An orthosis, and components thereof, that may be used as a shoulder brace for immobilization of the arm and shoulder joint may comprise components that may allow for abduction, internal/external rotation and allow for flexion and extension simultaneously. Methods of using the brace and methods of using the brace and treating shoulder injuries are similarly provided.

A therapeutic orthopedic device is described. The orthopedic device serves to restrain and limit movement of a human arm and shoulder. The device comprises a torso pillow, a padded forearm support attached to the pillow and a shoulder strap that traverses the clavicle region of the opposite shoulder. The pillow is positioned to rest against the torso of a user and the strap is positioned over the opposite shoulder. The forearm support acts as a shelf upon which the user's forearm may rest in a natural position. Flexible straps extend from the forearm support, over the user's forearm, and engage with the pillow to secure the forearm.

An orthosis, and components thereof, that may be used as a shoulder brace for immobilization of the arm and shoulder joint may comprise components that may allow for abduction, internal/external rotation and allow for flexion and extension simultaneously. Methods of using the brace and methods of using the brace and treating shoulder injuries are similarly provided.

A shoulder brace is provided which is fitted to a patient having an externally injured shoulder in the initial stage of treatment and which enables the patient to make motions in directions suitable for early rehabilitation exercises for the injured shoulder. The shoulder brace is fitted to the patient having the externally injured shoulder in a physiological reference position where the elbow joint of the patient is flexed by an angle of 90 in the frontward direction and the shoulder is internally rotated by an angle of 30. The shoulder brace includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer includes at least: shoulder attachment portions 11a and 11b attached to both shoulders respectively, each having a predetermined width and being arranged in the frontward and backward directions; and a back-side linking portion 13 linking back-end parts of the right and left shoulder attachment portions 11a and 11b. The second layer includes a ringed sling 21 having a predetermined width. The sling 21: runs below from the front end of a shoulder portion 21a, the shoulder portion 21a being placed in the frontward and backward directions on the shoulder attachment portion 11a of the first layer, up to the ulnar side of the forearm adjacent to the elbow; runs from the ulnar side of the forearm across the lower-surface side of the forearm up to the radial side of the forearm; runs from the radial side of the forearm across the front of the upper arm; and runs through the armpit up to the back end of the shoulder portion 21a. The patient fitted with the shoulder brace is able to take a simple-pendulum exercise in the frontward and backward directions while retaining the forearm at the shoulder internal-rotation angle of the physiological reference position.

The present disclosure provides exemplary arm immobilization devices for a person and associated methods of use. Thus, in one aspect, the disclosure provides a device including or comprising an outer shell including an internal cavity and a configurable structure disposed within the internal cavity of the outer shell. The outer shell can be configured and dimensioned to accommodate an arm of a person thereon. Expansion or contraction of the configurable structure can drive expansion or contraction of the outer shell. In another aspect, the disclosure provides methods for immobilizing an arm of a person that include providing an arm immobilization device and supporting the arm of the person with the outer shell and the configurable structure.

A shoulder orthosis is provided for maintenance of a patients arm in a postoperative shoulder immobilization posture in the context of tearing of rotator cuff muscles. The orthosis comprises a belt, an arm splint, and a column member with axial mechanical spring continuously adjustable by a manual adjustment handle and interconnecting the belt to the splint and biasing the splint to an abduction upper limit position. The orthosis provides stable support for the patients forearm around a horizontal plane, while allowing pivoting movement of the patients injured arm about a vertical axis intersecting the patients elbow and approaching the patients torso in a transverse plane. This orthosis also allows a cyclical back and forth movement of the splint, the free downward movement of the patients arm by his healthy muscles, assisted by the adductor muscles against the bias of the adjustable spring without active movement of the rotator cuff. A control handle incrementally locks the spring in a selected retracted position of the axial spring. The axial spring column member remains closely spaced against the patients torso during movements of the splint relative to the patients waist belt.

A shoulder-immoblizing apparatus includes a forearm sling. The forearm sling is configured to receive an elbow, forearm and wrist of a first arm of a user and includes a first fastener configured for fastening a posterior strap to a proximal portion adjacent to the elbow, a second fastener configured for fastening an anterior strap to a distal portion adjacent to the wrist, and a contralateral strap holder. The contralateral strap holder includes a circumferential shoulder strap configured to wrap around a shoulder of a second arm of the user to form a substantially ellipsoid opening that seats against a pectoral region, a scapular region and one of an underarm region or a lateral outside portion of the shoulder of the user's second arm. The posterior and anterior straps each have swivel fasteners rotatably coupled to respective posterior and anterior portions of the circumferential shoulder strap. Related methods are also provided.

A support device configured to transfer load from a user's armpit to that user's hips or torso which includes an armpit support, wherein said armpit support includes a central section from which a first and second wing extend asymmetrically, such that the armpit support is configured to provide enough resistance to cause and hold a slight shoulder extension.

A positioning wedge is arranged as an interface between two anatomical portions of a human body to arrange the anatomical two portions at a predetermined angle or position relative to one another. The positioning wedge includes a main body having first and second sides connected to another by a bridge portion such that the first and second sides each define a predetermined angular profile. An insert can be arranged between the first and second sides to position the first and second sides relative to one another at a predetermined angle associated with the shape of the insert combined with the first and second sides. The insert is separable from, and attachable to the main body and the bridge portion extends over an end portion of the insert.

An orthosis is provided, including a torso belt configured to be secured around a torso of a patient, a forearm sling configured to support a forearm of the patient, and a lockable rotating platform. The lockable rotating platform includes a torso conforming element configured to be held against the torso of the patient by the torso belt, and a malleable semi-rigid supporting element. The torso conforming element includes a central portion and is curved along its length of extension between first and second ends to, thereby, conform to the torso of the patient. The malleable semi-rigid supporting element includes a rotation hub rotatably coupled to the central portion of the torso conforming element, a forearm platform operatively connected to the rotation hub, and a forearm support strut operatively connected between the rotation hub and a forearm support platform. Other orthoses and related methods are also provided.