JP7682438B2 - Thumb brace - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a thumb brace.

Osteoarthritis of the hand is a disease in which swelling and pain occur in the joints due to aging and wear and tear of the articular cartilage caused by overuse of the hand. One type of osteoarthritis of the hand is thumb CMT arthropathy, in which swelling and pain occur in the CM joint at the base of the thumb (the third joint from the tip of the finger, the thumb carpometacarpal joint). Thumb CMT arthropathy is particularly common in middle-aged and elderly women, and movements of the thumb such as grasping objects or writing cause severe pain in the joint.

Various braces have been proposed to limit the movement of the thumb CM joint for the treatment and/or prevention of thumb CM joint disorders.
For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a thumb joint brace that is characterized in that it is composed of a thumb cap that encases the thumb from near the MP joint to beyond the CM joint while leaving the tip exposed, and a belt that secures the thumb cap by wrapping around the wrist joint and engaging it, and that the thumb cap is made of silicone rubber that contains reinforcing cloth in the part that corresponds to the outside of the thumb.
Furthermore, Patent Document 2 proposes a joint fixation device for fixing the joint of the thumb, which includes a band-shaped wrist belt wrapped around the wrist, a loop belt having one end extending from a side edge of the wrist belt on the wrist side and the other end folded back approximately 180 degrees and removably fastened to the wrist belt from the same side edge on the wrist side, and a fixing belt extending from one end side of the wrist belt in the winding direction and having a tip removably fastened to the wrist belt from the other end side in the winding direction, wherein the fixing belt includes at least two fixing belt members juxtaposed on one end side of the wrist belt in the winding direction, and the loop belt forms a loop (ring) into which the thumb can be inserted.

JP 2001-218781 A JP 2004-298355 A

In the field of orthopedics, there is a demand for an orthosis that can immobilize the affected area without placing stress on it. On the other hand, since the thumb is one of the five fingers that moves the most, it is preferable that the orthosis does not interfere with the basic movements of the hand, fingers, and wrist joints.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a thumb brace that does not interfere with basic movements of the hand, fingers, and wrist, such as grasping an object, and that can fix the thumb in a good position.

The inventors discovered that the above problem could be solved by covering at least the ball of the thumb and the first metacarpal bone with the main body of the thumb brace, providing a pad that presses against the ball of the thumb, and a belt that further presses against the pad.

In other words, the present invention is a thumb brace that includes at least a main body that covers at least the thenar eminence and the first metacarpal bone of the thumb, a thenar eminence pad that presses against the thenar eminence, and a thenar eminence belt that is fixed at one end to the main body and presses against the thenar eminence pad.

The thumb brace of the present invention is configured so that the main body covers at least the thenar eminence and the first metacarpal bone of the thumb, and therefore does not interfere with the basic movements of the hand, fingers, and wrist. In addition, the thenar eminence pad presses against the thenar eminence, and the thenar eminence pad is further pressed against the thenar eminence belt, so that the thumb can be fixed in a good position. Note that the effects described here are not necessarily limited, and may be any of the effects described in this specification.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the right hand. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the outer surface of the thumb brace according to the first embodiment of the present invention in an open state. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the inner surface of the thumb brace according to the first embodiment of the present invention in an open state. 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams showing a procedure for wearing the thumb brace according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the thumb brace according to the first embodiment of the present invention after being worn. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the outer surface of a thumb brace according to a second embodiment of the present invention in an open state. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the outer surface of a thumb brace according to a third embodiment of the present invention in an open state.

The following describes a preferred embodiment for carrying out the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is an example of a typical embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. The present invention can also be combined with any of the following examples and their modifications.

1. Overview of the present invention
First, an outline of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the right hand RH. As shown in Fig. 1, the right hand RH has a CM joint at the base of the finger (the third joint from the fingertip, the thumb carpometacarpal joint) and an MP joint (the second joint from the fingertip, the metacarpophalangeal joint).

When swelling or pain occurs in the thumb CM joint, the thumb MP joint tends to become hyperextended as a compensatory movement to avoid the pain. If the thumb MP joint continues to be in a hyperextended position, it promotes the subluxation of the thumb CM joint, which causes the deformation of the thumb MP joint and the thumb CM joint to progress and further pain to occur. The inventors have considered compressing the ball of the thumb to prevent the progression of thumb CM joint disease or to reduce pain in the thumb CM joint. This is because they thought that compressing the ball of the thumb near the palm side of the MP joint would be effective in suppressing hyperextension of the thumb CM joint. However, simply providing a pad to compress the ball of the thumb on a thumb brace sometimes did not provide enough pressure, making it impossible to fix the thumb in a good position.

In view of the above circumstances, the inventors have completed the present invention. The inventors have discovered that by configuring the main body of a thumb brace to cover at least the thenar eminence and the first metacarpal bone of the thumb, it is possible to prevent the basic movements of the hand, fingers, and wrist from being hindered. They have also discovered that by pressing the thenar eminence with a thenar eminence pad and further pressing the thenar eminence pad with a thenar eminence belt, the thumb can be fixed in a good position.
In this specification, the term "good position" refers to an optimal position that reduces the burden on the thumb CM joint. The good position in the present invention may be, for example, a state in which the thumb is in palmar abduction and radial abduction.

2. First embodiment
(1) Configuration of the thumb brace 1 The configuration of the thumb brace 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Note that explanations of common reference symbols in each drawing will be omitted unless otherwise necessary.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the outer surface of the thumb brace 1 according to this embodiment in an open state. Here, the outer surface refers to the outer surface that does not come into contact with the thumb when the thumb brace 1 is worn. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the inner surface of the thumb brace 1 according to this embodiment in an open state. Here, the inner surface refers to the inner surface that comes into contact with the thumb when the thumb brace 1 is worn.

The thumb brace 1 according to this embodiment includes at least a main body 2, the thenar pads 31 and 32, and a thenar belt 4. The thumb brace 1 according to this embodiment may further include a metacarpal stay 51 and/or a wrapping belt 6. Each part will be described in more detail below.

(1-1) Regarding the main body 2 The main body 2 is a member that covers at least the ball of the thumb and the first metacarpal bone of the thumb.

The shape of the main body 2 is not particularly limited as long as it can cover the thenar eminence and the first metacarpal bone of the thumb, and may be, for example, a horizontally long band-like body, a tubular cylindrical body, or a glove-like shape that fits the outer shape of the hand as it is, but as shown in Figures 2 and 3, it is preferable that the main body 2 includes a member 21 that covers the thenar eminence and a member 22 that covers the first metacarpal bone of the thumb. By having the member 21 that covers the thenar eminence and the member 22 that covers the first metacarpal bone of the thumb as separate members, the occurrence of a gap or floating between the thumb brace 1 and the thumb is suppressed, and the fixation by the thumb brace 1 is improved. In addition, by having the thumb brace 1 fit following the shape and movement of the thumb, the effects of members such as the thenar eminence pads 31 and 32 and the metacarpal stay 51, which will be described later, are more effectively exhibited.
It is preferable that the member 21 covering the thenar eminence and the member 22 covering the first metacarpal bone of the thumb are configured so that the thumb is in a good position when worn, for example, the thumb is in palmar abduction and radial abduction.

The main body 2 has an opening 23 for inserting the thumb, and is preferably configured not to cover the palmar skin crease. With such a configuration, it can be worn without interfering with the movement of the thumb above the MP joint or the flexion of the MP joints of fingers other than the thumb (index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger). The opening 23 may be formed by drilling a hole in the member 21 covering the ball of the thumb, but is preferably formed by sewing the member 21 covering the ball of the thumb into a cylindrical shape as shown in Figures 2 and 3. With such a configuration, the main body 2 conforms to the shape of the thumb, thereby further improving the fixation provided by the thumb brace 1.
The main body 2 is configured to cover, for example, the web between the thumb and index finger to the thenar eminence. With such a configuration, the distance between the thumb and index finger can be increased, and the thumb can be maintained in radial abduction.

The yarn material constituting the main body 2 may be either natural or chemical fibers, such as polyamide fibers, polyester fibers, acrylic fibers, cellulose fibers (cotton, rayon, polynosic, lyocell, etc.), polyurethane fibers, polyolefin fibers (polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.), acetate fibers, polyvinylidene chloride fibers, polyvinyl chloride fibers, and wool (wool, animal hair, etc.), or a mixture of these fibers. As the type of yarn, monofilament, multifilament, twisted yarn, covered yarn, core yarn, etc. may be used, and yarns that have been subjected to stretching processing, bulkiness processing, etc. may be used.
In addition, various warp knitting or weft knitting structures can be used for knitting the main body 2, such as double raschel fabric, flat knit fabric, rubber knit (rib knit) fabric, pearl knit fabric, tuck knit fabric, circular knit fabric, weft knit fabric, tricot fabric, raschel fabric, pile knit fabric, and yarn-plaited knit fabric.

The main body 2 preferably has cushioning properties and/or elasticity. Such a configuration provides a good fit, and the thumb brace 1 can be worn without interfering with the basic movements of the hand, fingers, and wrist.
Moreover, it is preferable that the main body 2 has breathability. With such a configuration, the thumb brace 1 is less likely to become stuffy and can be worn comfortably.
The main body 2 preferably has a thickness of 3 mm or less so as not to interfere with basic movements of the hand, fingers, and wrist joints.

The main body 2 is preferably made of a fiber material such as nylon, polyurethane, or polyester, and is composed of three layers of French pile fabric, compressed urethane, and jersey fabric. This configuration reduces the modulus (change in stretching force due to load change) and creep (change in stretching force over time when a load is applied), preventing deterioration of the fit while wearing the garment.

The outer surface of the main body 2 is preferably made of a hook-and-loop fastener, which is made of a loop-shaped raised thread material, in order to fasten the ball of the foot belt 4 and the wrapping belt 6 described below. Note that the fastening means is not limited to hook-and-loop fasteners, and known fastening means other than hook-and-loop fasteners can be used, such as buckles, snap buttons, strings, etc.

(1-2) Thenar pads 31 and 32 Thenar pads 31 and 32 are members that press the thenar ball. The thenar pads 31 and 32 press the thenar ball so that the thumb is in a good position, for example, the thumb is in palmar abduction and radial abduction.
In the following, a case where two thenar embolism pads 31 and 32 are provided on the thumb brace 1 will be described, but one thenar embolism pad may be provided. In this case, the thenar embolism pad is provided on the palm side so as to contact the ball of the thumb. Since the thumb brace 1 can be used on both the left and right hands, it is preferable to provide two thenar embolism pads. Furthermore, by providing two thenar embolism pads, one thenar embolism pad is pressed against the ball of the thumb, and the other thenar embolism pad is positioned at a position that contacts the first interdigital space on the back side between the thumb and index finger, thereby improving the fit when worn.

The ball of the thumb pads 31 and 32 according to this embodiment are provided at a position that contacts the ball of the thumb of the main body 2 when the thumb brace 1 is worn. The two ball of the thumb pads 31 and 32 are provided to sandwich the first metacarpal bone of the thumb, and are respectively arranged, for example, at a position that contacts from the shaft of the first metacarpal bone to the vicinity of the femoral head. This configuration can prevent contraction and/or gliding of the muscles and tendons located from the shaft of the first metacarpal bone to the vicinity of the femoral head, suppress extension of the thumb MP joint, and prevent hyperextension deformation.

The shape of the ball of the foot pads 31 and 32 is not particularly limited as long as they can press against the ball of the foot, but it is preferable that they be shaped to match the shape of the ball of the foot, and may be rectangular with rounded corners as shown in Figures 2 and 3, for example. This configuration can prevent localized pressure on parts of the ball of the foot, allowing the thumb brace 1 to be worn without discomfort.

Materials that can be used to form the ball of the foot pads 31 and 32 include resin materials such as polyurethane, chloroprene rubber, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, and acrylic, as well as foam materials. The ball of the foot pads 31 and 32 are made of two layers, one of the above-mentioned resin materials or foam materials and a cushioning material made of the thread material that forms the main body 2, and may be sewn or heat-welded to the main body 2.
The ball of the foot pads 31 and 32 preferably have a thickness of 5.0 mm or less so as not to interfere with basic movements of the hand, fingers and wrist and to avoid causing pain to the ball of the foot.

The ball of the foot pads 31 and 32 are preferably made of two layers, one made of a rigid material such as soft polyethylene, and the other made of the cushioning material described above, and are preferably provided on the main body 2 so that the cushioning material is on the inside surface. When using soft polyethylene, the thickness is preferably 1.0 to 2.0 mm. The thickness of the cushioning material is preferably 2.0 to 3.0 mm. This configuration allows the force pressing on the ball of the foot to be transmitted without damaging the skin.

(1-3) Regarding the ball of the foot belt 4 The ball of the foot belt 4 is a member that is fixed at one end to the main body 2 and presses against the ball of the foot pad 31 or 32.

It is preferable that one end of the thenar eminence belt 4 is fixed to the main body 2 by sewing or heat welding, and the other end is detachable from the main body 2. It is also preferable that one end of the thenar eminence belt 4 is fixed to the main body 2 at a position that touches the webbing between the thumb and index finger, and the other end of the thenar eminence belt 4 is detachable from the main body 2 at a position that touches the vicinity of the thumb CM joint. With this configuration, the thumb is in palmar abduction, so it can be fixed in a good position. Also, by configuring the thenar eminence belt 4 to pass over the thenar eminence pad 31 or 32, it can press the thenar eminence pad 31 or 32 from above, and the thenar eminence pad 31 or 32 can exert an effect of suppressing hyperextension of the thumb MP joint.

The ball of the foot belt 4 preferably has flexibility and/or stretchability so that it can fit the curved shape of the hand and follow the movement of the hand. The material that can be used to make the ball of the foot belt 4 includes the thread material that makes up the main body 2 described above, a resin sheet such as a polyvinyl chloride resin, rubber, etc.
In order to press the ball of the foot belt 4 against the ball of the foot pad 31 or 32 from above, the width of the ball of the foot belt 4 is preferably 10 to 25 mm, and more preferably 15 to 20 mm.
In order to attach the thenar belt 4 at a position adjacent to the CM joint of the thumb, the length of the thenar belt 4 is preferably 40 to 80 mm, and more preferably 50 to 60 mm.
The thickness of the ball of the foot belt 4 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.1 mm or less.

The end of the ball of the foot belt 4 that is not fixed to the main body 2 is preferably provided with an attachment means that can be attached and detached to the outer surface of the main body 2. The attachment means can be any known attachment means, such as a hook and loop fastener, button, hook, string, etc. Among these, an attachment means that is not bulky when fixed to the main body 2 and does not mar the appearance is preferred, and among these, a hook and loop fastener is particularly preferred.

The ball of the foot belt 4 may have a belt portion 41 and an attachment portion 42. In this case, it is preferable that one end of the belt portion 41 is fixed to the main body 2 at a position that abuts on the webbing between the thumb and index finger, and the other end of the belt portion 41 is fixed to the attachment portion 42 having the above-mentioned attachment means, and that the belt portion 41 can be freely attached to and detached from the main body 2 at a position that abuts on the main body 2 near the thumb CM joint by the attachment portion 42.
The belt portion 41 is preferably fixed to the center of the attachment portion 42. By configuring the attachment portion 42 to be foldable around the connection portion between the belt portion 41 and the attachment portion 42, the thumb brace 1 can be used on either the right hand or the left hand.

(1-4) Metacarpal Stay 51 The thumb brace 1 according to this embodiment may include a metacarpal stay 51. The metacarpal stay 51 is a member provided on the main body 2 at a position that contacts the first metacarpal bone of the thumb.

The metacarpal stay 51 is provided at a position that contacts the first metacarpal bone of the thumb on the main body 2 when the thumb brace 1 is worn, and supports the first metacarpal bone of the thumb. In addition, the lower end of the metacarpal stay 51 is pressed by the winding belt 6 described below, so that the base of the first metacarpal bone of the thumb can be prevented from moving in the direction of subluxation.

The shape of the metacarpal stay 51 is not particularly limited as long as it can support the first metacarpal bone of the thumb, but it may be, for example, a vertically long plate shape that fits the first metacarpal bone of the thumb. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent localized pressure on the first metacarpal bone, and the thumb brace 1 can be worn without any discomfort.

The metacarpal stay 51 preferably has flexibility and/or rigidity in order to support the first metacarpal bone. The material constituting the metacarpal stay 51 is preferably a resin material such as polyethylene.
In order to avoid bulk and damage to the skin, the thickness of the metacarpal stay 51 is preferably 3.0 mm or less. When soft polyethylene is used for the metacarpal stay 51, the thickness is more preferably 1.0 to 2.0 mm.

(1-5) Regarding the Winding Belt 6 The thumb brace 1 according to this embodiment may include a winding belt 6. The winding belt 6 is a member that has one end fixed to the main body 2 and is wound above the wrist so as not to cover the wrist. In this specification, "above the wrist" refers to the distal side of the wrist. Since the winding belt 6 is configured not to cover the wrist, the thumb brace 1 can be worn without interfering with basic movements of the wrist (palmar flexion, dorsiflexion, radial flexion, ulnar flexion, etc.).

It is preferable that one end of the winding belt 6 is fixed to the main body 2 and the other end is detachable from the main body 2. The winding belt 6 may be formed integrally with the main body 2 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
It is preferable that the other end of the winding belt 6 is detachable from the main body 2 at a position where it abuts against the lower end of the metacarpal stay 51. With this configuration, the metacarpal stay 51 is pressed from above, the metacarpal stay 51 supports the first metacarpal bone of the thumb more strongly, and the base of the first metacarpal bone of the thumb can be more effectively prevented from moving in the direction of subluxation.

The wrapping belt 6 preferably has flexibility and/or cushioning properties from the viewpoint of following the movement of the wrist joint while not causing pain to the skin. The wrapping belt 6 may also have elasticity. The wrapping belt 6 may be made of the same material as the thread material used to make the main body 2.
The wrapping belt 6 preferably has a width of 20 to 30 mm so as not to interfere with the basic movements of the wrist joint.
The thickness of the winding belt 6 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 1 to 4 mm.

The winding belt 6 may have a belt portion 61 and an attachment portion 62. The outer surface of the belt portion 61 is preferably a hook-and-loop fastener having a filamentary material raised in a loop shape in order to fasten the winding belt 6. Here, the outer surface of the belt portion 61 refers to the surface of the belt portion 61 that does not come into contact with the main body 2.
The fastening portion 62 provided on the inner surface of the tip of the belt portion 61 is preferably a hook-and-loop fastener portion that is raised in a hook-like shape. After wrapping the wrapping belt 6 around an area above the wrist, the outer surface of the belt portion 61 is fastened to the fastening portion 62, thereby allowing the wrapping belt 6 to be fixed with any desired strength. Here, the inner surface of the belt portion 61 refers to the surface of the belt portion 61 that comes into contact with the main body 2.
The fastening means of the winding belt 6 is not limited to a hook-and-loop fastener, and any other known fastening means may be used, such as a buckle or a snap button.

(2) An example of a procedure for wearing the thumb brace 1 An example of a procedure for wearing the thumb brace 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. Explanations of common symbols in each drawing will be omitted unless otherwise necessary. Below, an example of a procedure for wearing the brace on the wearer's right hand RH will be described. The thumb brace according to this embodiment can be worn on either the left or right hand of the wearer by folding the thenar belt 4 in the opposite direction to when worn on the right hand.

First, insert the thumb RF of the right hand into the opening 23, and attach the main body 2 so that the metacarpal stay 51 touches the first metacarpal bone of the thumb. Next, as shown in FIG. 4, wrap the wrapping belt 6 around the right hand RH from the palm side to the back side, and wrap it around the upper part of the right wrist RW, and attach the attachment part 62 to the outer surface of the main body 2.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the attachment portion 42 of the ball of the foot belt 4 is attached to the main body 2 at a position that abuts the vicinity of the thumb CM joint. At this time, it is preferable that the ball of the foot belt 4 is attached to the main body 2 by pressing the ball of the foot pad 32 from above.

As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the thumb brace 1 according to this embodiment presses the ball of the thumb with the thenar pad 32, and the thenar pad 32 is further pressed with the thenar belt 4, thereby pressing the CM joint of the thumb and suppressing hyperextension of the MP joint of the thumb, and fixing the thumb in a good position. In addition, the thumb brace 1 according to this embodiment has an opening 23 and is configured not to cover the palmar skin line, so that it can be worn without interfering with movement above the MP joint of the thumb or flexion of the MP joints of fingers other than the thumb (index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger).

3. Second embodiment
(1) Configuration of the thumb brace 10 The configuration of the thumb brace 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The thumb brace 10 according to this embodiment includes at least a main body 2, a thenar pad 33, and a thenar belt 4, and the thenar pad 33 is provided on the thenar belt 4. The thumb brace 10 according to this embodiment may further include a metacarpal stay 51 and/or a winding belt 6. Of these, the main body 2, metacarpal stay 51, and winding belt 6 can be configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment described above, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

The ball of the foot pad 33 may be fixed to the belt portion 41 of the ball of the foot belt 4 by sewing or heat welding, and may be provided at a position that contacts the ball of the foot when the thumb brace 1 is worn. The shape and material of the ball of the foot pad 33 may be the same as those of the ball of the foot pads 31 and 32 of the first embodiment described above.

(2) Example of Procedure for Wearing the Thumb Brace 10 An example of a procedure for wearing the thumb brace 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

First, as in the first embodiment described above, the opening 23 is attached to the thumb RF of the right hand, and the main body 2 is attached so that the metacarpal stay 51 contacts the first metacarpal bone of the thumb. Next, the wrapping belt 6 is wrapped around the right hand RH from the palm side to the back side and wrapped around the upper part of the right wrist RW, and the attachment part 62 is attached to the outer surface of the main body 2.

Then, the attachment portion 42 of the ball of the foot belt 4 is attached to the main body 2 at a position that contacts the vicinity of the thumb CM joint. At this time, it is preferable that the ball of the foot belt 4 is fixed to the main body 2 so that the ball of the foot pad 33 contacts the ball of the foot.

The thumb brace 10 according to this embodiment has a thenar pad 33 attached to the thenar belt 4, so the position where the thenar pad 33 touches can be adjusted according to the size of the wearer's hand.

4. Third embodiment
(1) Configuration of the thumb brace 100 The configuration of the thumb brace 100 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The thumb brace 100 according to this embodiment at least includes a main body 2, a thenar pad 34, and a thenar belt 4, and the thenar pad 34 is provided on the thenar belt 4. The thumb brace 100 according to this embodiment may further include a metacarpal stay 51 and/or a winding belt 6. Of these, the main body 2, metacarpal stay 51, and winding belt 6 can be configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment described above, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

The ball of the foot pad 34 may be removably attached to the belt portion 41 of the ball of the foot belt 4. The shape and material of the ball of the foot pad 34 may be the same as those of the ball of the foot pads 31 and 32 of the first embodiment described above. The ball of the foot pad 34 and the belt portion 41 may be provided with a known fastening means.

(2) Example of Procedure for Wearing the Thumb Brace 100 An example of a procedure for wearing the thumb brace 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

First, as in the first embodiment described above, the opening 23 is attached to the thumb RF of the right hand, and the main body 2 is attached so that the metacarpal stay 51 contacts the first metacarpal bone of the thumb. Next, the wrapping belt 6 is wrapped around the right hand RH from the palm side to the back side and wrapped around the upper part of the right wrist RW, and the attachment part 62 is attached to the outer surface of the main body 2.

Then, the attachment portion 42 of the ball of the foot belt 4 is attached to the main body 2 at a position that contacts the vicinity of the thumb CM joint. At this time, it is preferable that the ball of the foot belt 4 is fixed to the main body 2 so that the ball of the foot pad 34 contacts the ball of the foot.

The thumb brace 100 according to this embodiment is removably attached to the belt portion 41 of the thenar pad 34, so the position of the thenar pad 34 can be adjusted according to the size of the wearer's hand.

1 Thumb brace 2 Main body 31, 32 Thenar pad 4 Thenar belt 51 Metacarpal bone stay 6 Wrapping belt RH Right hand MP MP joint CM CM joint RF Right hand thumb RW Right wrist

Claims (11)

A main body that covers at least the thenar eminence and the first metacarpal bone of the thumb;
A ball of the foot pad that presses the ball of the foot;
The orthosis for the thumb includes at least a ball of the thumb belt, one end of which is fixed to the main body and which passes over the ball of the thumb pad to press the ball of the thumb pad from above. The thumb brace according to claim 1, wherein the main body includes at least a member covering the ball of the thumb and a member covering the first metacarpal bone of the thumb. The thumb brace according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the main body has an opening for inserting the thumb and is configured so as not to cover the palmar skin around the MP joint of fingers other than the thumb. The thumb brace according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ball of the thumb pad is provided at a position on the main body where it contacts the ball of the thumb. The thumb brace according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the thenar pad is provided on the thenar belt. The thumb brace according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which two thenar pads are provided to sandwich the first metacarpal bone of the thumb. The thumb brace according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which one end of the ball of the foot belt is fixed to the main body, and the other end of the ball of the foot belt is detachable from the main body. The thumb brace according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which one end of the thenar eminence belt is fixed to a position on the body where it touches the webbing between the thumb and index finger, and the other end of the thenar eminence belt is detachable to a position on the body where it touches near the thumb CM joint. The thumb brace according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is provided with a metacarpal bone stay at a position on the main body that contacts the first metacarpal bone of the thumb. The thumb brace according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is provided with a wrapping belt that is fixed at one end to the main body and wrapped around an area above the wrist so as not to cover the wrist. The thumb brace according to claim 10, wherein one end of the winding belt is fixed to the main body, and the other end of the winding belt is detachable from the main body.