Abstract:
A therapeutic device adapted for facilitating recovery of joint mobility and muscle strength follow knee joint surgery in a human patient and a method for use. The therapeutic device includes an adjustable strap adapted for fitment about the midpoint of the patient&#39;s foot. A connecting strap is coupled to an edge of the adjustable strap between a pair of spaced apart swiveling connections, and a tension strap is secured about the adjustable strap and extending substantially the length of the patient&#39;s body. During use, tension maintained in the tension strap against the patient&#39;s foot facilitates knee joint flexion and provides a resistive force against knee joint extension.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not Applicable.  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
       [0002]     Not Applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention relates generally to therapeutic devices utilized to facilitate recovery of joint mobility and muscle strength following joint surgery, and in particular, to a therapeutic knee exercise device adapted for facilitating recovery of joint mobility and muscle strength follow knee joint surgery in a human patient.  
         [0004]     Knee surgery, and particularly knee replacement surgery, is an invasive procedure which often requires cutting through skin, muscle, and tendons to provide a surgeon with access to the knee joint and associated supporting structures in the leg of a human patient. During the recovery period following knee surgery, it is necessary to repeatedly exercise the knee joint to restore tendon elasticity, muscle tone, and joint flexibility, as well as to prevent or limit the development of scar tissue and adhesions on the tendons. The development of scar tissue and adhesion can be particularly painful, and can lead to a reduced range of motion for the knee joint over time, further complicating the recovery process, and potentially requiring additional surgical procedures to alleviate the condition.  
         [0005]     Often, simply extending and flexing of the knee joint provides insufficient resistance to develop muscle tissue, and may not have sufficient range of motion without external aids to restore pre-surgical elasticity to the tendons. Accordingly, it is know to utilize therapeutic devices provide a resistance against which the knee and leg movements are made. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,823 to Spence for a “Therapeutic Apparatus For Exercising the Human Knee” provides a base member for supporting a patient in a supine position, and a elongate strap which couples to the base member over the patient&#39;s shoulders, and is passed beneath a knee to be exercised. Extension of the knee joint and articulation of the hip joint is resisted by the elongate strap, providing a resistive force for therapeutic exercise. However, the base member is a cumbersome component, and the device cannot be utilized with the patient in a prone position. Knee articulation with a patient in a prone position exercises a different set of muscles and tendons in the patient&#39;s leg, as the hip joint does not articulate when the patient is in the prone position.  
         [0006]     Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a therapeutic knee exercise device which is simple, inexpensive to produce, and convenient to use and store, and which permits a patient to exercise a knee joint in both the supine and prone positions.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     Briefly stated, the present invention provides a therapeutic device adapted for facilitating recovery of joint mobility and muscle strength follow knee joint surgery in a human patient. The therapeutic device includes an adjustable strap adapted for fitment about the midpoint of the patient&#39;s foot. A connecting strap is coupled to an edge of the adjustable strap between a pair of spaced apart swiveling connections, and a tension strap is secured about the connecting strap and extending substantially the length of the patient&#39;s body.  
         [0008]     A first method for utilizing a therapeutic device of the present invention with a patient in a prone position on a horizontal surface includes the initial step of placing an adjustable strap about the patient&#39;s foot, approximately disposed within the arch of the patient&#39;s foot, and with the connecting strap extending towards the heel of the patient&#39;s foot. The tension strap, coupled to the connecting strap, is extended along the patient&#39;s leg and torso, and over the patient&#39;s shoulder, where it is held by the patient. The tension strap is pulled by the patient to assist in lifting the patient&#39;s foot and flexing the knee joint from a horizontal extended position to a desired angle of flexion, facilitating joint mobility. Tension is maintained on the tension strap as the patient&#39;s leg exerts a force to return the knee joint to the horizontal extended position, providing a muscle strengthening resistance. The cyclical processes is repeated as desired.  
         [0009]     A second method for utilizing a therapeutic device of the present invention with a patient in a supine position on a horizontal surface includes the initial step of placing an adjustable strap about the patient&#39;s foot, approximately disposed within the arch of the patient&#39;s foot, and with the connecting strap extending towards the heel of the patient&#39;s foot. The tension strap, coupled to the connecting strap, is extended horizontally along the patient&#39;s leg and torso, and to at least the patient&#39;s waist, optionally behind the patient&#39;s shoulder, where it is held by the patient. The tension strap is pulled by the patient to slide the patient&#39;s heel along the horizontal surface, assisting in elevating and flexing the knee joint from a horizontal extended position to a desired angle of flexion, facilitating joint mobility. Tension is maintained on the tension strap as the patient&#39;s leg exerts a force to return the knee joint to the horizontal extended position, providing a muscle strengthening resistance. The cyclical processes is repeated as desired.  
         [0010]     The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention as well as presently preferred embodiments thereof will become more apparent from the reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective illustration of a therapeutic knee exercise device of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective illustration of the therapeutic knee exercise device of  FIG. 1 , in use with a patient in a supine position; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective illustration of the therapeutic knee exercise device of  FIG. 1 , in use with a patient in a prone position 
     
    
       [0015]     Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]     The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. The description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses of the invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the invention.  
         [0017]     Turing to  FIG. 1 , a therapeutic knee exercise device of the present invention for stretching (i.e., flexing) and strengthening (i.e. extending) the human knee is shown generally at  10 . The therapeutic knee exercise device  10  provides an adjustable strap  12  adapted for fitment about the midpoint of the patient&#39;s foot. The adjustable strap  12  forms a closed loop, and may be adjusted for fitment about feet of different sizes, with or without shoes. Preferably, the adjustable strap  12  is formed from a single length of strapping material  14  having two ends  14   a ,  14   b  which are coupled together with a conventional adjustment mechanism  16 , such as a hook and loop fastening mechanism commonly known as Velcro.  
         [0018]     A connecting strap  18  is coupled between a pair of spaced connecting points  20  on an edge  22  of the adjustable strap  12 . The connecting points  20  are preferably spaced apart about the circumference of the edge  22  by an arc of less than 180 degrees, and are disposed equidistant from the adjustment mechanism  16 , such that the adjustment mechanism is disposed on an upper portion to the adjustable strap  12 , and the connecting points  20  are coupled to a lower portion of the adjustable strap  12 . In the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the connecting points  20  each include a D-ring  24  secured to the adjustable strap  12  by a stitched loop  26 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that connecting points  20  other than D-rings may be utilized, and that the connecting points may be secured to the adjustable strap  12  by any conventional fastening means suitable for the material employed.  
         [0019]     The fixed-length connecting strap  18  is secured between each connecting point  20 , and a tension strap  28  is secured about the connecting strap  26 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , the tension strap  28  extends substantially perpendicular to the adjustable strap  12 , but is not restrained in that position. Preferably, the tension strap has a length sufficient to extend from a patient&#39;s ankle, along the length of the patient&#39;s leg and torso, and at least to the patient&#39;s waist for gripping by the patient&#39;s hands. Optionally, the tension strap  28  may have sufficient length to loop over the patient&#39;s shoulder for gripping by the patient&#39;s hands. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the tension strap  28  is secured about the connecting strap  18  by looping an end  30  of the tension strap  28  around the connecting strap  18 . The end  30  stitched back to the tension strap  28 , providing a sliding connection between the tension strap  28  and the connecting strap  18 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a variety of means may be utilized to provide a sliding connection between the tension strap  28  and the connecting strap  18 . The sliding connection between the tension strap  28  and the connecting strap  18  facilitates articulation of the patient&#39;s knee joint in such a manner as to avoid twisting motions during. For example, the tension strap  28  may be shifted to either the inside or outside of the patient&#39;s heel depending upon which hand the patient is using to apply a tension force to the tension strap.  
         [0020]     Preferably, each of the straps in the present invention, including the adjustable strap  12 , the connecting strap  18 , and the tension strap  28  are formed from the same woven or webbing material, having a limited elasticity. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any of a variety of suitable materials having limited elasticity may be utilized within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0021]     A first method for utilizing a therapeutic device of the present invention with a patient in a supine position on a substantially horizontal surface as shown in  FIG. 2  includes the initial step of placing the adjustable strap  12  about the patient&#39;s foot, approximately disposed within the arch of the patient&#39;s foot, and with the connecting strap  18  extending towards the heel of the patient&#39;s foot. The tension strap  28 , coupled to the connecting strap  18 , is extended horizontally along the patient&#39;s leg and torso, at least to the patient&#39;s waist, and optionally behind the patient&#39;s shoulder, where it is held by the patient. The tension strap  28  is pulled by the patient to slide the patient&#39;s heel along the horizontal surface, assisting in elevating and flexing the knee joint from a horizontal extended position to a desired angle of flexion, facilitating joint mobility. A desired level of tension is maintained on the tension strap by the patient as the patient&#39;s leg exerts a force to return the knee joint to the horizontal extended position, providing a muscle strengthening resistance. The cyclical processes is repeated as desired. The sliding connection between the tension strap  28  and the connecting strap  18  permits the patient to position the tension strap  28  relative to either the inside or outside edges of the patient&#39;s foot, maintaining a desired level of tension in a plane defined by the patient&#39;s upper and lower legs as the patient&#39;s knee joint is articulated, thereby reducing or eliminating lateral forces which may result in an undesired twisting or torque of the patient&#39;s knee joint.  
         [0022]     A second method for utilizing the therapeutic device  10  of the present invention with a patient in a prone position on a substantially horizontal surface, such as shown in  FIG. 3 , includes the initial step of placing the adjustable strap  12  about the patient&#39;s foot, approximately disposed within the arch of the patient&#39;s foot, and with the connecting strap  18  extending towards the heel of the patient&#39;s foot. The tension strap  28 , coupled to the connecting strap  18 , is extended along the patient&#39;s leg and torso, and over the patient&#39;s shoulder, where it is held by the patient. The tension strap is pulled by the patient to assist in lifting the patient&#39;s foot and flexing the knee joint from a horizontal extended position to a desired angle of flexion, facilitating joint mobility. During flexion of the knee from the prone position, the patient&#39;s hip joint is maintained in an extended position, restricting movement to a limited group of muscles. A desired level of tension is maintained on the tension strap  28  by the patient as the patient&#39;s leg exerts a force to return the knee joint to the horizontal extended position, providing a muscle strengthening resistance. The cyclical processes is repeated as desired. The sliding connection between the tension strap  28  and the connecting strap  18  permits the patient to position the tension strap  28  relative to either the inside or outside edges of the patient&#39;s foot, maintaining a desired level of tension in a plane defined by the patient&#39;s upper and lower legs as the patient&#39;s knee joint is articulated, thereby reducing or eliminating lateral forces which may result in an undesired twisting or torque of the patient&#39;s knee joint.  
         [0023]     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results are obtained. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.