Patent Application
20140296044
The invention herein resides in the art of therapeutic devices and, more particularly, to an orthosis machine and its method of use. Particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for assisting in the rehabilitation of lower extremity joints following surgery such as knee and hip replacement, ankle surgery, and the like. Specifically, the invention provides a method and apparatus that seeks to mimic the natural knee, hip, and ankle flexion in non-weight bearing use.
The joints of lower extremities are often in need of repair through surgical procedures. Quite common among these are hip and knee replacements, although surgery on the ankle is also quite common. Following such surgeries, there is necessarily a period of therapy and rehabilitation, where the repaired joint is mobilized or flexed during the healing process in order to ensure that the joint has recovered properly and provides the patient or individual with as close to a full range of mobility as possible.
In the past, patients would typically engage therapy sessions, during which a therapist would mobilize and manipulate the affected joint while the patient remained otherwise immobile. There is, of course, pain associated with such mobilization and manipulation, and patients are often apprehensive of such treatment and urge against the mobilization efforts of the therapist during treatment. To a large extent, the treatment is out of the control of the patient, giving rise to the apprehension and repelling patient reaction.
Previous devices for lower extremity therapy through mobilization have typically functioned in an open chain manner, creating a sliding motion of the tibia around the femur. This is contrary to the natural flexion of the knee, and the same is generally true with the hip and ankle. Such machines and their use are counterproductive to effective therapy and rehabilitation.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a rehabilitation device and its method of use for lower extremity mobilization that seeks to replicate natural knee, hip and ankle flexion during use.
There is further a need in the art for a rehabilitation device and method of use for lower extremity mobilization that is patient driven, eliminating the apprehension of the patient typically encountered during therapy, thereby maximizing the benefits to the patient.
Indeed, there is a need in the art, for a rehabilitation device and its method of use for lower extremity mobilization that mimics natural knee, hip and ankle flexion in non-weight bearing operation.
The present invention seeks to achieve the foregoing needs by recreating the natural lower extremity mechanics through a closed chain motion. Such a closed chain motion of the lower extremity is the transferring of the body around, for example, a fixed foot (similar to squatting) while in a seated position. The arthrokinematics (joint motion) of the knee, for example, is naturally a rolling motion and not a sliding motion. While the previous orthosis machines have functioned in an open chain position and create a sliding motion of the tibia around the femur, the instant invention, presented below, mimics the natural knee, hip and ankle flexion of the body because the only fixed point in implementation of the present invention is the foot, allowing the femur and tibia to roll on each other, mimicking, for example, natural knee flexion and reducing the friction of the unnatural sliding mechanism of the knee.
Another unique aspect of the invention is that it contemplates patient control. As will be seen below, the patient provides the force by selectively pulling on a drive mechanism, eliminating apprehension from the user, since the user or patient controls the amount of force being applied. Patient apprehension about flexing a knee or other repaired joint following surgery has long been a limiting factor in rehabilitation of post-surgical patients. Once the user has direct control of the amount of force flexing the knee, apprehensions are significantly reduced and increased mobility is achieved.
The foregoing and other benefits of the invention are achieved by a lower extremity mobilizer, comprising: a base maintained in an elevated position by support members; a seat slidably maintained upon said base; a foot support brace maintained at a first end of said base; and a patient regulated mobilization system interposed between said seat and said first end of said base and accommodating movement of said seat upon said base between a second end and said first end of said base.
Other benefits of the invention are achieved by a method of rehabilitating lower extremities of a patient's body, comprising: seating a patient upon a seat; engaging a first foot of the patient with a first foot support; and allowing the patient to draw the seat from a starting position toward the first foot support at a rate and to a degree determined by the patent, while the patient is seated and the patient's first foot is engaged with the first foot support, recreating natural lower extremity mechanics through closed chain motion.
For a complete understanding of the various benefits, structure and methods of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring now to the drawings and more particularly
Pulley wheels 26, 28 are secured to the end bracket 22, as shown. In similar fashion, a pulley wheel 30 is secured to a front edge of the seat 18, as shown. A cord or rope 32 is strung through the pulley wheels 26, 28, 30, with a first end of the cord or rope 32 being secured to an eyelet 34 on the front edge of the seat 18. According to an embodiment of the invention, the cord or rope 32 passes from the eyelet 34, through the pulley wheel 26, thence through the pulley wheel 30, and finally through the pulley wheel 28, with the opposite end of the cord or rope 32 optionally having a handle 36 or other type of hand securing device present thereon. It will be appreciated that the number of pulley wheels and the mechanical advantage desired may vary.
With reference now to
Finally, a stop bar 44 extends across a back end of the base 12 between the side rails 16, to prevent the seat 18 from leaving the base 12 rearwardly. The plate 38 and casters 40, 42, in conjunction with the side rails 16 and stop bar 44 confine the operation of the seat within the perimeters so defined.
With an understanding of the structure of the invention, reference should now be had to
In use, the other leg of the patient may either be placed upon the associated foot support brace 24, or may actually engage the floor.
The patient 50 begins to pull himself forwardly, providing an arthrokinematic motion to the joints of the knee 54 ankle 56 and hip 58 in a closed chain mode. The patient controls the rate at which the movement from
At
Upon reaching the position of
Thus it can be seen that the various benefits of the invention have been achieved by the structure and method presented and described above. While in accordance with the patent statutes only the best mode and preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented and described in detail, the invention is not limited thereto or thereby. Accordingly, for an appreciation of the true scope and breadth of the invention, reference should be made to the following claims.
