Orthopedic garment for dynamic scapular and acromio-clavicular stabilization, including dynamically enhancing proper posture

An orthopedic method for treating given pathologies of an involved-side shoulder girdle of a patient including enhancing the positioning of and pull on the scapula as ordinarily achieved by healthy rhomboid muscles, said method comprising the steps of:

• applying to the patient an elastic base garment comprising at least one upper arm encircling portion, a torso encircling portion, and an arm-and-shoulder portion spanning between and interconnecting the upper arm encircling and torso encircling portions;
• providing the base garment with diverse inner and outer surfaces wherein the inner surface is adapted for high friction contact with the patient's skin or a thin undergarment worn by the patient, the outer surface being provided with hook-fastener securing areas;
• providing the torso encircling portion with one and another belt straps, one of which belt straps has hook fasteners, said belt straps allowing releasable formation of a belt around the patient's torso underneath and clear of the breasts;
• providing a rhomboid strap having at least one tag end carrying hook fasteners, and extending from the at least one tag end to an opposite end;
• affixing said opposite end to the base garment at a position on the patient's back and over the lower outer margin of the scapula when the scapula is in its rest position for an erect standing posture, and with arms down;
• extending the rhomboid strap from the affixed opposite end to loop over and across the crotch of the neck and shoulder on the uninvolved side;
• and,
• securing the tag end to the base garment at a location in the front of the patient down from where the rhomboid strap crosses over the uninvolved-side neck and shoulder, wherein the rhomboid strap is arranged to provide compression against the patient in order to position and pull on the scapula as ordinarily achieved by rhomboid muscles, and is elastic which allows adjusting the compression against the patient in order to sufficiently enhance the positioning of and pull on the scapula ordinarily achieved by healthy rhomboid muscles.

An orthopedic method for treating given pathologies of an involved-side shoulder girdle of a patient including--given a patient with separation of the acromio-clavicular joint--enhancing the positioning and coming together of the coraco-clavicular as well as acromio-clavicular ligaments that would ordinarily be achieved by healthy acromio-clavicular and coraco-clavicular ligaments, said method comprising the steps of:

• applying to the patient an elastic base garment comprising at least one upper arm encircling portion, a torso encircling portion, and an arm-and-shoulder portion spanning between and interconnecting the upper arm encircling and torso encircling portions;
• providing the base garment with diverse inner and outer surfaces wherein the inner surface is adapted for high friction contact with the patient's skin or a thin undergarment worn by the patient, the outer surface being provided with hook-fastener securing areas;
• providing the torso encircling portion with one and another belt straps, one of which belt straps has hook fasteners, said belt straps allowing releasable formation of a belt around the patient's torso underneath and clear of the breasts;
• providing a coraco-clavicular strap having at least one tag end carrying hook fasteners and extending from the at least one tag end to an opposite end;
• affixing said opposite end to the base garment on the back of the patient at the lower inner border of the scapula on the involved side;
• extending the coraco-clavicular strap from the affixed opposite end to extend inclining upwardly to loop around the same- or involved-side shoulder, at about the same elevation as the acromion process, to extend from there about level with the acromion process;
• and,
• securing the tag end to the base garment at about in the middle of the front of the acromion process on the involved side, wherein the coraco-clavicular strap is arranged to provide compression against the patient in order to position and induce the coming together of a separated acromio-clavicular joint as would ordinarily be achieved by acromio-clavicular and coraco-clavicular ligaments, and is elastic which allows adjusting the compression against the patient in order to enhance the positioning and coming together of the coraco-clavicular as well as acromio-clavicular ligaments of a separated acromio-clavicular joint that would ordinarily be achieved by healthy acromio-clavicular and coraco-clavicular ligaments.

An orthopedic method for treating given pathologies of an involved-side shoulder girdle of a patient including enhancing the positioning and coming together of a generally anteriorly malpositioned or subluxated sterno-clavicular joint, said method comprising the steps of:

• applying to the patient an elastic base garment comprising at least one upper arm encircling portion, a torso encircling portion, and an arm-and-shoulder portion spanning between and interconnecting the upper arm encircling and torso encircling portions;
• providing the base garment with diverse inner and outer surfaces wherein the inner surface is adapted for high friction contact with the patient's skin or a thin undergarment worn by the patient, the outer surface being provided with hook-fastener securing areas;
• providing the torso encircling portion with one and another belt straps, one of which belt straps has hook fasteners, said belt straps allowing releasable formation of a belt around the patient's torso underneath and clear of the breasts;
• providing a strap having a root end and a tag end carrying hook fasteners;
• affixing said root end to the base garment at a position in front of the humeral head of the involved-side shoulder;
• extending the strap from the root end over the involved-side clavicle, and at about the sternum it extends relatively down to under the opposite or uninvolved-side arm pit;
• and,
• securing the tag end to the base garment wherever convenient on the back of the patient, wherein the strap is arranged to provide compression against the patient in order to position and induce the coming together of a generally anteriorly malpositioned or subluxated sterno-clavicular joint, and is elastic which allows adjusting the compression against the patient in order to sufficiently enhance the positioning and coming together of a generally anteriorly malpositioned or subluxated sterno-clavicular joint.