Patent ID: 9655761
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: A61F

Claim:
1. A method, comprising: causing an orthopedic brace to be manufactured and made available to a wearer, the orthopedic brace including: a pair of front panels, each having a lateral end and a ventral end, wherein the lateral end of each front panel is releasably coupled to the lateral end of each back panel at a desired angle between the respective back panel and the corresponding front panel to which it is releasably coupled, wherein the desired angle is not planar, 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 the wearer, and wherein the ventral end of each front panel includes an attachment means configured to allow one of the front panels to releasably attach to the other of the front panels generally over the abdomen of the 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 first tensioning mechanism or the second tensioning mechanism to tighten the brace around the wearer.