Lumbo-sacral Support

Abstract

The support includes a therapeutic corset for encompassing the lower torso of a patient. The corset has an enlarged intermediate portion comformable to the lumbar region and a pair of end portions. The end portions carry fasteners for tightly securing the support about the lower torso. The intermediate portion includes a pad and a plurality of laterally spaced elongated vertically extending stays formed of metal, the stays being prebent to approximate the contour of the lumbar region. A pair of straps are provided along the upper and lower edges of the support and are secured on the front side of the corset.

Description

The present invention relates to a therapeutic support and particularly to a novel improved lumbo-sacral support.

Various types of therapeutic supports or corsets have been provided in the past for the lower torso of a human being and particularly for the lumbar region. While in most cases such corsets have provided the requisite support, they also are replete with many disadvantages. The principal disadvantage of existing supports is lack of comfort when worn and this is primarily a result of the unflexibility built into the corset through the use of strong rigid metal stays and lack of appropriate padding and ventilation. Other causes of patient discomfort when wearing existing supports are the general overall bulkiness of the supports and their tendency to ride or bunch up along the patient's lower torso. Moreover, many corsets do not enable the patient to sit, bend or variously flex his lower torso without appreciable difficulties. Further, the use of relatively rigid non-flexible stays causes unequalized and undesired pressure against the various regions of the lower torso and occasionally the rigid stays press against the torso producing a pinching effect. Another objection to present day therapeutic supports of this type is the lack of a contoured fit in the absence of a custom fit. Furthermore, certain supports are comprised of nonwashable and air impermeable materials, the latter material precluding circulation of air along the torso.

The present invention provides a novel and improved therapeutic support particularly for the lumbo-sacral region which eliminates and/or minimizes many of the problems associated with prior supports of this type and provides a support having various advantages in construction, comfort and use in comparison with such prior supports. Particularly, the present lumbo-sacral support comprises a corset formed of a washable nylon elastic material for encompassing the lower torso of the patient, the corset having an enlarged intermediate portion conformable to the lumbar region. The reduced width end portions of the corset are adapted to extend about the pelvic area and overlie the abdominal region, the end portions carrying fasteners of the "Velcro" type whereby the corset may be readily and adjustably secured about the lower torso and also readily released therefrom. To enhance the comfort of the wearer, the intermediate enlarged portion of the corset carries a plurality of elongated vertically extending laterally spaced stays on the outer side of the corset and in overlying relation to padding disposed along the inside face of the intermediate corset portion. The stays are prebent to approximate the contour of the lumbar region including the buttocks area and yet are sufficiently flexible to permit the patient to comfortably sit, bend, etc., without appreciable difficulties. The padding on the inside face of the intermediate portion of the corset precludes direct contact between the patient and the prebent stays and, with the padding provided in vertical elongated ribs in lateral registry with the stays, direct bearing of the stays against the patient's skin is precluded. Additionally, the corset is provided with a pair of vertically extending stays in the end portions thereof whereby the upper and lower edges of the corset are precluded from rolling up or down along the lower torso.

The use of elastic nylon material permits air to circulate in the area between the corset and the lower torso precluding and/or alleviating chafing and other discomforts. The elastic material in conjunction with the lightweight metal stays also permits the support to be light in weight and simple and low cost in construction. To further enhance the comfort of the patient and to ensure that the corset does not curl about the patient's torso, a pair of straps are secured to the corset adjacent the upper and lower edges of its intermediate portion. The straps are each provided with a buckle for fastening the straps about the torso. When the corset is worn, the straps respectively extend about and along the upper and lower edges of the corset firmly securing it to the patient. Moreover, the lower strap extends about the buttocks area ensuring a more anatomical fit.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved therapeutic support and particularly a therapeutic support for the lumbo-sacral region.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel lumbo-sacral support which is easily applied about the lower torso and comfortable to wear.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved lumbo-sacral support having a contoured fit and which is readily provided in various sizes.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved lumbo-sacral corset formed of an elastic permeable material for enhancing the support afforded thereby and to provide for air flow circulation through the corset.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved lumbo-sacral support having prebent stays precluding roll up of the support and thereby enhancing the comfort of the patient.

It is a related object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved lumbo-sacral support which is light in weight, and simple and low cost in construction.

These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, appended claims and drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a therapeutic support constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrated as applied about the lower part of the human torso;

FIG. 2 is a view of the support as unfolded in a plane looking at the inside face of the support;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 looking at the outside face of the support; and

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are cross sectional views thereof taken generally about on lines 4--4, 5--5 and 6--6 in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, particularly to FIGS. 1-3, there is disclosed a support or corset, generally indicated 10, particularly for therapeutic use in the lumbo-sacral region of the human anatomy for alleviating the effects of, for example, low back strains, lumbar nerve root irritations, etc. Support 10 comprises an elongated piece of elastic material 12, preferably nylon elastic, having an intermediate portion 14 of enlarged height and opposite end portions 16 and 18. The upper edge 18 of corset 10, when the latter is unfolded in a plane as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, extends along a substantially straight line while the lower edge 20 is arcuately contoured upwardly from the intermediate portion 14 toward the opposite end portions 16 and 18. The arcuate edge 20 is contoured to approximate the contour of the lower portion of the buttocks area and the sides thereof which it encompasses. A waist band 22, formed of similar elastic material, is integrally provided about the upper margin of corset 10 while the end and lower edges are bound and stitched as at 24.

There is particularly illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 a foam pad 26 comprised of an inner core of cellular foam material 28 in a generally rectangular shape with its lateral edges converging slightly in a downward direction. Pad 26 also includes a covering of soft in-elastic material 30 having a generally similar shape as the foam material and stitched to the intermediate corset portion 14 about the periphery of the former as at 32 thereby fully enclosing the foam core 28 between material 39 and the elastic material comprising the intermediate corset portion 40.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of prebent metal stays 38 are laterally spaced one from the other along the outside surface of the elastic intermediate corset portion 14. Particularly, strips of elongated non-elastic material 40 substantially coextensive in length with stays 38 are stitched along their side and lower edges as at 44 to form with the intermediate portion 14 pockets 42, the upper ends of which are open for receiving stays 38. As illustrated in FIG. 3, these pockets 42 are laterally spaced one from the other and extend substantially the entire height of the intermediate portion 40 of the corset.

It will be appreciated that the metal stays 38 are prebent to approximate the contour of the lumbar region of the lower torso. That is to say, and referring now particularly to FIG. 4, the metal stays 38 are bent to form a generally shallow S configuration for conformity to the small of the back and the buttocks region. The prebent stays 38 are also disposed along the outside face of the intermediate corset portion 14 whereby the foam padding 28 is disposed between the stays and the lower part of the patient's torso when the corset is applied thereto. To ensure the patient's comfort in the area of stays 38, the pad or foam material 26 is vertically stitched at longitudinally spaced positions along the height of the intermediate portion 14 as indicated at 46. Particularly, the stitching 46 is provided to form a plurality of ribs 48 of padded material, with ribs 50a-50d thereof lying in registry with the metal stays 38 on the opposite side of the intermediate portion 14. That is to say, when the corset is applied to the patient, the ribs 50a-50d lie on the inside face of corset 10 directly between the stays 38 and the lower part of the patient's torso, the stitching 46 ensuring that the ribs 50a-50d of foam material are retained in that protective position.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, a metal stay 52 is provided each of the opposite end portions 16 and 18 of corset 10. Particularly, an elongated strip of non-elastic material 54 is stitched along its sides and lower end to the outside face of each end portion 16 and 18 to form with the end portion a pocket for receiving the vertically extending stay 52. The stay extends from a position spaced from the lower edge 20 of the corset end portion to a position contiguous with upper edge 18. As noted hereinafter, when the corset is applied about the patient, stays 52 prevent the corset from rolling up or down, particularly when the patient bends or sits.

Directly adjacent the end portion 16, there is provided a fastening strip 56 substantially coextensive in height with the height of corset end portion 16. Strip 56 comprises a Velcro type fastener and carries the plurality of hooks characteristic of such fasteners. The opposite end portion 18 is also provided with a pair of strips 58a and 58b of the looped felt-like material characteristic of the other portion of a Velcro type fastener. Two strips 58a and 58b are provided in order to afford a degree of adjustability about the lower torso when applied thereto. It will be appreciated that the Velcro type fastener forms a continuous type of fastener throughout the height of the end portions 16 and 18 and this precludes distortion of the elastic material forming the body of the corset, i.e., precludes portions of the elastic corset from being tighter than other portions, and provides for uniform stretching thereof throughout substantially the entirety of the height of the corset.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, medial portions of upper and lower straps 60 and 62, respectively, are stitched to the intermediate portion 14 of corset 10 as at 66 and 68, respectively, centrally of padding 26 and extend along the outside face of the corset. Fasteners 60 and 62 are provided with buckles 70 and 72, respectively, whereby their opposite ends can be inserted through the buckles and the corset firmly secured about the lower part of the torso.

It will be appreciated that the corset hereinbefore described may be readily applied about the lower torso of the patient. Particularly, the intermediate portion 14 may be disposed about the patient's lumbar region with end portions 16 and 18 being wrapped about the side and abdominal regions and joined one to the other by pressing Velcro strip 56 against one or both of strips 58a and 58b. The larger lateral extent of strips 58a and 58b provides a degree of adjustability when initally securing the corset about the torso. When secured in proper position, lower strap 62 is wrapped about the extreme lower torso along a path contiguous and parallel to the lower edge 20 of the corset and buckled. In this manner, lower strap 62 contours the buttocks area and ensures an anatomical fit. Likewise, the upper strap 60 is wrapped about the patient's waist and buckled in the front, the strap 60 extending along the waistband 22 of corset 10. It will be appreciated that with the lumbo-sacral support thus applied, pad 26 bears against the lumbar-sacral region with the prebent and contoured stays 38 providing appropriate pressure. The stays 38, as hereinbefore noted, are semi-rigid and will limitedly flex when the patient sits or bends. Also, the stays 52 in combination with the location of the straps 60 and 62 as they bear about the upper and lower edges of corset 10 respectively preclude rolling of the upper and lower edges 18 and 20.

It will be appreciated that the lumbo-sacral support hereof is provided in various sizes, depending upon the size of the patient undergoing treatment. It will also be appreciated that the prebent and contoured stays 38 in conjunction with the contoured lower edge of the corset provide substantially a custom comfortable fit about the patient. Moreover, the foregoing described support is fabricated utilizing materials which are substantially readily available and low in cost and which materials can be brought together to form the present corset in a ready and easy manner chiefly by a stitching or sewing operation.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A therapeutic support comprising a corset formed of a flexible elastic material and adapted to substantially encompass the lower torso of a patient, said corset including an enlarged portion intermediate the end portions thereof and adapted to wear about the lumbar region of the lower torso, padding carried by the intermediate portion of said corset, said padding including a plurality of longitudinally spaced vertically extending ribs disposed along the inside face of said corset, a plurality of elongated stays spaced one from the other along the intermediate portion of said corset and extending substantially between the upper and lower edges of said corset, said stays being bent to substantially conform to the contour of the lumbar region of the patient and having a generally shallow S-shape in side elevation, said stays overlying said padding along the external face of said corset, each of said stays having a corresponding one of said ribs disposed in lateral registry therewith along the inside face of said corset, first and second straps extending along the lower and upper edges of said corset respectively, means for joining the opposite end portions of the respective straps one to the other, said intermediate portion, when said corset is laid out in a plane, having a concave lower edge for conforming to the contour of the buttocks region of the patient's torso when the corset is applied about the lower torso, and an elongated stay in each of the opposite end portions of said corset and extending in a substantially vertical direction to prevent rolling of said edges.