This invention relates to a protective appliance for the hip joint area, and more particularly, to a protective appliance which may be worn comfortably on the body and which will disperse forces directed toward the hip joint area, transferring such forces away from the particularly vulnerable regions of the hip to surrounding regions which are inherently protected by body tissue.
There are over 200,000 hip fractures suffered by humans each year plus uncounted numbers of other hip joint injuries which result in pain, disruption of normal life and substantial medical cost. These fractures and other injuries are particularly common in elderly people, who experience degenerative changes in bone and tissue structure with advancing age. Given over every increasing life expectancies, the number of these injuries and the costs associated with them can only increase with time.
The hip joint is an enarthrodial or ball-and-socket joint, formed by the reception of the ball-shaped head on the upper or proximal end of the femur into the cup-shaped cavity in the pelvis called the acetabulum. A fall or blow to the hip joint area, if it is unprotected, can result in body tissue injuries, in dislocation of the femur head from the acetabulum, and/or in fractures of the acetabulum or various parts of the proximal femur. Particularly vulnerable is the so-called greater trochanter which protrudes outwardly from the proximal femur just below the joint. This region is relatively poorly protected by muscle and other body tissue in comparison with the regions of the hip which surround it. In fact, the greater trochanter is readily accessible to the touch, its position being generally indicated by a depression in the hip area, owing to the thickness of the muscles which cover the bone and protrude above and below it.
There have been a variety of appliances proposed by others heretofore intended to be worn over the hip joint area and to protect that area from potentially damaging forces. However, none of these appliances has experienced widespread acceptance or use. The primary problem is that the prior appliances which are capable of providing adequate protection are generally difficult to apply and uncomfortable to wear. An effective hip joint area protective appliance has simply not been available which is sufficiently comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, including through normal day-time activites as well as in sleeping at night.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention is to provide a protective appliance which serves to reduce the likelihood of fracture or other injury to the hip joint area.
Another object of this invention is to provide a protective appliance which can be applied to and removed from the skin about the hip joint area with relative ease and without the need of straps, bandages or other devices that are difficult to manipulate and apply.
Another object of this invention is to provide a protective appliance for the hip joint area which is both small and lightweight, making it comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.
Another object of this invention is to provide a protective appliance for the hip joint area which is capable of adjusting to changes in body position when worn, thereby adding to its comfort particularly while the wearer is active.
Another object of this invention is to provide a protective appliance for the hip joint area which is designed to be relatively unobtrusive and comfortable even when the wearer reclines on it, as when sleeping.
Another object of this invention is to provide a protective appliance for the hip joint area which permits the skin to maintain some direct contact with the atmosphere and water to flow through it when bathing and the like, as well as visual inspection of portions of the hip joint area without removal of the appliance.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a protective appliance for the hip joint area which comprises a relatively rigid shield and a relatively flexible support pad that can be separated from one another so that each can be cleaned or replaced independently of the other.
Other objects will be described in or made apparent from the detailed description below.
To accomplish these and other objects, a protective appliance for the hip joint area embodied in accordance with the present invention comprises two parts: a pad made of a relatively flexible and soft material, and a shield made of a relatively rigid material and removably carried by the pad. One surface of the pad is provided with adhesive strips permitting it to be securd to the skin at the hip joint area, preferably directly over the region of the greater trochanter. The shield is generally dome-shaped with counter-extending flanges that extend into opposing pockets formed on the other, outer surface of the pad. The dome shape of the shield causes it to disperse forces directed toward the hip joint area, transferring them to the regions of the hip area which surround the greater trochanter and which are inherently better protected by body tissue. The shield fits somewhat loosely in the pad pockets, permitting it to shift somewhat and adjust to changes in body position when it is worn, adding considerably to its comfort. The sides of the shield between its two flanges are contoured outwardly away from the plane of the pad so as to add further comfort, particularly when the wearer of the appliance reclines on it, as when sleeping or the like.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention described in detail below, the pad is annular in shape and the shield is made of a clear plastic material. The resulting hole in the pad permits the exposed skin to maintain direct contact with the atmosphere and water to flow through the appliance during bathing and the like when falls or other damaging blows to the hip are common. The hole and clear shield also aid in properly locating the appliance on the hip, and permit visual inspection of the exposed hip area with the appliance secured in place.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of an actual embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration only and shown specifically in the accompanying drawing.