Orthopedic Traction Device

Abstract

An orthopedic traction device including upper and lower torso support members and spreader mechanism removably attachable between the upper and lower support members for imparting a tensional stress therebetween and thereby applying traction along the spine. The upper torso support member extends from just under the arms to lower portions of the abdomen for providing abdominal support as well as traction support. The lower torso support member comprehends the use of a pair of hip abutment members securable by belt means directly above the hip bones of the wearer so as to provide for firm anchoring of the lower ends of spreader bars provided for effecting thrust from below upon the upper torso support member.

Description

In my U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 137,816, filed Apr. 27, 1971, I have described an improved orthopedic traction device of the type used in the treatment of skeletal and muscular disorders of the spine and lower back and including means for producing traction along the spine and lumbo-sacral zone while being worn by an ambulatory patient. This application is a continuation-in-part of the above-described application, and is directed to improvements in the mechanism by means of which the tensional stress is applied along the spine of the user.

Various combinations of surgical belts and braces designed to encircle and bind the body separately in the regions of the hips and chest and including compressional stress bars acting between such upper and lower braces for effecting tension or traction along the spine of the user have heretofore been devised. Such orthopedic traction devices heretofore known, however, have been found to be deficient in various respects, principally in that the upper and lower torso girdling members, if tightened enough to prevent shifting and sliding under the mutual tensional forces of the spreader members, were necessarily so tight as not only to be extremely uncomfortable to the wearer, even for short periods of time, but also impaired the body circulation in many instances to such an extent as made their general use prohibitive.

It is, accordingly, the principal object of this invention to provide an orthopedic traction device of the above nature wherein the lower brace or torso support member comprises a pair of substantially rigid hip pad members adjustably secured in place by a waist belt, and wherein the upper torso support member comprises a body-encircling, girdle-like structure extending from just underneath the arms to just short of the hips of the user. The comparatively large area of the torso thus embraced not only serves to widely distribute the upward tractional force applied through the hip support pads so as to greatly increase frictional contact with the body and thereby minimize any possibility of slippage and/or shifting even when comfortably secured in place, but also provides for therapeutic support of the abdominal and kidney regions while maintaining the desired tensional stress along the spine of the user.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide, for use in traction producing orthopedic devices of the above nature, a lower torso support assemblage comprising a pair of substantially rigid hip pad members so shaped as to conform generally to the shape of the body at locations just above the hip bones of the wearer and having interconnecting waist belt means for their adjustable securement in place, thereby providing for firm support of the lower ends of the spreader bars so that tensional stress will be applied in the vertical direction substantially directly from the pelvis.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved upper torso support member suitable for use in association with lower torso support devices in orthopedic traction apparatus of the character described and comprising a body-encircling girdle extending from just underneath the arms to just short of the hips of the user except at the front whereat it extends further to support the lower abdomen, thereby securely embracing the rib cage of the wearer from underneath so as to minimize any possibility of slippage or dislodgement effecting tractional stress when used in association with a lower torso support device.

Yet another object is to provide an orthopedic traction device of the character described which will be simple in structure, easy to apply, durable in use and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a view showing the back of a person wearing a lower torso support member of an orthopedic traction device embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view as in FIG. 1 showing the wearer as seen from the side;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lower torso support member, shown separately;

FIG. 4 is a view showing the front of a person wearing the upper torso support member of the orthopedic traction device;

FIG. 5 is a view as in FIG. 4, showing the wearer as seen from one side;

FIG. 6 is a view as in FIGS. 4 and 5, showing the wearer as seen from the back, and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows, illustrating how the spreader rods connect with the upper torso support member.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, reference numeral 10 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 designates, generally, the lower torso support member and reference numeral 11 in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 designates, generally, the upper torso support member of an orthopedic traction device, said upper and lower members being adapted for combinative use with spreader rod devices 12, 13 for producing tensional stress or traction along the spine of the wearer.

The upper support member 11 is in the form of a girdle made of a tough, pliable, somewhat elastic fabric shaped to extend from a straight upper edge 14 adapted to fit just under the arms, to an irregular lower edge having side lower edge portions 15 and 16 which curve downwardly at the front, as indicated at 17, to cover the lower abdomen, and which at the back is formed with an upwardly extending, substantially semi-circular cut-out portion 18. The semi-circular cut-out portion 18 is preferably strengthened along its marginal zone by a sewn-in place hem 19. The junctures of the semi-circular cut-out portion 18 and the side lower edge portions 15 and 16 are interconnected by a band 20. Sewn or otherwise secured within the zone or opening defined by the cut-out portion 18 and the band 20 is a filler 21 of thin, mesh material, such as of Nylon, for example, providing for heat treatment to the body in this area of the lower back, whenever required, without the necessity of removing the upper support member.

The upper marginal portion of the upper torso support member 11 is provided with a plurality of vertical slits 22 for the in-and-out looped passage of a spring steel band 23 which serves to provide additional rigidity at the upper end of said upper torso support member. The ends of the metal band 23, indicated at 24 and 25 in FIG. 4, terminate just short of the front vertical edges of the girdle structure. The upper support member 11 is secured in place by lacing up the front as by lacing 26 tightened through rivet eye openings 27 or the like provided in spaced relation along the front, vertical, marginal portions of the girdle device.

The upper torso support member 11 can be used either independently for encircling and binding the upper torso and abdominal region for the treatment of spinal and muscular disorders, or can be used in combination with the lower torso support member 10 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 for producing traction along the spine and lumbo-sacral zone while being worn by an ambulatory patient. To this end, the upper ends of the spreader rod devices, as best illustrated in FIG. 7, are bifurcated as indicated at 28 to provide narrow vertical slots 29 for receiving seated therein opposite side portions of the steel band 23. The lower ends of spreader rod devices 12, 13 are supported in appropriate sockets provided in the lower torso support member 10 as is hereinafter more particularly described. Whether the upper torso support member 11 of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 is used independently, or in combination with the lower torso support member 10 to produce ambulatory traction, it will be understood that it is so designed and of such length as to firmly embrace the torso of the wearer from just underneath the arms and fully along the abdomen and sides, and for substantial distance along the back of the wearer to provide for a full skeletal and muscular support along the torso with a minimum possibility of dislodgement or creepage during wear. The band and the filler mesh 21 at the back is of sufficient strength to ensure dependable embracing fit of the device at its lower end, while at the same time providing for heat treatment at the small of the back, whenever required, while the device is being worn.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the hip pad abutment members 30, 31 are readily adjustable along the belt 35 for positioning just above the hip bones of the wearer when the belt is secured in place. As best illustrated in FIG. 1, upon securement of the lower torso support member 10 in place with the belt 35 fitted just above the hip bones, the hip pad abutment members will be pulled inwardly at their upper ends, directly above the upper ends of the hip bones so that their outer ends flair outwardly of the body. The hip pad abutment members thus seat down upon the hip bones from above. Being so positioned and secured in place, they serve as firm and comfortable anchoring or support means for attachment of the lower ends of the spreader rod devices 12, 13 when used in association with the above-described upper torso support member for providing ambulatory traction along the spinal column as described above. To this end, the outside of the hip pad abutment members 30, 31, near the upper ends thereof, are integrally formed with socket members 37, 38 having upwardly directed recesses for the reception of lower end portions of the spreader rod devices 12, 13.

The spreader rod devices 12, 13 are substantially rigid and serve to effect a tensional stress between the lower torso hip pad abutment members 30, 31 and the upper torso support member 11. To this end, the spreader rod devices 12, 13 are formed at their lower ends with rounded portions receivable in the recesses of socket members 37, 38 of the hip pad abutment members 30, 31 of the lower torso support member 10. Since the lower ends of the spreader rod devices are retained in substantially vertical alignment just above the hip bones of the wearer, it will be understood that the upward thrust imparted to the upper torso support member 11 will remain substantially constant. Because of the inhanced gripping of the upper torso support member 11 about the rib cage and torso of the wearer, as described above, little if any slippage in the upward direction can take place, so that a constant thrust will be applied to the upper torso of the wearer, thereby ensuring continuous traction along the spine as the wearer of the device goes about his daily activities. The spreader rod devices 12, 13, for purposes of adjustment of the amount of traction required or desired, will include length adjustment mechanism in the form of a turnbuckle, screw sleeve or the like, suitable for self adjustment by the wearer. Since the construction of such adjustable spreader bars is known and forms no part of this invention, details thereof are not illustrated or described herein. Reference can be had to applicant's above-described patent application of which this application is a continuing application for the detailed description of a typical spreader bar mechanism for use with orthopedic traction devices of the character herein described.

While I have illustrated and described herein only one form in which my invention can conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to be understood that this form is given by way of example only and not in a limiting sense. The invention, in brief, comprises all the embodiments and modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

Claims

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an orthopedic traction device, the combination comprising an upper torso support member, means for securing said upper torso support member in embracing relation about the chest and abdomen of the wearer, a lower torso support member, said lower torso support member comprising a pair of hip pad abutment members, means for adjustably seating each of said hip pad abutment members against one of the hips of the wearer directly above the hip bone, and spreader mechanism removably attached between each of said hip pad abutment means and upper portions of said upper torso support member for imparting a tensional stress between said hip pad abutment members and said upper torso support member and thereby applying traction along the spine of the wearer, said upper torso support member comprising a flexible girdle adapted to extend from just under the arms of the wearer down about the waist and lower abdomen, said spreader mechanism comprising a flexible metal band secured along an upper marginal edge portion of said girdle, and a pair of spreader rods extending between said hip pad abutment members and said metal band.

2. An orthopedic traction device as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper ends of said spreader rods are bifurcated to provide seating slots for the reception of opposed portions of said steel band.

3. An orthopedic traction device as defined in claim 2 wherein said hip pad abutment members are provided with sockets defining upwardly extending recesses receiving, in abutting relation therewith, lower end portions of one each of said spreader rods.

4. An orthopedic traction device as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for adjustably seating said hip pad abutment members comprises a belt looped through pairs of slots in each of said hip pad abutment members and adapted to be secured about the waist of the wearer, said hip pad abutment members being adjustably slidable along said belt.

5. An orthopedic traction device as defined in claim 1 wherein said flexible girdle is provided with a plurality of vertical slits and wherein said flexible metal band is looped in and out of said slits in its attachment to said girdle.

6. An orthopedic traction device as defined in claim 5, said girdle being provided with an arcuate cut-out extending upwardly from the central rear thereof, said cut-out zone being replaced by a thin, flexible fabric mesh material allowing for heat treatment to the lower back area of the wearer of the device without necessitating its removal.