Orthopedic supports and material for making same

A flexible, resilient composite material for use in making elastic orthopedic compression supports for surrounding and supporting a body part by compression, the composite material comprising:

• a porous base layer of a flexible, resilient polychloroprene rubber closed cell elastomeric foam material in thin sheet form having a multiplicity of holes extending through the entire depth of the sheet and distributed across the surface area of the sheet, in which the closed cell elastomeric material has sufficient elasticity and a density from about ten to about thirty pounds per cubic foot to provide orthopedic compression support;
• a skin-protecting first layer of a flexible, resiliently elastic porous fabric adhered to a first face of the base layer;
• and
• a protective second layer of a flexible, resiliently elastic porous fabric adhered to an opposite second face of the base layer, in which the resilient first and second layers provide a means for reinforcing the elasticity of the porous base layer so that the composite material consisting of the combination of said base layer, first layer, and second layer maintains sufficient elasticity and density to provide a useful level of orthopedic compression support, and in which the composite material is porous to air and water passing through the depth of said composite material, to thereby provide heat and moisture dissipation for the surrounded body part during use of such an orthopedic support.

A tubular orthopedic compression support for applying compression-type support to a surrounded body part, in which the tubular support is made from a composite material comprising:

• a porous base layer of a flexible, resilient elastomeric closed cell elastomeric foam material in thin sheet form and having a multiplicity of holes extending through the entire depth of the sheet and distributed across the surface area of the sheet, the closed cell elastomeric material having sufficient elasticity and a density of at least about ten pounds per cubic foot to provide orthopedic compression support;
• a skin-protecting first layer of a flexible, resiliently elastic porous fabric adhered to an inner face of the base layer;
• and
• a protective second layer of a flexible, resiliently elastic porous fabric adhered to an outer face of the base layer, in which the resilient first and second layers reinforce the elasticity of the porous base layer so that the composite material consisting of the combination of said base layer, first layer, and second layer maintains sufficient elasticity and density to provide a useful level of orthopedic compression support, and in which the composite material is porous to air and water passing through the depth of said composite material, to thereby provide a means of heat and moisture dissipation for the surrounded body part during use of such an orthopedic compression support.

A flexible, resilient composite material for use in making elastic orthopedic compression supports for surrounding and supporting a body part by compression, the composite material comprising:

• a porous base layer of a flexible, closed cell elastomeric foam material in thin sheet form and having a multiplicity of holes extending through the entire depth of the sheet and distributed across the surface area of the sheet, the closed cell elastomeric material having sufficient elasticity and density to provide orthopedic compression support;
• a skin-protecting first layer of a flexible, resiliently elastic porous fabric adhered to a first face of the base layer;
• and
• a protective second layer of a flexible, resiliently-elastic porous fabric adhered to an opposite second face of the base layer, the first and second layers providing a means for reinforcing the elasticity of the porous base layer, the first and second fabric layers each having an elasticity greater than the elasticity of the perforated closed cell elastomeric base layer, the composite material consisting of the combination of said base layer, first layer, and second layer maintaining a sufficient level of elasticity and density to provide a useful level of orthopedic compression support, and in which the composite material is porous to air and water passing through the depth of said composite material to provide a means of heat and moisture dissipation for the surrounding body part during use of such an orthopedic compression support.

A tubular orthopedic compression support for applying compression-type support to a surrounded body part, in which the tubular support is made from a composite material comprising:

• a porous base layer of a flexible, resilient elastomeric closed cell elastomeric foam material in thin sheet form and having a multiplicity of holes extending through the entire depth of the sheet and distributed across the surface area of the sheet, the closed cell elastomeric material having sufficient elasticity and density to provide a level of orthopedic compression support;
• a skin-protecting first layer of a flexible resiliently elastic porous fabric adhered to an inner face of the base layer;
• and
• a protective second layer of a flexible, resiliently elastic porous fabric adhered to an outer face of the base layer, in which the first and second fabric layers reinforce the elasticity of the porous base layer, and in which the first and second fabric layers each have an elasticity greater than the elasticity of the perforated closed cell elastomeric base layer, so that the composite material consisting of the combination of said base layer, first layer, and second layer maintains sufficient elasticity and density to provide a useful level of orthopedic compression support, and in which the porosity of the base layer provides heat and moisture dissipation during use of such an orthopedic compression support.