Orthopedic back support or vertebral column brace

Abstract

A brace (10) which can be used in the orthopedic sector for correctly blocking and anatomically supporting the vertebral column, substantially consisting of a semirigid slat (11), with elongated vertical development, shaped in accordance with the vertebral column and thus making it possible to follow and support the column, the lower part being attached to straps (12) which are fixed at the front to an abdominal plate (13), wrapping around the waist, and the upper part to the end of straps (14) which also couple to the same abdominal plate (13), passing through loops (15) positioned at the sides, there being, in the initial part of the straps (14), that is to say in the coupling area (16) of the casing that encloses the semirigid slat and to a certain extent the section towards the front of the brace, a pocket (17) surrounded by stitching and in which there is a slit (18), said pocket being designed to accommodate a stiffening element (19) with a substantially arched shape.

Claims

1. An orthopedic brace for correctly blocking and anatomically supporting a vertebral column, comprising a semirigid slat enclosed in a casing and having an elongated vertical development, shaped in accordance with the vertebral column and thus making it possible to follow and support the column, a lower part of the slat being attached to a respective pair of waist straps which are fixed at a front to an abdominal plate, and an upper part of the slat being attached to a respective pair of shoulder straps which are also fixed to the abdominal plate, passing through loops positioned at a side of the slat, wherein at least a portion of each of the pair of shoulder straps comprises a pocket, each pocket accommodating a removable stiffening element that is introduced into the pocket through a corresponding slit, the stiffening element having an arcuated shape keeping the shoulder strap in shape thereby enhancing the wearability of the orthopedic brace by a patient.

2. The orthopedic brace according to claim 1, wherein each stiffening element consists of a core, made from preformed plastic.

3. The orthopedic brace according to claim 1, wherein the stiffening elements are made according to anatomical curvatures specifically shaped to follow the curvature of an upper body.

4. The orthopedic brace according to claim 1, wherein the stiffening elements comprise varying thicknesses, wherein the stiffening elements are thicker in the lower part and become thinner in the upper part in order to differentiate the flexion zones.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other features and advantages of the invention will become evident on reading the following description of one embodiment of the invention, provided as a non-binding example, with the help of the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a brace with shoulder strap reinforcements inserted in the relative pockets according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 represents a detail of the brace showing the two pockets present on the respective shoulder traps, in which the flexible stiffening elements are inserted;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the two flexible stiffening elements seen in profile and facing each other;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the two flexible stiffening elements seen in prospective view;

(6) FIGS. 5 to 7 show schematic views of braces seen from behind, from the front and in a prospective front view.

DESCRIPTION OF ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(7) The brace according to the invention, mainly used in the orthopedic sector for blocking and anatomically supporting the vertebral column, indicated overall with the reference number 10, therefore foresees the use of means that make it possible to overcome the problems caused by the difficulties encountered when putting the brace on.

(8) More specifically, the brace 10 consists of a semirigid slat 11, with elongated vertical development, shaped in accordance with the vertebral column and thus making it possible to follow and support the column, the lower part being attached to straps 12 which are fixed at the front to an abdominal plate 13, wrapping around the waist, and the upper part to the end of straps 14 which also couple to the same abdominal plate 13, passing through loops 15 positioned at the sides of the body.

(9) According to the invention, the initial part of the straps 14, that is to say the coupling zone 16 of the casing that encloses the semirigid slat and to a certain extent the section towards the front of the brace, is provided with a pocket 17 surrounded by stitching.

(10) The pocket 17 is provided with a slit 18 designed to accommodate a stiffening element 19 with a substantially arched shape.

(11) The stiffening element consists of a core made from preformed plastic material designed to keep the shoulder straps “in shape” when the brace is not being worn.

(12) This solution can be particularly useful for the person wearing the brace especially if the person has difficulty in moving the limbs as it makes the brace easier to put on.

(13) The stiffening elements 17, which are made from plastic or other material suitable for the purpose, are positioned in such a way that they can be removed, if necessary, through the slit 18 in the shoulder strap.

(14) In this specific case there are at least two pockets and stiffening elements, that is to say one for each shoulder strap 14, but the other straps can also be equipped with them, according to requirements.

(15) The stiffening elements 17 are made according to anatomical curvatures specifically adapted to follow the curvature of the upper body, and can also have varying thicknesses, for example they can be thicker in the lower part and become thinner in the upper part in order to differentiate the flexion zones.

(16) The use of the brace is therefore evident, since the easiness of putting the brace on is due to the fact that the stiffening elements keep the straps in shape, making the brace easy and quick to put on.

(17) The invention is described above with reference to a preferred embodiment. It is nevertheless clear that the invention is susceptible to numerous variations that lie within its scope, in the framework of technical equivalents.