Pelvic Traction Belt

Abstract

A pelvic traction belt which includes a waist encircling member having one or more tensioning straps releasably connected thereto. Each strap includes hook-defining connectors carried at one end portion of the strap. The hook-defining connectors are engageable upon contact with the outer surface of the waist encircling member and are constructed so as to resist separation from the waist encircling member when the strap is placed under a tensioning load with the waist encircling member being worn by a patient.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to an orthopedic device and has specific application to a traction belt which is positionable around the waist of a patient and through which tension by means of tractive forces can be applied to the pelvic area of the patient.

Prior art traction belts generally each consist of a waist encircling member and one or more straps which are each secured at one end to the waist member and which have their opposite ends adapted for connection to a weight or similar tensioning means. These prior art traction belts were first designed with the straps fixedly secured either by sewing or by buckling means to the waist member. Later, the straps were designed so as to be secured to the waist member by the utilization of Velcro fastening means. By utilizing a Velcro fastening means for the straps and belt waist member, the straps can be secured to the waist member in a variety of positions. This allows the physician to regulate the tensioning force applied to the pelvic area regardless of the size and position of the patient. When using a Velcro type fastening means to connect the straps to the waist member it has been found that turning and rolling movement of the patient can cause the straps to be separated from the waist member. In U. S. Pat. No. 3,572,327 a series of loops are formed along the lower marginal edge of the waist member to receive the end portions of the straps, thus causing the straps to be anchored to the waist member in a manner which would substantially prevent their separation from the waist member during rolling and turning of the patient. While the utilization of these strap receiving loops substantially prevents the separation of the straps from the waist member, the ease of applying the straps to the waist member and the freedom of positioning the straps on the waist member are sacrificed. In the following described invention, fastening means are utilized which allow the straps to be quickly applied to the waist member in a nearly unlimited variety of positions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to an improved pelvic traction belt which includes a waist encircling member having an outer face formed of fabric-defining catch means. A strap which is adapted to be connected to a weight or similar tensioning means carries hook-defining means at one end which are engageable upon contact with the catch means of the waist member and which serve to releasably connect the strap to the waist member. The hook-defining means carried by the strap includes portions which extend transversely of and laterally outwardly from the strap and which when connected to the waist member catch means serve to resist separation of the strap from the waist member.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a pelvic traction belt having one or more releasable straps which can be applied to a waist encircling member in a variety of positions and which resist separation from the waist member during rolling and turning of the patient as a tensioning load is being applied to the straps.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pelvic traction belt having tensive force transmitting straps which are securable to a waist encircling member in a simple and rapid manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pelvic traction belt which affords the patient a maximum degree of comfort while allowing the physician to apply tensive forces to the pelvic area of the patient in a simple and rapid manner.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the invention's description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

A preferred embodiment of this invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the illustrated pelvic traction belt as it would be applied to a patient.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the traction belt of FIG. 1 shown in its extended form.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary view of the circled portion of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the upper end portion of one strap component of the traction belt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment illustrated is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It is chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its application and practical use to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.

The pelvic traction belt so illustrated includes a waist member 10 to which are releasably secured one or more straps 12. Waist member 10 is adapted to encircle the waist of a patient and is of a flexible, preferably light-weight construction. Waist member 10 includes an upper edge 14, a lower edge 16, an inner face 18, and an outer face 20. Outer face 20 of member 10 is formed of a woven fabric having a plurality of catch-defining external loops 22 formed therein (See FIG. 5). Waist member 10 includes end parts 24 and 26 which are overlapped and locked together to snugly position member inner face 18 against the patient as the waist member encircles the patient's waist. The inner face of end part 26 carries hook parts, preferably constituting what are known as Velcro fasteners, which serve to releasably interlock with the loops 22 formed on outer face 20 of the waist member at the underlying end part 24. Stays 28 which extend from upper edge 14 to lower edge 16 of member 10 may be sewed into the waist member to provide transverse rigidity.

Each strap 12 includes divergent strap end parts 30 which are connected by a link part 32 to a strap leg part 34. Strap leg part 34 is adapted, such as by a suitable buckle 35, for connection to a suitable weight or other tensioning means. A longitudinally aligned connector strip 36 is secured to the inner face of each strap end part 30. There is also a transversely positioned connector strip 38 secured to the outer face of each strap end part. Strip 38 is preferably inwardly spaced from the free end of strip 36. Strips 36 and 38 include hook parts 39 which preferably constitute what is shown in U. S. Pat. No. 3,009,235 and known as Velcro fasteners. The hook parts 39 of strips 36 and 38 are formed in rows, as shown in FIG. 4, with the hook part rows of strip 38 lying at substantially right angles to the hook part rows of strip 36.

When end parts 30 of straps 12 are pressed against the loop-defining outer face 20 of waist member 10, the hook parts 39 of strips 36 and 38 releasably interlock with loops 22 on outer face 20 to secure straps 12 to the waist member. Transverse strips 38 serve as anchors which resist separation of the straps 12 from the waist member during the twisting and lateral movement of the straps which can occur as the patient rolls and turns. By having the rows of hook parts 39 of strips 36 positioned at an angle to the rows of hook parts 39 of strips 38, there is an even greater tendency for transverse strips 38 to resist separation from waist member 10.

From the above description it is apparent that the physician or patient attendant may position strip end parts 30 of each strap 12 at any selected location and in any selected orientation on waist member 10 by firmly pressing strips 36 and 38 of each strap end part against the outer face 20 of the waist member. Once the strap end parts 30 are pressed against outer face 20 of member 10, the strap will remain in position under the influence of a tensioning load applied to the straps. To remove the straps from member 10, the physician or attendant need only pull directly outwardly, thus causing the hook parts 39 of strips 36 and 38 to be released from loops 22 on the outer face 20 of the waist member.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details above given, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A pelvic traction belt including a waist encircling member, said member having top and bottom edges and inner and outer faces, means for securing said member about the waist of a patient with said inner face being positioned against the patient, a strap, said strap having one end means for connection to a tensioning means and having an opposite end means releasably connecting said strap to said member at its said outer face, said opposite end means including a strap end part, the outer face of said member having portions thereof formed of fabric-defining catch means, said strap end part carrying hook-defining means engageable with said catch means for releasably securing said strap end part to the outer face of said member, the improvement wherein said strap includes portions integral with said strap end part and extending transversely of and laterally outwardly from opposite edges of said strap end part, said strap portions each carrying hook-defining means engagable with said catch means for releasably securing said strap portions to the outer face of said member, said portions utilized to resist separation of said strap from said member when said strap is under a tensioning load and said member is secured about the waist of said patient.

2. The traction belt of claim 1 wherein said catch means includes woven fibers, said hook-defining means including parallel rows of hooks adapted to releasably interlock with said woven fibers, said rows of hooks carried by said strap portions being located at a substantially right angle to the rows of hooks carried by said strap end part.

3. The traction belt of claim 1 wherein said strap end part and and longitudinal hook means portions are of an inverted T-shaped form.

4. The traction belt of claim 1 and including another said strap releasably mounted to said member.

5. The traction belt of claim 4 wherein each strap includes a pair of said strap end parts, each pair of strap end parts being generally V-shaped.