Orthosis

An apparatus for use in rotating a first portion of a patient's body relative to a second portion of the patient's body which is connected with the first portion of the patient's body by a joint, said apparatus comprising a base, a first cuff to grip the first portion of the patient's body, a second cuff to grip the second portion of the patient's body, said second cuff is connected with said base, and gear means connected with said first cuff and said base for rotating said first cuff about an axis which extends through the first portion of the patient's body and through the joint interconnecting the first and second portions of the patient's body, said gear means includes a worm which is rotatably mounted on said base for rotation about an axis which extends transverse to the axis which extends through the first portion of the patient's body, and a main gear disposed in meshing engagement with said worm and connected with said first cuff, said worm is rotatable relative to said base to rotate said main gear and said first cuff relative to said base about the axis which extends through the first portion of the patients body, said base includes a first section which is connected with said gear means and said first cuff, a second section which is connected with said second cuff, and connector means which interconnects said first and second sections of said base and enables relative movement to occur between said first and second sections of said base about an axis which extends transverse to the axis about which said first cuff is rotated by said gear means.

An apparatus for use in rotating a first portion of a patient's body relative to a second portion of the patient's body which is connected with the first portion of the patient's body by a joint, said apparatus comprising a base, a first cuff to grip the first portion of the patient's body, a second cuff to grip the second portion of the patient's body, said second cuff is connected with said base, gear means connected with said first cuff and said base for rotating said first cuff about an axis which extends through the first portion of the patient's body and through the joint interconnecting the first and second portions of the patient's body, said gear means includes a worm which is rotatably mounted on said base for rotation about an axis which extends transverse to the axis which extends through the first portion of the patient's body, and a main gear disposed in meshing engagement with said worm and connected with said first cuff, said worm is rotatable relative to said base to rotate said main gear and said first cuff relative to said base about the axis which extends through the first portion of the patients body, a third cuff connected with said base and disposed in engagement with the first portion of the patient's body at a location between the first cuff and the joint, said third cuff is ineffective to retard rotation of the first portion of the patient's body upon rotation of said main gear and said first cuff relative to said base.

An apparatus for use in effecting relative movement between bones in an arm of a patient, said apparatus comprising a base, first cuff which grips a wrist portion of the arm of the patient, second cuff which grips an upper portion of the arm of the patient, said second cuff is connected with said base, and drive means connected with said base and said first cuff for rotating said first cuff relative to said base about an axis which extends along a lower portion of the arm of the patient, said drive means includes a main gear and a worm, said first cuff is connected with said main gear, said first cuff has a first end portion which extends in a first direction from said main gear, a second end portion which extends in a second direction from said main gear, and an intermediate portion which is disposed between said first and second end portions of said first cuff, said intermediate portion of said first cuff is at least partially enclosed by said main gear, said worm is rotatably mounted on said base and disposed in meshing engagement with said main gear, a first retainer which is connected with said worm and said base and retains said worm against axial movement relative to said base, and a second retainer which is connected with said base and engages opposite sides of said main gear to position said main gear relative to said worm, said worm is rotatable relative to said base about an axis which extends transverse to the axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient to rotate said main gear and first cuff relative to said base about the axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient.

An apparatus for use in effecting relative movement between bones in an arm of a patient, said apparatus comprising a base, first cuff which grips a wrist portion of the arm of the patient, second cuff which grips an upper portion of the arm of the patient, said second cuff is connected with said base, and drive means connected with said base and said first cuff for rotating said first cuff relative to said base about an axis which extends along a lower portion of the arm of the patient, said drive means includes a main gear and a worm, said first cuff is connected with said main gear, said worm is rotatably mounted on said base and disposed in meshing engagement with said main gear, a first retainer which is connected with said worm and said base and retains said worm against axial movement relative to said base, and a second retainer which is connected with said base and engages opposite sides of said main gear to position said main gear relative to said worm, said worm is rotatable relative to said base about an axis which extends transverse to the axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient to rotate said main gear and first cuff relative to said base about the axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient, said base includes a lower cuff arm which is connected with said drive means and said first cuff, an upper cuff arm which is connected with said second cuff, and a pivot connection which extends through and interconnects end portions of said lower and upper cuff arms, said lower cuff arm having a longitudinal axis which extends generally parallel to the axis about which said first cuff is rotated by said drive means, said upper cuff arm having a longitudinal axis which intersects the longitudinal axis of said lower cuff arm at said pivot connection.

An apparatus for use in effecting relative movement between bones in an arm of a patient, said apparatus comprising a base, first cuff means for gripping a wrist portion of the arm of the patient, second cuff means for gripping an upper portion of the arm of the patient, said second cuff means being connected with said base, third cuff means for supporting a lower portion of the arm of the patient at a location between the wrist and elbow of the arm of the patient without retarding movement of the bones in the lower portion of the arm of the patient, said third cuff means is connected with said base, and drive means connected with said base and said first cuff means for rotating said first cuff means relative to said base about an axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient to move bones in the lower portion of the arm of the patient relative to the elbow of the arm of the patient, said third cuff means is ineffective to retard movement of bones in the lower portion of the arm of the patient upon operation of said drive means to rotate said first cuff means, said base includes longitudinally extending upper and lower cuff arms, said lower cuff arm having a first end portion and a second end portion, said drive means is mounted on said first end portion of said lower cuff arm, said second end portion of said lower cuff arm is pivotally connected to a first end portion of said upper cuff arm, said third cuff means is mounted on an intermediate portion of said lower cuff arm at a location between said first and second end portions of said lower cuff arm, said second cuff means is mounted on said upper cuff arm.

An apparatus for use in effecting relative movement between bones in an arm of a patient, said apparatus comprising a base, first cuff means for gripping a wrist portion of the arm of a patient, second cuff means for gripping an upper portion of the arm of the patient, said second cuff means is connected with said base, and drive means connected with said base and said first cuff means for rotating said first cuff means relative to said base about an axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient, said drive means includes a worm having a central axis which extends transverse to the axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient and a rotatable gear disposed in meshing engagement with said worm and rotatable relative to said base about the axis which extends along the arm of the patient, said base includes a first section which is connected with said drive means and said first cuff means, a second section which is connected with said second cuff means, and connector means which interconnects said first and second sections of said base and enables relative movement to occur between said first and second sections of said base about an axis which extends transverse to the axis about which said first cuff means is rotated by said drive means, and second drive means connected with said first and second sections of said base for effecting relative movement between said first and second sections of said base to bend an elbow in the arm of the patient about an axis which extends transverse to the axis about which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient.

An apparatus for use in effecting relative movement between bones in an arm of a patient, said apparatus comprising a base, first cuff means for gripping a wrist portion of the arm of a patient, second cuff means for gripping an upper portion of the arm of the patient, said second cuff means is connected with said base, and drive means connected with said base and said first cuff means for rotating said first cuff means relative to said base about an axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient, said base includes a lower cuff arm which is connected with said drive means and said first cuff means, an upper cuff arm which is connected with said second cuff means, and a pivot connection which interconnects end portions of said lower and upper cuff arms, said lower cuff arm includes a first section which is connected with said drive means and said first cuff means and a second section which is connected with said pivot connection, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are disposed in a telescopic relationship, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are extendable to decrease the telescopic relationship between said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm and to move said drive means and said first cuff means away from said pivot connection, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are retractable to increase the telescopic relationship between said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm and to move said drive means and said first cuff means toward said pivot connection, said lower cuff arm has a longitudinal axis which extends generally parallel to the axis about which said first cuff means is rotated by said drive means, said upper cuff arm having a longitudinal axis which intersects the longitudinal axis of said lower cuff arm at said pivot connection.

An apparatus for use in effecting relative movement between bones in an arm of a patient, said apparatus comprising a base, first cuff means for gripping a wrist portion of the arm of a patient, second cuff means for gripping an upper portion of the arm of the patient, said second cuff means is connected with said base, and drive means connected with said base and said first cuff means for rotating said first cuff means relative to said base about an axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient, said drive means includes a gear, said first cuff means is at least partially disposed in an opening in said gear, said first cuff means having a first end portion which extends in a first direction from said gear, a second end portion which extends in a second direction from said gear, and an intermediate portion which is disposed between said first and second end portions of said first cuff means, said intermediate portion of said first cuff means is at least partially enclosed by said gear, said base includes a lower cuff arm which is connected with said drive means and said first cuff means, an upper cuff arm which is connected with said second cuff means, and a pivot connection which interconnects end portions of said lower and upper cuff arms, said lower cuff arm includes a first section which is connected with said drive means and said first cuff means and a second section which is connected with said pivot connection, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are disposed in a telescopic relationship, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are extendable to decrease the telescopic relationship between said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm and to move said drive means and said first cuff means away from said pivot connection, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are retractable to increase the telescopic relationship between said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm and to move said drive means and said first cuff means toward said pivot connection.

An apparatus for use in effecting relative movement between bones in an arm of a patient, said apparatus comprising a base, first cuff means for gripping a wrist portion of the arm of a patient, second cuff means for gripping an upper portion of the arm of the patient, said second cuff means is connected with said base, and drive means connected with said base and said first cuff means for rotating said first cuff means relative to said base about an axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient, said base includes a lower cuff arm which is connected with said drive means and said first cuff means, an upper cuff arm which is connected with said second cuff means, and a pivot connection which interconnects end portions of said lower and upper cuff arms, said lower cuff arm includes a first section which is connected with said drive means and said first cuff means and a second section which is connected with said pivot connection, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are disposed in a telescopic relationship, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are extendable to decrease the telescopic relationship between said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm and to move said drive means and said first cuff means away from said pivot connection, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are retractable to increase the telescopic relationship between said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm and to move said drive means and said first cuff means toward said pivot connection, said drive means includes a main gear and means for connecting said main gear with said first section of said lower cuff arm and for enabling said main gear to rotate relative to said first section of said lower cuff arm about the axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient, said means for connecting said main gear with said base and for enabling said main gear to rotate relative to said base includes means for engaging said main gear at a location radially inward from and adjacent to a peripheral edge of said main gear.

An apparatus for use in effecting relative movement between bones in an arm of a patient, said apparatus comprising a base, first cuff means for gripping a wrist portion of the arm of a patient, second cuff means for gripping an upper portion of the arm of the patient, said second cuff means is connected with said base, and drive means connected with said base and said first cuff means for rotating said first cuff means relative to said base about an axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient, said base includes a lower cuff arm which is connected with said drive means and said first cuff means, an upper cuff arm which is connected with said second cuff means, and a pivot connection which interconnects end portions of said lower and upper cuff arms, said lower cuff arm includes a first section which is connected with said drive means and said first cuff means and a second section which is connected with said pivot connection, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are disposed in a telescopic relationship, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are extendable to decrease the telescopic relationship between said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm and to move said drive means and said first cuff means away from said pivot connection, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are retractable to increase the telescopic relationship between said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm and to move said drive means and said first cuff means toward said pivot connection, said drive means includes a main gear having an arcuate guide surface with a center of curvature disposed on the axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient, said apparatus further includes a retainer which is connected with said first section of said base and engages said arcuate guide surface, said retainer and guide surface cooperate to enable said main gear to rotate about the axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient while retaining said main gear against movement in a direction transverse to the axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient.

An apparatus for use in effecting relative movement between bones in an arm of a patient, said apparatus comprising a base, first cuff means for gripping a wrist portion of the arm of a patient, second cuff means for gripping an upper portion of the arm of the patient, said second cuff means is connected with said base, and drive means connected with said base and said first cuff means for rotating said first cuff means relative to said base about an axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient, said base includes a lower cuff arm which is connected with said drive means and said first cuff means, an upper cuff arm which is connected with said second cuff means, and a pivot connection which interconnects end portions of said lower and upper cuff arms, said lower cuff arm includes a first section which is connected with said drive means and said first cuff means and a second section which is connected with said pivot connection, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are disposed in a telescopic relationship, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are extendable to decrease the telescopic relationship between said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm and to move said drive means and said first cuff means away from said pivot connection, said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm are retractable to increase the telescopic relationship between said first and second sections of said lower cuff arm and to move said drive means and said first cuff means toward said pivot connection, said lower and upper cuff arms are pivotal relative to each other at said pivot connection about a pivot axis which extends transverse to the axis which extends along the lower portion of the arm of the patient, said drive means includes a main gear which is connected with said first cuff means and a worm which is disposed in meshing engagement with said main gear, said worm is rotatable about an axis which extends parallel to said pivot axis.