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EP1119320A1 - Articles orthopediques - Google Patents

Articles orthopediques

Info

Publication number
EP1119320A1
EP1119320A1 EP99943098A EP99943098A EP1119320A1 EP 1119320 A1 EP1119320 A1 EP 1119320A1 EP 99943098 A EP99943098 A EP 99943098A EP 99943098 A EP99943098 A EP 99943098A EP 1119320 A1 EP1119320 A1 EP 1119320A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
article
fabric
knitted
orthopaedic
bed
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99943098A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Joanne Carol Roberts
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Smith and Nephew PLC
Original Assignee
Smith and Nephew PLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Smith and Nephew PLC filed Critical Smith and Nephew PLC
Publication of EP1119320A1 publication Critical patent/EP1119320A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
    • D04B—KNITTING
    • D04B1/00—Weft knitting processes for the production of fabrics or articles not dependent on the use of particular machines; Fabrics or articles defined by such processes
    • D04B1/02—Pile fabrics or articles having similar surface features
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F5/00—Orthopaedic methods or devices for non-surgical treatment of bones or joints; Nursing devices ; Anti-rape devices
    • A61F5/01—Orthopaedic devices, e.g. long-term immobilising or pressure directing devices for treating broken or deformed bones such as splints, casts or braces
    • A61F5/0102—Orthopaedic devices, e.g. long-term immobilising or pressure directing devices for treating broken or deformed bones such as splints, casts or braces specially adapted for correcting deformities of the limbs or for supporting them; Ortheses, e.g. with articulations
    • A61F5/0104—Orthopaedic devices, e.g. long-term immobilising or pressure directing devices for treating broken or deformed bones such as splints, casts or braces specially adapted for correcting deformities of the limbs or for supporting them; Ortheses, e.g. with articulations without articulation

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to orthopaedic articles comprising at least two interconnected layers of knitted fabric, at least one integral portion of said article having a desired mechanical property.
  • Fabrics of the type employed herein are sometimes referred to as spacer fabrics and comprise at least two layers with a plurality of strands extending therebetween to maintain them in a spaced apart relationship. These types of fabrics are well known in the art and examples of which are disclosed in document US 5395684.
  • Spacer fabrics find application in a number of fields such as the manufacture of car interiors and furniture.
  • the present invention is concerned with orthopaedic articles such as (but not limited to) braces, splints, casts, bandages, collars and supports.
  • articles which have differing mechanical properties within the same device. It is sometimes necessary, for example, to include a rigid non- deformable portion which can act as a splint. Equally, cushioned regions may also be required to protect parts of the body which must be shielded from knocks, such as the patella after a knee operation.
  • the present invention provides a solution to the above- mentioned problems associated with the prior art.
  • the invention relates to an orthopaedic article comprising at least two interconnected layers of knitted fabric and at least one integrally knitted portion of a desired mechanical property, different from that of the adjacent portions of the article.
  • an orthopaedic article comprising at least two interconnected layers of knitted fabric and at least one integrally knitted portion having a mechanical property different from that of the adjacent portion, or portions, of the article.
  • the mechanical property referred to is that of strength, rigidity, flexibility, elasticity and/or cushioning.
  • an orthopaedic article comprising at least two interconnected layers of knitted fabric, wherein, over at least one first portion of said article, said at least two layers of knitted fabric are connected to one another by an integrally knitted cushioning portion.
  • an orthopaedic article comprising at least two interconnected layers of knitted fabric, wherein, over at least one first portion of said article, said at least two layers of knitted fabric are connected to one another by the respective ends of a plurality of lengths of fabric comprising courses of stitches knitted on empty needles, such that said plurality of lengths of fabric forms a cushioning portion.
  • a process is also disclosed for manufacturing an orthopaedic article comprising at least two interconnected layers of knitted fabric, wherein over at least one first portion of said article said at least two layers of knitted fabric comprise an integrally knitted cushioning portion, said process comprising the following steps for manufacturing said at least one first portion: (a) knitting a first course of stitches on every n th needle of a first bed of needles,
  • step (d) repeating step (c) a plurality of times to obtain the length of material desired
  • step (e) transferring the last row of stitches made in step (d) from the first bed to the second bed
  • the step of knitting on empty needles is carried out on every second needle: there is therefore disclosed a process for manufacturing an orthopaedic article comprising at least two interconnected layers of knitted fabric, wherein over at least one first portion of said article said at least two layers of knitted fabric comprise an integrally knitted cushioning portion, said process comprising the following steps for manufacturing said at least one first portion:
  • a process for manufacturing an orthopaedic article comprising a spacer fabric and at least one integrally knitted cushioning portion of greater thickness than the spacer fabric, comprising the following steps for manufacture of the cushioning portion:
  • step (d) repeating step (c) a plurality of times to obtain the length of material desired
  • step (e) transferring the last row of stitches made in step (d) from the first bed to the second bed
  • an orthopaedic article comprising at least two interconnected layers of knitted fabric, wherein at least one first portion of said article comprises thermosetting fibres.
  • said at least one portion is itself knitted with the thermosetting fibres.
  • the area or areas comprising said at least one portion of thermosetting fibres have rounded edges.
  • the areas of the finished orthopaedic article comprising thermosetting fibres are thermoset.
  • a process for manufacturing an orthopaedic article comprising at least two interconnected layers of knitted fabric, said process comprising integrally knitting thermosetting fibres into at least one first portion of said article.
  • said at least one first portion is in one of the external layers of the article.
  • the process involves the further step of thermosetting the thermosetting fibres contained in said at least one first portion of said article.
  • the present invention concerns ways of manufacturing a spacer fabric incorporating integrally knitted portions which have different mechanical properties from the adjacent portions.
  • Fig. 1 illustrates schematically the stitch pattern for knitting a spacer fabric.
  • Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of a spacer fabric.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates schematically the stitch pattern for knitting a cushioned portion into a fabric.
  • Fig. 4 illustrates a process whereby a thermosetting thread is inlaid part way across a course of stitches.
  • Spacer fabrics and their manufacture is a known science, so need not be discussed in much detail here.
  • the spacer fabrics used in the present invention are weft knitted fabrics.
  • FIG. 1 An example of the process on a machine with a front and back bed comprises yarn feed and loop formation at every needle in succession.
  • Fig. 1 in a simple structure, the first course of yarn knits on all the back bed (II) needles (step (a)). The second course of yarn then knits on all the front bed (I) needles (step (b)).
  • the front and back needle beds are connected by tuck loop stitches.
  • the yarn tucks over four needles from back bed (II) to front (I), moving one needle across each time.
  • the density of the connecting threads can be chosen according to the requirements of the application.
  • the density of the fabric can be altered by tucking over more or less needles, thereby altering the cross-over arrangement and thus the internal structure.
  • the space between the two structures depends on the space between the two needle beds.
  • the fabric is built up on both needle beds so as to achieve a two faced structure. This allows the thickness of said structure to be varied, preferably from 2 mm to 10 mm, more preferably from 3 mm to 5 mm.
  • FIG. 1 A schematic representation of a spacer fabric is shown in Fig.
  • This figure shows the two outer layers of fabric (1 ,2) and the connecting yarns (3).
  • a cushion is integrally knitted into the product.
  • step (a) involves knitting a first course of stitches on every second needle of a first bed of needles.
  • step (b) a second course of stitches is knitted on every second needle of a second bed of needles.
  • Steps (c) to (e) of this example illustrate the procedure. In this example, it takes place on the first bed.
  • step (c) a course of stitches is knitted on the unused (empty) needles of the first bed, i.e. the needles not knitted on in step (a).
  • step (d) a further course of stitches is knitted on the unused (empty) needles from step (c).
  • step (e) a course of stitches is knitted on the unused (empty) needles of step (d).
  • step (c) - (e) is repeated a number of times, as indicated by the arrow shown, until a desired length of material has been created.
  • the word "length” is strictly speaking the correct term, although, in the finished product this length translates to some extent to become a thickness, as will be explained. It can be useful to an understanding of the structure of the final product to know this.
  • step (f) of the process schematic of Fig. 3 when the phase of knitting on empty needles is completed, the final course of stitches made on the first bed during this phase is transferred over to the second bed. The process then begins again with step (a).
  • spacer-fabric manufacture With reference to the discussion of spacer-fabric manufacture, above, it can readily be appreciated that it is a trivial matter on an automated, computer-controlled machine, to generate a program to cause the needles of the back and front beds to pass from a phase of generating a stitch pattern, as illustrated in Fig. 1 , to a stitch pattern as illustrated in Fig. 3 and then back again, so that a cushioned region of any desired shape can be generated at any location over the spacer fabric. As already stated, said cushioned region can be of any desired thickness.
  • the mechanical properties of the cushion e.g. strength and density, can be controlled by means of the phase of knitting on empty needles - which controls, among other things, the thickness and degree of openness of the structure.
  • the orthopaedic articles comprise thermosetting fibres, which are then thermoset to provide a rigid region.
  • this can be achieved by inlaying a thermosetting thread (5) part way across a course of stitches, at point A, so that the thermosetting thread is on the surface, until it reaches point B.
  • thermosetting fibres will generally be knitted into a layer of fabric which faces away from the skin, because, once thermoset, they are less pleasant to the touch than normal spacer fabric.
  • thermosetting fibres are knitted into a region of the orthopaedic article which can have any shape, e.g. circular, oval etc.
  • the areas comprising said thermosetting fibres have rounded edges. This avoids the risk that said area, once thermoset, will have sharp edges which may penetrate and damage the surrounding material.
  • thermosetting fibres can be any thermosetting fibres, but should have a melting point below that of the surrounding knitted article.
  • Polypropylene fibres are suitable for this purpose.
  • TWINTEXTM fibres which comprise a polypropylene matrix (and 60% glass), with an orthopaedic product made of nylon. Consolidation of the polypropylene matrix takes place by heating above the melting temperature of 180°C, while the nylon, from which the rest of the product is made, melts at 260°C, so remains unaffected.
  • thermosetting fibres are those comprising polyethylene, setting at between 40°C and 60°C and those comprising caprolactone, setting at around 40°C. In these latter cases, however, the rigidity of the regions comprising thermosetting fibres tends to be lower than in the case of polypropylene.
  • the orthopaedic product can be tailored to give the required mechanical properties, like rigidity and modulus in specified regions.
  • the degree of rigidity for example, can range in these regions from a point at which mobility is severely restricted, if not totally prevented, to a point at which significant movement can occur. This is achieved by altering the type of thermosetting fibres used, the fibre thickness, the type (density) of knit (i.e. strands per unit volume) and the size of the area into which said fibres are incorporated.
  • Thermosetting can be achieved using a heating press.
  • a simple heating device like a domestic iron can be used.
  • the regions containing thermosetting fibres are of a different colour from the adjacent regions of the article.
  • the orthopaedic articles comprise both cushioning portions and rigid portions comprising thermosetting fibres which have been heated and thermoset.
  • An example of such an article is a knee brace.
  • Traditional knee braces comprise longitudinal or spiral stays which provide rigidity as well as a central hole over which a cushion may be placed as protection for the patella.
  • a knee brace according to the invention will have both an integrally knitted cushion, as protection for the patella, and integrally knitted longitudinal portions of thermosetting fibres. In the event that rigidity is required, these will be thermoset using a heating device.
  • the fabrics referred to herein may be made from yarns of a number of materials.
  • Non-limiting examples are bulked filament nylon, polyester, cotton and viscose.
  • An example of a suitable yarn is 2/78/24 nylon.
  • the yarns themselves may be prepared from filaments which have been gathered and twisted, crimped, flat or air intermingled.
  • elastomers may also be incorporated to provide desired stretch properties.
  • An example of a suitable elastomer is 135 dtex bare LYCRATM or other elastane.
  • Different yarns can be used to manufacture each of the two external fabric layers, with, for example, softer yarn being used on what will be the skin-facing layer, for enhanced comfort.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • Nursing (AREA)
  • Orthopedic Medicine & Surgery (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Vascular Medicine (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Knitting Of Fabric (AREA)
  • Orthopedics, Nursing, And Contraception (AREA)

Abstract

Cet article orthopédique multicouche comporte une partie tricotée d'une seule pièce dont une propriété mécanique diffère de celle de la région ou des régions adjacentes dudit article. Cette propriété mécanique peut être, par exemple, une aptitude à amortir ou à soutenir.
EP99943098A 1998-09-02 1999-09-02 Articles orthopediques Withdrawn EP1119320A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9818978 1998-09-02
GBGB9818978.0A GB9818978D0 (en) 1998-09-02 1998-09-02 Orthapaedic articles
PCT/GB1999/002892 WO2000013621A1 (fr) 1998-09-02 1999-09-02 Articles orthopediques

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1119320A1 true EP1119320A1 (fr) 2001-08-01

Family

ID=10838122

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99943098A Withdrawn EP1119320A1 (fr) 1998-09-02 1999-09-02 Articles orthopediques

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1119320A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2002524143A (fr)
AU (1) AU5638199A (fr)
CA (1) CA2342847A1 (fr)
GB (1) GB9818978D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO2000013621A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1457177A1 (fr) * 2003-03-14 2004-09-15 Young Hoon Moon Atelle courbée vers le haut et sa procédé de fabrication
US7937973B2 (en) 2004-08-12 2011-05-10 Tytex A/S Tubular spacer fabric

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE9302039U1 (de) * 1993-02-12 1993-04-01 Trevira GmbH & Co KG, 60528 Frankfurt Doppelflächige Rundstrickware
US5284031A (en) * 1990-03-14 1994-02-08 H. Stoll Gmbh & Co. Knit ply fabric with connecting layer

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3047059A1 (de) * 1980-12-13 1982-07-22 Heinrich Ruff GmbH & Co, 7450 Hechingen Zweiflaechige gestrickte plueschware, insbesondere fuer sportbekleidung, und verfahren zu ihrer herstellung
US4425912A (en) 1982-06-11 1984-01-17 Rampon Products, Inc. Knee protector/stabilizer
GB9101444D0 (en) 1991-01-23 1991-03-06 Courtaulds Advanced Materials Thermal insulation materials
US5385036A (en) * 1993-05-24 1995-01-31 Guilford Mills, Inc. Warp knitted textile spacer fabric, method of producing same, and products produced therefrom

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5284031A (en) * 1990-03-14 1994-02-08 H. Stoll Gmbh & Co. Knit ply fabric with connecting layer
DE9302039U1 (de) * 1993-02-12 1993-04-01 Trevira GmbH & Co KG, 60528 Frankfurt Doppelflächige Rundstrickware

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See also references of WO0013621A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2002524143A (ja) 2002-08-06
AU5638199A (en) 2000-03-27
WO2000013621A1 (fr) 2000-03-16
GB9818978D0 (en) 1998-10-21
CA2342847A1 (fr) 2000-03-16

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