WO1998005276A1

WO1998005276A1 - Wrist brace with carpal tunnel protection

Info

Publication number: WO1998005276A1
Application number: PCT/US1997/013792
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ronald E. Nelson
Original assignee: Tamarack International, Inc.
Priority date: 1996-08-07
Filing date: 1997-08-07
Publication date: 1998-02-12

Abstract

This invention is a wrist brace in the form of an elastic material conformable (111) as a sleeve to a human wrist, and including a protective expansion channel or strip (113) for positioning over the medial nerve or carpal tunnel area of the wrist. The brace also includes an anchor strap (120) for preventing brace migration on the wrist. The brace may be used ambidextrously.

Description

WRIST BRACE WITH CARPAL TUNNEL PROTECTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to the field of orthopedic braces, more particularly to elastic support braces, and still more particularly to elastic wrist braces .

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART The complexity of the bone and muscle structure of the hand and wrist of a human is well known as its tendency to injury. Simple overexertion, hyperextension, or unusual rotary or lateral movement, for example, may cause injury to the wrist. Such injury may require that the wrist be supported. Individuals prone to such injury --■ or engaging in an activity, such as athletics, which may cause such injury -- will benefit from a preventative suppor .

Numerous elastic wrist braces are known in the prior art. Typically, these include a base of supportive elastic material adapted to be positioned around the wrist, supporting members such as stays carried by the base, anchoring straps to maintain the brace in a position and one or more supportive straps for over- wrapping the base to lend additional support.

Prior art wrist braces commonly employ an anterior stay (or series of stays) that overlie the medial nerve in the carpal tunnel. The pressure applied by the stays to the medial nerve/carpal tunnel as a result of the tension in the elastic of the base (and particularly the pressure applied by any support strap overlying the anterior stays (s) and/or the medial nerve/carpal tunnel) can traumatize, or further traumatize, the medial nerve. Additionally, the straps commonly employed to anchor the brace (laterally and/or longitudinally) render the prior art braces single handed. That is, distinct braces are required for left and right wrist.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A wrist brace in accordance with the present invention provides an improved brace with structure for protecting the carpal tunnel or medial nerve when the brace is being used to support the wrist. Additional novel structure is provided to make the brace of this invention ambidextrous, that is, it may be used on either the left or right wrist.

Briefly described, an aspect of a wrist brace in accordance with the present invention comprises an expansion channel, which channel is positioned to overlie the carpal tunnel and medial nerve to thus reduce or eliminate the application of the support pressure of the brace to the carpal tunnel/medial nerve. Anterior stays may be employed adjacent the expansion channel to attain the advantages attending the anterior stays employed by prior art devices. In a second aspect of a wrist brace in accordance with the present invention, the distal end of the anterior side of the brace extends into the proximal palmar area of the hand. An anchor strap is provided to prevent migration of the brace on the wrist, which strap has one end connected to the anterior brace extension while the other, free end may be used to anchor the brace when the brace is applied to either the left or right wrist. In a preferred embodiment, an extension of the expansion channel forms the anterior extension with the anchor strap being secured at the distal end of the expansion channel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objects of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which drawings like reference numerals designate like parts through the figures thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a prior art wrist brace; FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a wrist brace in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a wrist brace in accordance with the present invention; and FIG. 4 is a partial obverse view of the embodiment of Fig. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 discloses a prior art wrist brace comprising an elastic base 11, a pair of fastening tabs 12 and 14 for closing base 11 around a wrist, and an anchor strap 20 having a fastening tab 21 adapted to be placed between the thumb and forefinger of a hand and connected to another fastening means 22 on base 11. Also shown fixed to the proximal side of base 11 is a flexible, inelastic support member 15 designed to prevent undesired bending on the wrist. Member 15 includes a plurality of pockets 16 which carry inside them a plurality of inelastic stays to add to the support of member 15. Lastly, Fig.l discloses a support strap 17 fixed to base 11, including a pair of fastening means in the form of an end tab 18 on strap 17 for mating with another fastening member 19 fixed to strap 17. When base 11 of the prior art brace of Fig. 1 is positioned on a wrist and fastening members 12 and 14 have been tightened to conform base 11 to the wrist, inelastic support member 15 will necessarily exert pressure on the medial nerve or the carpal tunnel area. Further, when support strap 17 is wrapped around base 11 to add additional support to the wrist area, it will also add pressure on member 15, thus increasing the pressure on the carpal tunnel area.

As shown, the anchor strap 20 of the prior art brace of Fig. 1 lies at an angle of generally 45 degrees from the longitudinal axis of base 11. The obvious result of this structure is to limit the brace of Fig. 1 to use on only one of the right or left hand. For example, it is apparent that the brace of Fig. 1 is intended only for use on the right hand. Referring now to Fig. 2, there is shown a plan view of a first embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprising a wrist brace which at least ameliorates the carpal tunnel pressures described above with regard to the prior art. A flexible, at least partially elastic base 111 is shown having extending curves forming projections along its proximal and distal edges. Fastening means 112 and 114, here shown as hook- and-loop fasteners, are fixed to the lateral ends of base 111. A plurality of support structures 115, such as stays contained within pockets, are fixed to base 111, and between structures 115 there is formed an expansion channel or strip 113.

A support strap 117 is shown having a fastening means in the form of a tab 118 adapted to mate with a fastening tab 119 fixed on base 111 adjacent fastening means 112. Lastly, an anchor strap 120 is shown having a first end fixed to the most distal portion of the projection of the distal edge of base 111 and aligned with expansion channel 113; a second free end of strap 120 is shown having a fastening means in the form of a tab 121 which is adapted to mate with a fastening means in the form of a tab 122 fixed on base 111.

When the brace of Fig. 2 is positioned as a sleeve on a wrist, fastening members 112 and 114 are connected to conform base 111 to the wrist, the strap 120 is passed between the thumb and index finger and the fasteners 121 and 122 are secured. Finally, the strap 117 is extended over fasteners 121/122 and the fasteners 118 and 119 are joined. During and after this positioning, expansion channel or strip 113 is positioned over the carpal tunnel area of the wrist. With the brace in position, support members 115 will act as desired to exert a restrictive/supportive pressure on the wrist. However, because of the location of channel 113 members 115 will not exert pressure directly centered on the medial nerve or carpal tunnel area as is the case with the prior art brace of Fig. 1.

When support strap 117 is fastened as described above to provide additional wrist support, it will overlie and put pressure on members 15. However, strap 117 will not exert additional pressures on channel or strip 113 and thus may be used without impact to the carpal tunnel area .

The curve of the distal edge of base 111 is configured to wrap around the base of the thumb and extend into the proximal planar area of the hand to facilitate ambidextrous application of the base. That is, this curve provides a projection into the palmar area such that the strap 120 may be easily and conveniently extended (either right or left) to lie between the thumb and index finger of either hand. Accordingly, the strap 120 may function similarly to prior art straps such as strap 20 of Fig. 1 without being similarly restricted to "single-handed" use. That is, the brace of Fig. 2 may be used on either left or right wrist (ambidextrously) . It should be noted in Fig. 2 that expansion channel 113 extends to the most distal point on the distal edge of base 111. Thus the distal end of channel 113 will reach into the proximal palmar area of the hand. Also, the anchor strap 120 has its fixed end connected to the most distal projection of the distal edge of base 111, and in this preferred embodiment strap 120 (when lying straight) is aligned with expansion channel 113. It can be seen that strap 120 can be passed between any pair of digits or fingers on a hand prior to fastening on the dorsal side of base 111. Referring now to Figs . 3 and 4 , there is shown another preferred embodiment of a brace in accordance with the present invention. A base 211, of a material similar to brace 111, is shown having fastening tabs 212 and 214a and 214b for conforming base 211 as a sleeve to a wrist. In Figs. 3 and 4, as throughout this Specification, the preferred fastening means are the well known hook-and-loop fasteners, as shown. A plurality of support members 215 are fixed to base 211, and an expansion channel or strip 213 is formed between some of members 215. The proximal edge of base 211 is generally flat or straight, while the distal edge of base 211 includes a projection 223 that extends distally into the proximal palmar area of the hand for purposes as described above with regard to the embodiment of Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 3, projection 223 also comprises the distal end of expansion strip 213.

It can also been seen in Figs. 3 and 4 that a support strap 217 is fixed to base 211. When base 211 has been conformed to a wrist by connection of tabs 214a and 214b to tab 212, such that channel 213 overlies the carpal tunnel area of the wrist, strap 217 can be wrapped around base 211 and fastened through use of fastening means in the form of members 218 and 219, both of which are mounted on strap 217. Support members 215 have a definite thickness -- as do the support elements 115 of Fig. 2. Accordingly, when in position around base 211/111, strap 217/117 will exert desired supportive pressure on, for example, support members 215/115, but will not exert undue pressure on the carpal tunnel area of the wrist due to the protective presence of expansion channel or strip 213/113 formed between adjacent support members 215/115. Preferrably, the support elements 215/115 positioned adjacent expansion channel 213/113 are carried on the outer or distal side of base 211/111 to act as spacers for the strap 217/117 relative to the expansion channel 213/113 when the strap 217/117 is in tension around the sleeve formed by a base 211/111 wrapped about a wrist. Finally, Fig. 3 shows an anchor strap 220 which has a fixed end connected to projection 223, which end is aligned with channel 213. The other or free end of strap 220 carries a fastening tab 221 adapted to connect with a tab 222 fixed adjacent to tab 219 on strap 217. Strap 220 operates in the same manner as strap 120 described above in the discussion of Fig. 2 to anchor the base 211 around the wrist (both laterally and longitudinally) , and also offers an ambidextrous use of the brace of Fig. 3.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those of skill in the art will readily appreciate the other useful embodiments within the scope of the claims hereto attached.

Claims

What is claimed is :

1. Wrist brace apparatus comprising: a base of at least partially elastic material having proximal and distal sides, said base being adapted to be conformed to a wrist as a generally tubular sleeve; a plurality of support members carried by the base for positioning adjacent the anterior side of the wrist when said sleeve is in position on the wrist; a longitudinal expansion channel formed between at least a portion of said support members and positioned to overlie the carpel tunnel when said sleeve is in position on the wrist .

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including: a distal edge on said base formed to have a portion extending into the proximal palmar area of the hand when said sleeve is in position on the wrist.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including: an anchor strap having one end fixedly fastened to said extending portion and a free end for selective fastening to the dorsal side of said sleeve, said anchor strap being adapted to be wrapped between any selected pair of digits on the hand.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including: an anchor strap having one end fixedly fastened to a distal end of said expansion channel and a free end for selective fastening to the dorsal side of said sleeve, said anchor strap being adapted to be wrapped between any selected pair of digits on the hand.

5. The apparatus of claims 1 including: projection means on the distal edge of said base adjacent the distal end of said expansion channel and extending into the proximal palmar area of the hand.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 including: an anchor strap having one end fixedly fastened to said projection means and a free end for selective fastening to the dorsal side of said base, said anchor strap being adapted to be wrapped between any selected pair of digits on the hand.

7. In a wrist brace of the type having comprising a base of flexible, at least partially elastic material adapted to be conformable to anterior and dorsal sides of a wrist in the general shape of a sleeve and having a plurality of generally longitudinal support members on said base for wrist support when said base is in position on the wrist, the improvement for carpal tunnel protection comprising a longitudinal elastic expansion channel positioned to fit over the carpal tunnel of the wrist when said sleeve is in position on the wrist.

8. The improvement of claim 7 including: an anchor strap having one end fixedly fastened to a distal portion of said expansion channel and a free end for selective fastening to the dorsal side of said sleeve, said anchor strap being adapted to be wrapped between any selected pair of digits on the hand.

9. The improvement of claim 7 wherein two of said longitudinal support means extend along said sleeve adjacent opposite sides of said expansion channel.

10. The improvement of claim 7 including: a distal edge on said base formed to have a portion extending into the proximal palmar area of the hand when said sleeve is in position on the wrist, said extending portion being aligned with and adjacent to a distal end of said expansion channel.

11. The improvement of claim 10 including: an anchor strap having one end fixedly fastened to said extending portion and a free end for selective fastening to the dorsal side of said sleeve, said anchor strap being adapted to be wrapped between any selected pair of digits on the hand.