JPWO2019012705A1 - Walking orthosis - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a walking brace capable of optimally fixing a user's Achilles tendon. A walking brace for assisting walking of a user according to the present invention includes at least one of a first protection member that covers a rear surface of a user's lower leg and a back surface of the user's lower leg and a portion of the user's lower leg front surface between near the knee and near the ankle. And a first fixing member that fixes the user's foot to the first protection member at a location, and the first protection member accommodates an inner pad that holds the user's Achilles tendon from the left and right and presses the area around the ankle. Have.

Description

  The present invention relates to a walking brace that assists a user in walking, and particularly to a walking brace that assists an Achilles tendon rupture patient in walking.

  Achilles tendon rupture occurs when the calf muscle (triceps femoris) contracts sharply due to movements such as stepping, dashing, or jumping, or when the muscle is suddenly stretched during landing.

  Heretofore, for the treatment of Achilles tendon rupture, (1) a conservative treatment in which a cast or a brace is used without performing surgery, and (2) a surgical treatment in which a torn Achilles tendon is directly sutured have been adopted.

  Although the conservative treatment has the advantage of not performing surgery, it is necessary to fix it for a long period of time with a cast or a brace, and it has been recognized that it tends to cause re-rupture of the Achilles tendon.

  Therefore, surgical treatment is adopted for patients who desire early recovery. However, even in the case of surgical treatment, it is necessary to fix the periphery of the affected area with a cast for a long time after the surgery.

  After the surgical treatment, the area around the affected area of the Achilles tendon of the patient is fixed by the cast for a long period of time, so that the situation in which the cast is fixed by the cast continues, which causes a physical burden.

  Therefore, in recent years, various orthoses have been developed to reduce the burden on patients with injured legs such as Achilles tendon rupture and Achilles tendon inflammation.

  For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,097 discloses a solid cast, comprising a rigid structure and a plurality of cooperating fastener means, which is removable and can be subsequently re-installed and is useful for securing injured body parts. It is disclosed.

  The robust casts disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,048 are inventions made to overcome the problems present in casts that could not be reattached after removal.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-502105

  However, with the solid casts disclosed in Patent Document 1, the patient cannot walk without using an auxiliary tool such as a crutch.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a walking brace capable of optimally fixing a user's Achilles tendon in order to solve the above problems.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a walking brace according to the present invention is a walking brace that assists a user in walking, and includes a first protection member that covers from the back of the lower leg of the user to the back of the foot, and the front of the lower thigh of the user. A first fixing member that fixes the user's foot to the first protection member at least at one place between the vicinity of the knee and the vicinity of the ankle, and the first protection member allows the Achilles tendon of the user from the left and right. A walking brace having an accommodating portion for accommodating an internal pad pressed against the sandwiched ankle periphery.

  According to the walking brace of the present invention, the user's Achilles tendon can be optimally fixed.

  Furthermore, according to the walking orthosis according to the present invention, a user wearing the walking orthosis according to the present invention can perform rehabilitation treatment such as recovery of a functional disorder caused by Achilles tendon rupture by walking.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment 100 of a walking brace according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second embodiment 200 of the walking brace according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the part of the foot of the user U. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a user U who is a patient with a torn Achilles tendon wears the walking brace according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an example of the shape of the first protection member 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an internal pad that sandwiches the user's Achilles tendon g from the left and right and presses it against the periphery of the ankle e.

  Next, an embodiment of a walking brace that assists a user in walking according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment 100 of a walking brace according to the present invention.
FIG. 1A shows a state before the first fixing member 3 is fixed to the first protective member 1, and FIG. 1B shows that the first fixing member 3 is fixed to the first protective member 1. It is a figure which shows the state after.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the part of the user's foot.

The walking orthosis 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 includes a first protection member 1 shown in FIG. A first fixing member 3 for fixing the user's foot to the first protection member 1 at least at one position on the lower leg front surface Y between near the knee c and near the ankle e.
Further, the first protection member 1 has a storage portion 7 that stores an internal pad that sandwiches the user's Achilles tendon g from the left and right and presses it against the periphery of the ankle e.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second embodiment 200 of the walking brace according to the present invention.
2A shows a state before the first fixing member 3 is fixed to the first protective member 1, and FIG. 2B shows the first fixing member 3 fixed to the first protective member 1. It is a figure which shows the state after.

A walking orthosis 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2 includes a first protection member 1 shown in FIG. The second protection member 2 covering from the front lower leg Y to the instep d of the user and at least one position between the vicinity of the lower leg c of the user and the vicinity of the upper part of the ankle e on the lower leg front surface Y of the user, the first leg of the user. A first fixing member 3 fixed to the protection member 1 and the second protection member 2 is provided.
In addition, the first protection member 1 has a storage portion 7 that stores F that sandwiches the user's Achilles tendon g from the left and right and presses it against the periphery of the ankle e.

The "lower leg rear surface X", "lower leg front surface Y", and "foot rear surface Z" will be described with reference to FIG.
"Posterior crus X" refers to the area under the depression a on the back of the knee to the heel b, and "front thigh Y" refers to the area under the knee c and above the ankle e. Further, the "foot sole Z" refers to the area from the heel b to the fingertip f.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an example of the shape of the first protection member 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the first protection member 1 has an inner pad that covers the user's lower leg X from the back of the foot Z to the back Z of the user, and pinches the user's Achilles tendon g from the left and right and presses it around the ankle e. The shape is not particularly limited as long as it has a housing portion 7 for housing the.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal pad 8 that sandwiches the user's Achilles tendon g from the left and right and presses it against the periphery of the ankle e.

  The space structure of the housing portion 7 of the first protection member 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is a space capable of housing the internal pad 8 as shown in FIG. 6.

  The inner pad 8 is not particularly limited as long as it has a structure that allows the Achilles tendon g of the user U to be sandwiched from the left and right and to be pressed against the periphery of the ankle e.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the inner pad 8 includes, for example, a central portion K arranged to face the Achilles tendon g, a rod member L arranged along the left side of the Achilles tendon g, and a right side of the Achilles tendon g. It is composed of a rod-shaped member R arranged along.

  The rod-shaped member L and the rod-shaped member R preferably have the same material and the same shape. For example, a material having a cushioning property such as cotton is used, and the diameter is 1.8 to 2.2 cm and the length is 8 to 12 cm. It is configured to have a shape of.

  The method of manufacturing the inner pad 8 is not particularly limited as long as the rod-shaped member L and the rod-shaped member R are arranged at a predetermined interval and the central portion K can be formed so as to face the Achilles tendon g.

  As a method of manufacturing the internal pad 8, for example, a bar-shaped member L and a bar-shaped member R are arranged at a predetermined interval on a cloth made of gauze, and another cloth made of gauze is put on the cloth. Then, the central portion K is formed by sewing the peripheral portions of the rod-shaped member L and the rod-shaped member R with a thread or the like so as not to be displaced.

  The inner pad 8 is preferably configured by designing the diameters and lengths of the rod-shaped members L and R, and the width of the central portion K according to the shape and thickness of the Achilles tendon g of the user.

  The shape and thickness of the user's Achilles tendon g can be actually grasped by direct diagnosis, inspection, etc., but can also be performed by using a 3D printer (three-dimensional modeling apparatus).

  For example, by performing a surface scan on the periphery of the ankle e including the Achilles tendon g of the user, it is possible to obtain information about the surface three-dimensional shape of the periphery of the ankle e including the Achilles tendon g.

  Next, based on the acquired surface three-dimensional shape information, a 3D printer (three-dimensional modeling apparatus) outputs a three-dimensional modeling object around the ankle e including the Achilles tendon g by additive manufacturing technology.

  The shape and thickness of the user's Achilles tendon g can be grasped by the shaped body around the ankle e including the output Achilles tendon g.

  As a result, the shape and thickness of the user's Achilles tendon g can be grasped without actually performing a direct diagnosis or examination, and the optimum internal pad 8 can be manufactured.

  Although the thickness of the Achilles tendon g varies from person to person, it is generally said that the thickness of the Achilles tendon g is proportional to the physical constitution such as the height of a human.

  Therefore, for example, the diameter and length of the rod-shaped member L and the rod-shaped member R, and the width of the central portion K are designed according to the physique such as height 150 to 160 cm, height 160 to 170 cm, and height 170 to 180 cm. can do.

  As a result, the internal pad 8 composed of the rod-shaped member L, the rod-shaped member R, and the central portion K can be standardized to have the S size, the M size, the L size, or the like to manufacture the internal pad 8. it can.

  The walking brace according to the present invention can optimally fix the Achilles tendon g of the user by providing the first protection member 1 with the accommodating portion 7 that accommodates the internal pad 8, and the state before the tearing of the Achilles tendon g. Can be easily healed.

  If the inner pad 8 is not used, the Achilles tendon g cannot be optimally fixed, and the Achilles tendon g may be thicker than before the tear. As a result, the thickened Achilles tendon g increases the risk of re-rupture, which is not preferable.

  Note that the user U may wear the walking brace according to the present invention after the inner pad 8 is in a state where the user's Achilles tendon g is sandwiched from the left and right and pressed against the periphery of the ankle e.

  As the shape of the first protection member 1, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a shape capable of integrally covering the user's lower leg rear surface X to the sole surface Z as one member, and the user's lower leg rear surface X and the sole surface of the foot. For example, a shape in which Z is joined as a separate member and can be integrally covered can be given.

  The material forming the outside of the first protection member 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can protect the foot on the side on which the walking brace is worn from the outside.

  Examples of the material forming the outside of the first protection member 1 include a hard material made of plastic and a hard material made of gypsum.

  On the other hand, the material forming the inside of the first protection member 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can protect the foot on the side on which the walking brace is worn from the inside.

  Examples of the material forming the inside of the first protection member 1 include a material having a fit property with respect to the foot on the side on which the walking brace is mounted, a material having durability with respect to the walking of the user U, and the like. To be

  As shown in FIG. 2, the shape of the second protective member 2 is not particularly limited as long as it can cover the front lower leg Y of the user U and the instep d of the foot.

  Examples of the shape of the second protection member 2 include a shape that can integrally cover the front lower leg Y of the user U and the instep d of the user U as one member.

  The material forming the outside of the second protection member 2 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can protect the foot on the side on which the walking brace is worn from the outside.

  Examples of the material forming the outside of the second protective member 2 include a hard material made of plastic and a hard material made of gypsum.

  On the other hand, the material forming the inside of the second protection member 2 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can protect the foot on the side on which the walking brace is worn from the inside.

  Examples of the material forming the inside of the second protection member 2 include a material having a fit property with respect to the foot on the side on which the walking brace is mounted, a material having durability with respect to the walking of the user U, and the like. To be

  Although there are individual differences in the physique of human beings such as height and weight, the lengths of the "back of the lower leg X", "front of the lower leg Y", and "back of the foot Z" are generally proportional to the physical constitution such as the height of the human. It is said that.

  Therefore, for example, the first protection member 1 and the second protection member 2 can be designed in accordance with their physical constitutions such as height 150 to 160 cm, height 160 to 170 cm, and height 170 to 180 cm.

  Thereby, the walking orthosis according to the present invention, which is composed of the first protection member 1 and the second protection member 2, is standardized like the S size, the M size, and the L size, and the walking according to the present invention. An appliance can be manufactured.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the walking brace 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment supports the user U's foot at at least one position on the lower thigh front surface Y of the user U from under the knee c to over the ankle e. A first fixing member 3 fixed to the first protection member 1 is provided.

  Furthermore, the walking brace 100 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, fixes the foot of the user U to the first protection member 1 at at least one position on the instep d of the foot of the user U. A second fixing member is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the walking brace 200 according to the second exemplary embodiment supports the foot of the user U at least at one position on the lower thigh front surface Y of the user U from near the knee c to above the ankle e. A first fixing member 3 fixed to the first protection member 1 and the second protection member 2 is provided.

  In the walking brace 100 according to the first embodiment, the first fixing member 3 has a function of fixing the foot of the user U to the first protecting member 1, as shown in FIG. It is not limited.

  Further, in the walking brace 200 according to the second embodiment, the first fixing member 3 fixes the foot of the user U to the first protection member 1 and the second protection member 2 as shown in FIG. There is no particular limitation as long as it has a function capable of performing.

  The first fixing member 3 may be, for example, a belt with a buckle as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and has a function of tightening and fixing the belt according to the thickness of the foot of the user U and loosening the belt. It preferably has a function.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the walking orthosis according to the present invention includes a horizontal axis H of the sole surface 5 of the first protection member 1 and a horizontal axis H of the sole surface 5 of the foot and the lower leg. The angle with the rear surface portion 6 preferably forms 70 to 80 °, and more preferably 80 °.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a user U who is a patient with a torn Achilles tendon wears the walking brace according to the present invention.

  According to the walking orthosis according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the foot of the user U can be fixed at an optimum angle that does not extend the Achilles tendon of the user U, and without using an auxiliary tool such as a crutch. , Allows the user U to walk.

  Furthermore, according to the walking orthosis according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the user U wearing the walking orthosis according to the present invention walks to rehabilitate the functional disorder caused by the rupture of the Achilles tendon. Make treatment possible.

  If the angle between the horizontal axis H of the sole surface portion 5 and the rear leg portion 6 is less than the above range (less than 70 °), the effect of not stretching the Achilles tendon of the user U is relatively obtained, but the crutch. It is not possible to obtain a sense of stability that allows the user U to walk without using auxiliary equipment such as.

  On the other hand, when the angle between the horizontal axis H of the sole surface portion 5 and the rear leg portion 6 exceeds the range (exceeds 80 °), the user U can walk relatively stably. The effect of the rehabilitation treatment such that the Achilles tendon of the user U is stretched and the functional disorder caused by the tear of the Achilles tendon is recovered cannot be obtained.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention enables rehabilitation treatment such that the user U walks to recover the dysfunction associated with Achilles tendon rupture.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the user U who wears the walking brace according to the present invention can walk without using an auxiliary tool such as a crutch.

  From the viewpoint of exerting the effect of rehabilitation treatment, the walking method of the user U is as follows: the foot on the side where the walking brace is worn is rotated outward with the fingertip f facing outward with the heel b as the axis and the center of gravity of the heel b. It is preferable to walk such that

  On the other hand, if the user U walks with the center of gravity of the heel b b (walking with the center of gravity of the heel) rather than walking with the center of gravity of the fingertip f (walking with the center of gravity of the fingertip), the Achilles tendon of the user U stretches and the Achilles tendon. The risk of re-rupture may occur.

  It is preferable that the walking brace according to the present invention has an external notification function that notifies the walking situation of the user U to the outside. Here, the “outside” includes, for example, the user U, a rehabilitation treatment supporter, and a medical staff.

  For example, in the first protection member 1, in order to grasp the walking situation of the user U by installing pressure sensors on each of the heel portion that contacts the heel b of the user U and the fingertip portion that contacts the fingertip f of the user U. You can get the information you need.

  The pressure sensor detects the pressure applied to each of the heel portion and the fingertip portion as the user U walks. As the pressure sensor, for example, an FSR sensor (manufactured by Akizuki Denshi Co., Ltd.) or the like is used.

  When the pressure sensor detects a predetermined pressure on the heel portion for a predetermined time while the user U is walking, the external notification function determines that the user U is walking with the center of gravity of the heel, that is, the user U is From the viewpoint of rehabilitation treatment, it is determined that the walking is preferable, and the determination information is notified to the outside.

  On the other hand, when the pressure sensor detects a predetermined pressure on the fingertip for a predetermined time while the user U is walking, the external notification function determines that the user U is walking with the center of gravity of the fingertip, that is, the user. U determines that he / she is walking undesirably from the viewpoint of rehabilitation treatment, and notifies the determination information to the outside.

  In this way, when the external notification function determines that the user U is performing a preferable walk from the viewpoint of rehabilitation treatment, as a means for external notification, for example, a part of the walking brace according to the present invention emits blue light. Can be designed to.

  On the other hand, when the external notification function determines that the user U is not walking favorably from the viewpoint of rehabilitation treatment, as means for externally reporting, for example, a part of the walking brace according to the present invention emits red light. Can be designed to.

  Further, the walking orthosis according to the present invention has a function of detecting information about the walking speed / walking angle of the user U, a function of detecting information about temperature / humidity / pressure in the internal environment of the walking orthosis, and a walking orthosis. It is also possible to provide a function of detecting information about temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure in the external environment of the.

  Furthermore, the walking orthosis according to the present invention may be provided with a function of wirelessly transmitting the detected information to an output device such as a smartphone. As a wireless transmission function, a device capable of wireless transmission is used, and a Bluetooth (registered trademark) system can be adopted.

[Additional Notes]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and the embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments. The form of is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in the respective embodiments.

100 walking orthosis which is the first embodiment of the present invention 200 walking orthosis which is the second embodiment of the present invention U user 1 first protection member 2 second protection member 3 first fixing member 4 second Fixing member 5 Rear part of foot 6 Rear part of lower leg 7 Storage part 8 Inner pad X Rear surface of lower leg Y Front of lower leg Z Front of foot H Horizontal axis L Bar-shaped member R Bar-shaped member K Center part a Indentation of back of knee b Heel c Below knee d Instep e Ankle f Fingertip g Achilles tendon

Claims (5)

A walking brace that assists a user in walking,
A first protection member that covers the back of the lower leg of the user to the bottom of the foot;
A first fixing member that fixes the user's foot to the first protection member at at least one position between the vicinity of the lower leg of the user and the vicinity of the upper part of the ankle on the lower leg front surface of the user;
The walking brace according to claim 1, wherein the first protection member has a storage portion that stores an internal pad that sandwiches the Achilles tendon of the user from the left and right and presses the pad against the ankle peripheral portion. The walking brace further comprises
The walking brace according to claim 1, further comprising: a second fixing member that fixes the user's foot to the first protection member at at least one position on the instep of the user's foot. The walking brace further comprises
A second protective member covering from the front side of the lower leg of the user to the instep of the foot;
The walking brace according to claim 1, wherein the first fixing member fixes the user's foot to the first protection member and the second protection member.   In the first protection member, an angle formed between the horizontal axis of the sole surface portion and the posterior lower leg portion is 75 to 80 ° with reference to the horizontal axis of the sole surface portion. The walking brace according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The walking brace according to claim 4, wherein an angle formed between the horizontal axis of the sole surface portion and the rear leg portion is 80 °.

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