U.S. patent number 3,794,019 [Application Number 05/327,477] was granted by the patent office on 1974-02-26 for finger support.
Invention is credited to Gerald David Ritland, Harold Kirk Watson.
United States Patent |
3,794,019 |
Ritland , et al. |
February 26, 1974 |
FINGER SUPPORT
Abstract
A finger support for finger joint contractures and finger
straightening. A one-piece sheet metal finger support includes a
base member, an extension member and a strap member applied to the
joint to be straightened and an adjustable screw engageable with
the base for applying a vernierly adjustable force to the finger
joint.
Inventors: |
Ritland; Gerald David
(Hartford, CT), Watson; Harold Kirk (Hartford, CT) |
Family
ID: |
23276704 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/327,477 |
Filed: |
January 29, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
602/22 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
5/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
5/10 (20060101); A61F 5/01 (20060101); A61f
005/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/77,87R,87A,89,83 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,529,910 |
|
Jun 1968 |
|
FR |
|
634,069 |
|
Mar 1950 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Gaudet; Richard A.
Assistant Examiner: Yasko; J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Prutzman, Hayes, Kalb &
Chilton
Claims
We claim:
1. A finger support of the type used to overcome deformities,
comprising; a base for supporting a finger having a contracture,
and an extension member connected at the forward portion of said
base and adapted to be bent backward to underlie said base, a strap
secured to said extension member adapted to form an adjustable
non-stretching band around the joint to be straightened and to
apply a fixed perpendicular force to said finger at the joint
affected by the contracture, and an adjustment screw threadably
received in said extension member and said adjustment screw
engageable with said base when said extension member is bent
backward in alignment with said joint for applying a vernierly
adjustable force to said finger joint.
2. A finger support as defined in claim 1 wherein said base
includes an inclined portion on one end thereof, said inclined
portion having integral side walls to laterally position the end of
the finger.
3. A finger support as defined in claim 1 wherein a buckle secured
to said extension member is provided to adjust the length of said
non-stretching band.
4. A finger support as defined in claim 2 wherein said side walls
begin midway of said base and gradually increase to maximum height
at said inclined portion.
5. The finger support of claim 1 wherein a portion of the base is
displaced downwardly from the plane of the base at the point along
its length aligned with the joint to be straightened to allow
slight over straightening of the joint.
6. A finger support of the type used to overcome deformities,
comprising; a base for supporting a finger having a contracture,
said base having an inclined portion at one end thereof, side walls
integral with said base and adjacent said inclined portion, a
coined end on the opposite end of said base, said inclined portion
and said side walls adapted to cradle the tip of said finger and
said coined end adapted to receive the volar part of the hand, an
extension member integral with said base and extending from the end
of said inclined portion, said extension member adapted to be bent
backward and positioned in underlying relationship with said base
with its free end in vertical alignement with the joint of said
finger affected by the contracture, a non-stretching strap secured
to one side of the free end of said extension member, a buckle
pivotally secured to the opposite side of the free end of said
extension member, said strap adapted to encircle said finger joint
and to be fastened to said buckle to form a non-stretching band for
applying an inelastic perpendicular force to said finger joint, an
adjustment screw threadably received in said extension member on
the free end thereof between said strap and said buckle, said
adjustment screw adapted to engage the underside of said base when
said extension member is bent backward to apply a vernierly
adjustable force to said joint through said non-stretching
strap.
7. A finger support as defined in claim 6 wherein the forces
opposing the perpendicular force are directed to the pulp portion
of the finger tip and the volar part of the hand.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to surgical supports of the type
used to overcome deformities, and more specifically to a finger
straightening device for finger joint contractures and the
like.
As is well known, finger joints do not always assume a normal
position and range of motion after an accident which has caused
damage to the tendons of the finger. The tendons and joint capsule
structures in many cases are damaged or altered for a variety of
reasons causing a contracture of the joint. Other reasons for
contractures can be attributed to scar tissue from burns or
surgical intervention to the joint itself. Heretofore the practice
has been to apply an elastic force longitudinally on the finger to
straighten it, but as the finger becomes more nearly straight, this
type of force becomes less effective.
This elastic, high pressure load type force additionally tends to
irritate the skin where it is attached to the finger, and since the
force is applied by wire springs or rubber bands, the patient
cannot precisely adjust the force to his tolerance.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a
finger contracture support which applies an easily changeable,
vernier adjustable, and precisely controllable non-elastic force to
the joint to set the joint in a gradually increasing extended
position at a rate which the patient can select.
Another object of this invention is to provide a finger contracture
support which applies a force to the joint with the contracture
without constantly loading the skin under high pressure to cause
irritation to the skin.
Another object of this invention is to provide a finger contracture
support whose force opposite to the corrective force will be
transmitted to the pulp portion of the finger tip and the volar
portion of the hand to provide a comfortable support which can be
worn over long periods of time while still using the hand for light
use.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a finger
contracture support with an integral adjustable clamp portion which
can be used on fingers or thumbs of varying sizes.
Another object of this invention is to provide a relatively
inexpensive, expendible, simple-to-use finger contracture support
for joint contractures and the like which can be initially applied
and adjusted by a physician as he instructs the patient of its use,
and simple enough for the patient to use until the contracture is
corrected.
Other object will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more
in detail hereinafter.
A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the
following detailed description and the accompanying drawings of the
illustrative application of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is an exploded top perspective view partly broken away of
the finger contracture support of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the finger contracture
support of the present invention shown positioned for use on a
finger having a contracture.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the lines 3--3 of
FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a modified form of the
finger contracture support of this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawing in greater detail wherein like
reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the FIGS., the
finger contracture support 10 of the present invention is shown in
FIG. 1 prior to being fitted to a finger which has a contracture.
The support 10 has a generally flat rectangular base portion 12
having upper and lower surfaces 14 and 16, respectively. The base
portion 12 is formed of a malleable metal such as steel to allow
for bending to fit the specific requirements of an application
while providing the necessary strength while in use. One end of the
base portion 12 has an inclined portion 18 having a deflection of
about 8.degree. to 15.degree. and integral arcuate side walls or
wings 20. The side walls 20 have their maximum height in the area
of the incline portion 18 and gradually diminish approximately
midway of the base portion 12. The outer periphery of the opposite
end 22 of the base 12 is shown having a curved or coined end 24 in
the opposite direction of the side walls or wing 20 which extends
as shown along sides 26 of base 12 for a short distance.
To aid in making the base 12 a substantially rigid member, there
are, spaced on each side of the longitudinal center line 28 of the
flat base portion 12 and between the incline portion 18 and the
coined end 22, two strengthening ribs 30 downwardly depressed from
the upper surface 14. These ribs also serve to locate the
adjustment screw 34 and prevent it from slipping sideways when
pressure is applied.
Formed as an integral part of the base 12 adjacent the slant or
inclined portion 18 is a T-shaped extension 32 which carries on its
free end a finely threaded adjustment screw 34 threadably received
in a tapped extruded hole 36. This screw has a large diameter
knurled head to allow convenient tightening by hand.
Legs 38, 40 located on opposite sides of the knurled adjustment
screw 34 of the T-shaped extension 32 have, mounted on their free
ends, a non-stretching webbed strap 42 and associated buckle 44,
respectively. Strap 42 is shown secured by crimping as at 46 to leg
38, and buckle 44 is pivotally connected by forming a rolled barrel
or knuckle 47 around one bar 48 of the buckle.
A flannel-like material pad 50 with an adhesive backing is shown in
FIG. 1 as being suitably contoured for covering the entire upper
surface 14 of the base portion 12 including the slant portion 18,
wings 20, and coined end 24. Pad 50 will serve to prevent
maceration of the skin in the area where the finger and palm come
in contact with the support 10 and to increase friction of the skin
with the device so it will not slip.
Referring now to FIG. 2 and 3 of the drawing, the brace 10 is shown
as being applied to a finger having a contracture. It can be seen
that the finger tip is located on the slanted or inclined portion
18 to accomodate the slight flexion position of the finger tip and
the side walls or wings 20 tend to cradle the finger tip in a
protective manner and to stabilize the devices on the finger. The
opposite coined end 24 is dimensioned to be received in the volar
portion of the hand. The coined rounded edges present no sharp or
uncomfortable edge to the palm.
With the support 10 in this position the middle joint is located,
and the T-shaped extension 32 is bent in a clockwise direction, as
viewed in the drawings, to align the knurled adjustment screw 34
with the joint of the finger to be straightened. With the
adjustment screw 34 backed all the way out, the nonstretching
webbed strap 42 is positioned over the middle joint of the finger
and firmly secured to the associated buckle 44. Corrective pressure
is then precisely applied by turning the knurled head of the
adjustment screw 34 in a clockwise direction. It will be noted that
the threaded end of the adjustment screw 34 is located between the
strengthening ribs 30 to aid in positioning the T-shaped extension
in alignment with the longitudinal center line 28 of the base
12.
From the above it can be seen that by clockwise rotation of the
adjustment screw 34 with its threaded end abutting the lower
surface 16 of the base 12 it will tend to jack the T-shaped
extension 32 away from the lower surface 16 of the base applying a
finely adjusted non-elastic force through the non-stretching strap
42 to the joint of the finger. After the tendons have been
stretched by a given adjustment, additional pressure can be
carefully and accurately applied at regular intervals via the
vernier adjustment screw 34 to set the joint to lengthen the
tendons and joint capsule structures in a positive accurate and
gradually increased manner.
Referring now to FIG. 4 there is shown a modified finger
contracture brace or support 10 altered as by bending at 52 of the
base portion 12 in the opposite direction to the flexion of the
finger joint so as to allow the finger joint to be held in an
over-center position by the support. This arrangement is especially
useful in some cases to stretch the tissue a small amount past the
normally flat position to overcome springback tendencies of the
tissue. This relief bridge 52 in the base portion is flat on the
bottom to present a stable flat surface to the adjustment
screw.
As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various
modifications, adaptations and variations of the foregoing specific
disclosure can be made without departing from the teachings of the
present invention.
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