DEVICE FOR ALLEVIATING THE COMPLAINTS OF A TRAPEZIOMETACARPAL JOINT DISEASE FROM THE DEGENERATIVE, INFLAMMATORY, AND RHEUMATIC SPECTRUM

Abstract

A device for alleviating the complaints of a trapeziometacarpal joint disease from the degenerative, inflammatory, and rheumatic spectrum. The load on the trapeziometacarpal joint changed by arthrosis can be dynamically relived by means of said device. The device includes a splint, which is detachably fastened to the wrist on one side and reaches under the first thumb joint of the diseased hand on the other side. The splint accommodates the thumb in a natural resting position of thumb. If the thumb is bent, then, below the thumb joint, the thumb stresses the splint against the retainer fastened to the wrist as a result of the radial motion or bending of the thumb and thereby lifts the trapeziometacarpal joint minimally from a usual seat thereof. A gap thus arises between the joint bodies that engage with each other. The joint surfaces no longer painfully rub against each other.

Claims

1-3. (canceled)

4. A thumb orthosis, comprising: a rail configured to be detachably connected to a wrist and a thumb of a wearer, the rail comprising: a wrist portion configured to extend along the wrist at a position proximal of a carpometacarpal joint of the thumb; a thumb portion extending from the wrist portion and configured to extend laterally over a ball of a hand of the wearer and along the thumb, the thumb portion having a corkscrew shape that rotates toward a palm of the hand, the thumb portion terminating proximal of an interphalangeal joint of the thumb; a wrist strap configured to releasably connect the wrist portion to the wrist; a thumb strap configured to releasably connect the thumb portion to the thumb at a position proximal of the interphalangeal joint of the thumb.

5. The thumb orthosis of claim 4, wherein the rail comprises plastic.

6. The thumb orthosis of claim 4, wherein the rail comprises perforated plastic.

7. The thumb orthosis of claim 4, further comprising a pad positioned on or in the rail.

8. The thumb orthosis of claim 7, wherein the pad is positioned below the carpometacarpal joint when the orthosis is attached to the wearer.

9. The thumb orthosis of claim 4, wherein the wrist and thumb straps include hook-and-loop fasteners.

10. The thumb orthosis of claim 4, wherein a free end of each strap connects to a fixed portion of the respective strap.

11. The thumb orthosis of claim 4, wherein the wrist portion of the rail extend along portions of a front side and a rear side of the wrist.

12. The thumb orthosis of claim 4, wherein the thumb portion is configured to connect to the thumb along a phalanx bone of the thumb.

13. The thumb orthosis of claim 4, wherein the rail has a rigid construction.

14. A method of supporting a thumb with a thumb orthosis, the method comprising: providing a thumb orthosis having a rail, the rail having a wrist portion and a thumb portion, the thumb portion extending from the wrist portion; positioning the wrist portion along a wrist of a wearer at a position proximal of a carpometacarpal joint of a thumb of the wearer; positioning the thumb portion extending laterally over a ball of the hand and along the thumb, the thumb portion having a corkscrew shape that rotates toward a palm of the hand, the thumb portion terminating proximal of an interphalangeal joint of the thumb; connecting the wrist portion to the wrist, and connecting the thumb portion to the thumb at a location proximal of the interphalangeal joint of the thumb.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the thumb orthosis further comprises a wrist strap connected to the wrist portion, and connecting the wrist portion to the wrist includes wrapping a free end of the wrist strap around the wrist.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the thumb orthosis further comprises a thumb strap connected to the thumb portion, and connecting the thumb portion to the thumb includes wrapping a free end of the thumb strap around the thumb.

Description

[0012] FIGS. 1 and 2 show the device, while FIGS. 3 and 4 show the device fitted in place.

[0013] The invention comprises a splint (FIGS. 1-4) which can be releasably fixed (5) at one end on the wrist of the patient and at the other end (3) below the first joint of the thumb of the diseased hand. It consists of a reinforced thermoplastic which partially encloses (1) the wrist, lies with an exact fit on the thenar eminence (7) and terminates (2) with a corkscrew-shaped left winding below the first joint of the thumb.

[0014] In its basic position, the splint is designed such that it receives the thumb in its natural position of rest.

[0015] If the thumb is now guided to the middle finger for the pinch grip, the thumb (2), fixed below the first joint of the thumb, tensions the splint (4), on account of the radial movement thereof, against the retainer (1) secured on the wrist and thereby lifts the trapeziometacarpal joint of the thumb minimally from its usual seat, as a result of which a gap arises between the mutually engaging joint heads, such that the latter, on account of the movement, rub against each other to a lesser extent, or indeed not at all, which brings about a noticeable reduction in pain.

[0016] The effect when bending the first phalanx of the thumb is comparable. As a result of the splint being designed as an abutment against the wrist, the enclosed joint of the thumb levers the trapeziometacarpal joint minimally from the joint seat and thus relieves the pressure on the opposing bones of the joint.

[0017] The dynamic process of adapted unloading means that the rest of the capsular ligament and muscle apparatus is constantly stressed and supported. The further advantage of the invention is that, because of the small amount of material used, the device feels pleasant to wear, in particular on account of the small coverage of the skin, and does not cause any discomfort.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, a padding is worked into the splint below the trapeziometacarpal joint (6).

[0019] In another preferred embodiment, the splint is made of perforated plastic.