Within the past few years special types of light weight fracture braces have been used for the treatment of tibia fractures after the initial period of treatment in a cast of plaster of paris. The cast is used initially to immobilize the fracture. The plaster cast is uncomfortable because it is heavy and is not removable during its long period of use. It also limits the mobility of the patient. After the plaster cast is removed the special light weight fracture braces can be worn to increase patient mobility while providing the support necessary to prevent twisting, or other undue stress on the tibia during the healing process. These fracture braces are light in weight because they are commonly made of plastic; and they are usually designed to be removed, adjusted, and reused on the patient. Some of these light weight fracture braces include a foot plate attached to the bottom of a tibia brace in the form of a jacket or the like that wraps around the tibia. The foot plate is secured to the tibia supporting jacket through flexion joints that permit limited rotational motion of the ankle. This brace allow the patient a limited amount of mobility while the brace is worn. Thus, the light weight fracture braces provide a substantial benefit to the patient during the healing process when compared with a plaster cast.
Problems have been experienced with prior light weight fracture braces. The supporting jackets of these braces are commonly applied from rear to front of the patient's leg. This allows the patient's foot to be held in a normal position while the jacket is being placed on the patient's leg. On the other hand, if the jacket is applied from front to rear, the prior braces require too much movement of the patient's foot. It is best if the patient's foot is not moved from its normal position when the brace is applied. The braces applied from rear to front use the fatty tissue of the calf in the back of the tibia for attaching the brace to the leg. The jacket has an opening at the front so that the main portion of the jacket can be wrapped around the calf, often while the front opening is adjusted at the front of the tibia. It is difficult to make a brace that conforms well to the size and shape of the fatty tissue of the calf for all patients while ensuring that the size of the jacket is easily adjusted at the front of the tibia. In many cases the point of adjustment in front of the tibia applies undue pressure to the bony prominence along the front of the patient's tibia. Tibia supporting jackets made of hard plastic also are especially uncomfortable when tightened against the bony front portion of the patient's tibia. Another problem is that many of these prior art fracture braces are not always comfortable when the tibia supporting jacket is tightened. They are not designed to ensure that torque is uniformly applied to the patient's leg when the straps on the tibia supporting jacket are wrapped around the jacket and tightened. The tibia supporting jacket is often crumpled or too bulky when tightened. In either case the brace can be highly uncomfortable for the patent.
This invention provides an orthosis that overcomes the problems associated with the prior art light weight fracture braces. The tibia supporting jacket of the orthosis can be applied from front to rear of the patient's tibia. The adjustment is in the rear of the jacket, along the fatty tissue of the patient's calf. The front of the jacket thus can provide continuous padding along the bony prominence along the front of the patient's tibia, while the adjustment at the rear of the jacket along the patient's calf is much more comfortable than the prior art braces in which the jacket is applied from rear to front. The orthosis also can be applied from front to rear while leaving the patient's foot in the normal position. In addition, the tibia supporting jacket can be applied and tightened without torquing the patient's leg one way or the other. The jacket is held in a neutral position around the tibia when tightened to its fullest extent, and the jacket also folds together and is tightened in such a way the the material does not crumple or become bulky. The result is an orthosis which is comfortable to wear while still providing the required amount of support. In addition to providing the support necessary for fractures of the tibia, the orthosis also can be used as a means of support for ankle sprains.