RU2087138C1 - Polycentric hingeless knee module for fixing ortheses and prostheses - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medical engineering. SUBSTANCE: device has femoral and tibial splint heads rigidly connected to each other on one end with flexible stopper and with elastic member on the other end where removable rest stopper members are fixed which number depends on the dimensions and degree the knee joint is injured. EFFECT: improved walking style. 2 dwg

Description

 The present invention relates to the field of medical technology, in particular to the construction of nodes and connecting elements of the links of orthoses and prostheses.

 Known multiaxial orthopedic apparatus on the knee joint [1] having a femoral part and a shin sleeve, which serve as a mount on the body and respectively attached to the side and connecting them together, which are interrupted in the area of the knee joint. In the area of the joint as a jumper between the tires, a chain is made, which is made of links and bolts passing through them in pairs, whose axes run parallel to each other and almost in the plane of the body. The individual links are made so that the bolts aligned in one plane (straightened position) of the adjacent links of the plane located on the front side of the body are adjacent to each other and the links, starting from the bolts to the rear side of the body, become thinner in the vertical direction.

The disadvantages of this design are:
lack of rotational movements relative to the longitudinal axes of the thigh and lower leg tires, which does not allow to achieve anthropomorphic movements of the prosthetic or orthopedic limb;
low bearing capacity of articulated (bolted) joints made in dimensions acceptable for orthoses (prostheses);
high complexity of manufacturing the product with low reliability in operation.

 The closest analogue is a knee orthosis device [2] containing two almost rectilinear and two additional lateral intermediate elements pivotally connected to each other and enclosed in an elastic outer shell.

The disadvantages of the analogue are:
the presence of swivel joints of the chain type, implying high manufacturing accuracy;
low bearing capacity of articulated joints with dimensions acceptable for orthoses and prostheses;
lack of protection of the knee joint from recurrence with a significant mass of the disabled.

 The objective of the present invention is to increase the anthropomorphism of the patient's walk in the orthosis (or prosthesis) while reducing the load on the knee joint from the side of the orthosis (or prosthesis).

 The problem is achieved due to the fact that in the polycentric jointless knee module for orthoses and prostheses containing the tibial and femoral tire heads, the difference is that the module has tire heads rigidly connected to each other on one side by an elastic stop and on the other hand by an elastic stop an element on which removable stops are installed, the number of which can be changed depending on the size and degree of damage to the knee joint.

 Figure 1 shows a polycentric hinged module for orthoses and prostheses in a straightened position; figure 2 in a bent position.

 The polycentric hinge-free knee module comprises a femoral head 1, a tibial head 2, an elastic member 3, an elastic stop 4, and stop stops 5.

 The present polycentric hinge-free knee module for orthoses and prostheses functions as follows. When the knee joint is straightened, the stop stops 5 touch each other and with the tire head stops with their end surfaces, forming a support for the front zone of the tire heads of the thigh 1 and lower leg 2. The elastic stop 4 thus completely straightens and, remaining taut to the limit, holds from recurrence, the knee joint “covered” by the knee module placed in the orthosis (orthopedic apparatus on the lower limb) or a splint-skin prosthesis. In this case, the elastic element 3 remains unloaded, since the power circuit covers the stop stops 5, the tire heads of the thigh 1 and lower legs 2 and the elastic limiter 4. When the knee joint is bent, the elastic limiter 4 folds up freely, does not interfere with bending, and only the elastic element takes up the entire load. 3. By installing one, two or more stops-stops 5 on the elastic element 3, an increase in the range of motion in the knee joint is achieved.

 The absence of articulated connections between the elements of the polycentric jointless knee module allows both under load and without it rotational movements of the lower leg relative to the femoral part of the orthosis (or prosthesis). When bending, the polycentric hinge-free knee module, together with the knee joint, fully copies the centroid of the knee joint, thereby ensuring a high anthropomorphic movement of the limb as a whole and eliminates the occurrence of additional loads on the joint arising from misalignment of the knee joints and joint at different values of the knee angle in full traffic volume.

The advantages of this device compared to its analogue are as follows:
full copying of the centroids of the knee joint is achieved, which provides a higher anthropomorphism of the movements of the orthopedic (or prosthetic) limb and the load on the knee joint from the parts of the orthosis (or prosthesis) is reduced.

Claims (1)

 A polycentric hinge-free knee module for orthoses and prostheses, containing the tibial and femoral tire heads, characterized in that the tire heads are rigidly connected to each other on one side by an elastic stop and on the other hand by an elastic element on which removable stops are fixed.

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