Orthopedic back brace

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11484429-B2
Application number	US-201916723005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2019
Priority date	Nov 12, 2012
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

Orthopedic braces and associated methods are described for treatment of lower back injuries and chronic back pain. An orthopedic brace may include a pair of back panels, a pair of front panels, and a closure system. A lateral end of each front panel is releasably coupleable to a lateral end of each back panel at a desired angle. A ventral end of each front panel includes an attachment provision configured to allow one of the front panels to releasably attach to the other of the front panels generally over an abdomen of a wearer. The brace also includes a pocket on the ventral end of at least one of the front panels, the pocket configured to temporarily receive a hand of the wearer to aid in donning the orthopedic brace.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
causing an orthopedic brace to be manufactured and made available to a user, the orthopedic brace including:
a pair of back panels, each having a dorsal end and a lateral end;

a closure system, including a reel, a lace, and a plurality of lace guides, the lace being coupled to the reel and guided by the lace guides,
wherein at least one lace guide is positioned generally on the dorsal end of each back panel;
a pair of front panels, each having a lateral end and a ventral end, wherein the lateral end of each front panel is releasably coupleable to the lateral end of each back panel at a
desired angle formed between the respective back panel and the corresponding front panel to which it is releasably coupled, wherein the desired angle is not planar and the desired angle formed between each respective back panel and the corresponding front panel can be different, wherein each front panel of the pair of front panels is configured to extend generally from a respective side of a wearer over an abdomen of a wearer, and wherein the ventral end of each front panel includes a fastener configured to allow one of the front panels to releasably attach to the other of the front panels generally over an abdomen of a wearer; and
a pocket on the ventral end of at least one of the front panels; and
providing instructions to the user, comprising:
fitting the orthopedic brace on a wearer such that the lace is generally positioned over a spine of the wearer;
inserting a hand of the wearer into the pocket of the front panel, and overlapping the ventral end of the front panel over the ventral end of the other of the front panels to secure the front panels to one another via the attachment means; and
operating the reel tensioning mechanism to tighten the brace around the wearer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the orthopedic brace includes a first thermoformable material that is thermoformable within a first target temperature range, and wherein the instructions further comprise heating the thermoformable material to a temperature within the target temperature range.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the target temperature range is between about 160 and 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein heating the thermoformable insert comprises heating the thermoforable insert while the brace in on the wearer.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein heating the thermoformable insert comprises heating the thermoforable insert separately from the brace.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the orthopedic brace includes a second thermoformable material that is thermoformable within a second target temperature range, and wherein the method further comprises:
heating the second thermoformable material to a temperature within the target temperature range; and
forming the second thermoformable material to a desired shape while the second thermoformable material is within the second target temperature range.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further comprise fitting the orthopedic brace to the wearer while the thermoformable material is within the target temperature range.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the thermoformable insert is located within at least one of the back panels.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the thermoformable insert is located within at least one of the front panels.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise adjusting the circumference of the orthopedic brace by coupling the lateral ends of the front panels to the lateral ends of the back panels at a desired length.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the front panels includes one or more sizing indicia, and wherein adjusting the circumference of the orthopedic brace further comprises trimming the length of one or more of the front panels along the one or more sizing indicia, and coupling the lateral ends of the front panels to the lateral ends of the back panels according to the one or more sizing indicia.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise adjusting the fitment of the orthopedic brace by coupling the lateral ends of the front panels to the lateral ends of the back panels at a desired angle.

13. An orthopedic brace, comprising:
a pair of back panels, each having a dorsal end and a lateral end;
a closure system, including a reel, a lace, and a plurality of lace guides,
the lace being coupled to the reel and guided by the lace guides, wherein at
least one lace guide is positioned generally on the dorsal end of each back panel;
a pair of front panels, each having a lateral end and a ventral end, wherein the lateral end of each front panel is releasably coupleable to the lateral end of each back panel at a desired
angle formed between the respective back panel and the corresponding front panel to which it is releasably coupled, wherein each front panel of the pair of front panels is configured to extend generally from a respective side of a wearer over an abdomen of a wearer, and wherein the ventral end of each front panel includes a fastener configured to allow one of the front panels to releasably attach to the other of the front panels generally over an abdomen of a wearer; and
a pocket on the ventral end of at least one of the front panels, the pocket configured to temporarily receive a hand of the wearer to aid in donning the orthopedic brace.

14. The orthopedic brace of claim 13 , wherein each front panel includes one or more sizing indicia configured to provide a guide for trimming the length of the panel to adjust the fit of the brace to the wearer.

15. The orthopedic brace of claim 13 , further comprising a posterior pad and a glide plate, the glide plate being releasably coupled to the posterior pad.

16. The orthopedic brace of claim 13 , further comprising at least one lateral support panel configured to be releasably coupled to the orthopedic brace.

17. The orthopedic brace of claim 13 , further comprising a posterior pad and at least one lateral support panel configured to be releasably coupled to the posterior pad.

18. The orthopedic brace of claim 13 , wherein at least one back panel includes a thermoformable material which is heat formable within a range of about 160 and 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

19. The orthopedic back brace of claim 13 , wherein at least one front panel includes a thermoformable material which is heat formable within a range of about 160 and 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

20. The orthopedic brace of claim 13 , further comprising an anterior support configured to be releasably coupled to the orthopedic brace.

Assignees

• Djo Llc

Inventors

• Joseph Mark
• Gamble Kristian
• Ankeny Colleen

Classifications

• A61F5/028 Primary

  Braces for providing support to the lower back, e.g. lumbo sacral supports · CPC title