Cervical-thoracic brace

A cervical-thoracic brace consisting essentially of:

• a cervical support base having anterior neck plate and a posterior neck plate;
• the anterior neck plate being sized, shaped and contoured to extend laterally over top portions of a user's chest proximate a top portion of the sternum and lateral portions of the clavicle;
• the posterior neck plate being sized, shaped and contoured to extend laterally over portions of opposite-side top and rear areas of the user's shoulders and having a back base extended downward from a central portion of the posterior neck plate to extend vertically over a portion of the user's upper thoracic vertebrae;
• a chin plate extended upward and forward from the anterior neck plate;
• the chin plate being sized, shaped and contoured to support the user's head from proximately under the user's mandible;
• a head plate extended upward and rearward from the posterior neck plate;
• the head plate being sized, shaped and contoured to support the user's head from proximately under the user's occipital bone;
• fastener means with which the anterior neck plate and the posterior neck plate are fastened together;
• a rigid thoracic bar extended upwardly from a chest plate that is adapted to be positioned on the user with at least one thoracic strap;
• the rigid thoracic bar being extended intermediate the chest plate and the anterior neck plate;
• a bottom portion of the rigid thoracic bar is positioned in a bar pocket from which the rigid thoracic bar is extendible telescopically for adjustable-length positioning intermediate the chest plate and the anterior neck plate;
• a fastener with fastener attachment of the bottom portion of the rigid thoracic bar to the chest plate;
• the chin plate is separate from and attachable to the anterior neck plate;
• the head plate is separate from and attachable to the posterior neck plate;
• and
• at least a portion of the body-contact sides of the anterior neck plate, the posterior plate, the chin plate and the chest plate are covered with cushioned pads.

A method for selectively supporting a person's neck that has been injured or has had corrective surgery comprising the following steps:

• providing an anterior neck plate that has broad and contoured contact with sternum and clavicle areas of the person laterally;
• providing a chin plate that is extended upward and forward from the anterior neck plate and has a size, shape and contour to support the person's head from proximately under the person's mandible;
• providing a posterior neck plate that has broad and contoured contact with opposite-side top and rear areas of the person's shoulders and has a back base that is extended downward from a central portion of the posterior neck plate to extend vertically over a portion of the person's upper thoracic vertebrae;
• providing a head plate that is extended upward and rearward with an incline from the posterior neck plate and has a size, shape and contour to support the person's head from proximately under the person's occipital bone;
• providing an adjustable-length fastener means for fastening the anterior neck plate to the posterior neck plate;
• positioning the anterior neck plate over sternum and clavicle areas of the person;
• positioning the posterior neck plate over opposite-side top and rear areas of the person's shoulders;
• positioning the chin plate in desired contact with a bottom surface of the person's jaw;
• positioning the head plate in desired contact with a bottom rear surface of the person's head;
• attaching the anterior neck plate to the posterior neck plate;
• adjusting fastening length of the adjustable-length fastener to adjust distance between the anterior neck plate and the posterior neck plate as desired to force the person's head upwardly with the incline of the head plate from the posterior neck plate and thereby to support the person's neck selectively upwardly from a base of a cervical-thoracic brace that has a posterior neck plate resting on the person's shoulders and has an anterior neck plate forced against a sternum and clavicle area of the person in opposition to the back base that is forced against the person's upper thoracic vertebrae;
• fastening the adjustable-length fastener;
• positioning a rigid thoracic bar intermediate the chin plate and a chest plate that is strapped to the person;
• adjusting length of the rigid thoracic bar intermediate the chin plate and the chest plate for a desired vertical orientation of the person's head;
• and
• affixing the rigid thoracic bar to the chest plate.