the knee covering brace must always be worn in daily life. According to the knee covering brace 1 according to the first embodiment, the main body 10 has a predetermined shape. The holding part 11 has a predetermined extension force. For this reason, according to the knee covering device 1 which concerns on 1st embodiment, mounting | wearing can be performed simply.

Further, in the knee covering orthosis 1 according to the first embodiment, the above-knee upper extending portion 30b is disposed at a position symmetrical to the above-knee upper extending portion 30a, and the above-behind knee extending portion 40b is disposed above the above-the-knee. It arrange | positions in the position symmetrical with the lower side extension part 40a. Further, a pair of dish portions 50 that cover the wearer's patella are provided.
For this reason, the knee covering device 1 can be worn on either the left or right leg of the wearer. In other words, the wearer need not consider which leg to wear, and can easily wear the knee covering device 1.

Furthermore, in the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment, antiskid members 12a and 12b are provided for the holding portions 11a and 11b. Further, the dish portion 50 is configured to cover the patella that is the starting point for bending and stretching the knee joint.
For this reason, the knee covering device 1 can be prevented from being displaced from the mounting position as much as possible. That is, according to the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to achieve improvement in wearability.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, the knee covering device according to the second embodiment to which the present invention is applicable will be described with reference to FIGS. The knee covering device 101 according to the second embodiment is different from the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the second extending portion and the third extending portion. About another structure, it is the same as the knee part covering orthosis 1 which concerns on 1st embodiment. For this reason, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the structure which is common in the knee part covering orthosis 1 which concerns on 1st embodiment, and the description is omitted.

In the knee covering device 101 according to the second embodiment, the second extending portion 30 and the third extending portion 40 included in the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment are integrally formed, and a single extending portion 130 is formed. Is configured.
The extension 130 is configured to face (intersect) at least a part of the wearer's quadriceps when worn, similar to the second extension 30. Further, like the third extension 40, the extension 130 is at least a part of the wearer's biceps, biceps tendon, semi-tendon-like muscle, semi-membranous muscle, and part of the intestinal ligament. It is comprised so that it may face (intersect).
Furthermore, the said extending | stretching part 130 is connected only to the upper edge and lower edge of the dish part 50 like the 2nd extending | stretching part 30 and the 3rd extending | stretching part 40 of the knee part covering orthosis 1 which concern on 1st embodiment. Not only that, but the first elongated portion 20 is connected to the entire outer peripheral edge of the plate portion 50. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the elongated portion 130 is configured to cover the entire inner side of the knee joint of the wearer, the lower portion inside the thigh F, and the upper portion inside the crus C when worn. .

The knee covering device 101 according to the second embodiment including the extending portion 130 includes the first extending portion 20, and further includes the second extending portion 30 and the second extending portion 30 included in the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment. The expansion part 130 which has the same effect as the three expansion part 40 is provided. For this reason, the knee covering device 101 according to the second embodiment can achieve the same effects as the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment.
In the knee covering device 101 according to the second embodiment, the first extending portion 20 and the extending portion 130 are connected to all the outer peripheral edges of the dish portion 50, but the configuration capable of suppressing the occurrence of lateral thrust. If so, for example, the first extending portion 20 and the extending portion 130 may be separated from the outer edge of the dish portion 50.

<Third embodiment>
Next, a knee covering orthosis according to a third embodiment to which the present invention is applicable will be described with reference to FIGS. The knee covering device 201 according to the third embodiment is different from the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the second extending portion and the third extending portion. About another structure, it is the same as the knee part covering orthosis 1 which concerns on 1st embodiment. For this reason, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the structure which is common in the knee part covering orthosis 1 which concerns on 1st embodiment, and the description is omitted.

  In the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment, the first extension part 20, the second extension part 30, and the third extension part 40 are connected to the dish part 50. In the knee covering device 201 according to the third embodiment, the first extending part 20, the second extending part 30, and the third extending part 40 are arranged at positions spaced from the respective dish parts 50a, 50b.

Specifically, the upper front knee extension portion 230a and the upper back knee extension portion 230b constituting the second extension portion 230 are separated from the upper edge of the dish portion 50b, and the lower front knee constituting the third extension portion 240 is provided. The side extension part 240a and the lower back of the knee extension part 240b are separated from the lower edge of the dish part 50a.
On the other hand, like the anterior knee upper extension part 30a according to the first embodiment, the anterior knee upper extension part 230a covers a part of the wearer's knee joint and the upper edge of the patella, and at least the wearer's upper quadrant. It faces (intersects) a part of the head muscle, and finally inclines toward the inner side of the thigh F along the outer periphery of the thigh F of the wearer.
Further, the upper knee extension portion 230b, like the knee upper extension portion 30b according to the first embodiment, is at least worn by the wearer's biceps, biceps tendon, semitendon-like muscle, It faces (intersects) a part of the membranous muscle and the intestinal shin ligament, and finally inclines toward the inside of the thigh F along the outer periphery of the thigh F of the wearer.
For this reason, these knee front upper side extension part 230a and knee back upper side extension part 230b aim at generation | occurrence | production suppression of the said lateral thrust.

In addition, the anterior knee lower extension 240a covers the inner part of the knee joint of the wearer and the lower edge of the patella when worn, and intersects at least a part of the patella ligament, the anterior tibial muscle and the gastrocnemius muscle of the wearer. Finally, it is inclined toward the inside of the lower leg while being along the outer circumference of the lower leg of the wearer.
Further, the lower knee extension portion 240b faces (intersects) at least a part of the wearer's gastrocnemius and iliac peroneal muscles when worn, and finally, along the outer circumference of the lower leg C of the wearer. Inclined toward the inside of the lower leg C.
For this reason, the lower knee extension portion 240 a and the lower knee extension portion 240 b, like the second extension portion 230, suppress the generation of lateral thrust.

  The knee covering device 201 according to the third embodiment configured as described above includes the first extending portion 20, and further includes the second extending portion 30 and the second extending portion 30 included in the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment. The second extension part 230 and the third extension part 240 having the same effect as the three extension parts 40 are provided. For this reason, according to the knee covering device 101 according to the third embodiment, the same effect as the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment can be obtained.

(Wearing objective evaluation)
Here, the inventors manufactured the knee covering orthosis 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and evaluated the lateral braking force. In this evaluation, a comparative evaluation between the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment and the conventional knee soft device was performed.
The conventional product compared with the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment is the product of the applicant of the present application, and includes the first extending portion 20, the second extending portion 30, and the third extending portion 40. The corresponding structure is not an area knitted from the main body 10 but an external belt which is an external part.

In this evaluation, the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment and the conventional product are tried on a knee model, a force is applied at a speed of 1000 mm / min from the inside of the knee to the outside, and the knee is displaced 40 mm outward. The magnitude of the force (lateral braking force) was measured.
According to this evaluation result, when the conventional product is tried on and when the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment is tried on, the same lateral braking force 92.5N is obtained, and the first extending portion 20 is placed at a predetermined position. It was confirmed that the second lateral extending portion 30 and the third elongated portion 40 were provided, and that the same lateral braking force was obtained by adopting a configuration different from the conventional product, that is, a knitting configuration.

(Wear subjective evaluation)
Furthermore, the present inventors manufactured the knee covering orthosis 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.
Several test subjects were asked to wear the knee covering device 1 according to the first embodiment, and the evaluation was requested.
As a result, responses such as “Easy to wear”, “Easy to wear under clothes”, and “Fit to knee” were obtained.
Thereby, it has confirmed that the knee covering orthosis 1 which concerns on 1st embodiment had the comfort which can be mounted | worn easily and can be mounted | worn.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 101, 201 Knee covering device 10 Main-body part 11, 11a, 11b Holding | maintenance part 12, 12a, 12b Antiskid member 20 1st extension part 30, 230 2nd extension part 30a, 230a Knee front upper extension part 30b, 230b Upper knee extension part 40, 240 Third extension part 40a, 240a Lower knee front extension part 40b, 240b Lower knee extension part 50, 50a, 50b Dish part 130 Extension part F Thigh C Lower leg

Claims (9)

A body made of stretchable material and non-stretchable material or stretchable material;
A first extension part facing at least a part of the outer side collateral ligament and its vicinity, and having a higher extension force than the main body part;
A second extension portion that is inclined from the outside of the knee joint to the inside of the thigh and has a higher extension force and / or tightening force than the main body portion;
A third extending portion that is inclined from the outside of the knee joint to the inside of the lower leg and has a higher extension force and / or tightening force than the main body portion;
A knee covering orthosis comprising: The second extension part has an anterior knee upper extension part that is inclined from the outer side of the upper edge of the patella to the inside of the thigh,
The knee covering orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the third extending part has a front knee lower extending part that is inclined from the outer side of the lower edge of the patella to the inner side of the crus.   The said anterior knee upper extension part is distribute | arranged to the position spaced apart without overlapping the upper edge of a patella, and the said anterior knee front extension part is distribute | arranged to the position separated without overlapping the lower edge of a patella. Knee covering orthosis. The second extension part has an upper knee extension part that inclines toward the inner side of the thigh through the biceps femoris and / or the biceps tendon from the outside of the knee joint,
The said 3rd extending | stretching part has a knee back lower side extending | stretching part which inclines toward the thigh inner side through the triceps surae muscle from the knee joint outer side, It is any one of Claims 1-3. Knee covering orthosis.   The knee covering device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a dish portion facing at least the patella and having a lower extension force than the main body portion.   Furthermore, it comprises a pair of holding | maintenance parts which go around a thigh part and a lower leg part, are provided in the edge of the said main-body part, and prevent the said knee covering brace from shifting | deviating from a mounting position. The knee covering brace according to any one of the above.   The knee covering brace according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the extension force of the first extension part is 5.0 to 23.5N.   The knee covering brace according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an extension force of the second extension part and the third extension part is 5.0 to 23.5N. The knee covering brace according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the tightening force of the second extending portion and the third extending portion is 0.1 to 23.5N.