Choosing a tutor for knee joints: varieties, indications and contraindications for use

Many have had to deal with injuries or pathologies of the development of the musculoskeletal system. Earlier in the arsenal of doctors were plaster bandages or elastic and gauze bandages, but today there are more convenient means of fixation. In some cases, there is a need to use a tutor on the knee joints. But, in order to correctly fix the knee, it is necessary to understand what a tutor is and for what it was assigned to the patient.

What are we talking about?

Tutor is a special rigid orthopedic design, intended for fixation in the required position of the joint. Often patients confuse tutors and orthoses, mistakenly substituting names. The difference of the tutor to the knee joints from the orthosis is that there are no hinged joints and connections in the design. Most often, the material that fixes the leg is hard. The construction of orthoses is always more complicated. Moving hinges allow you to bend the limb at a certain angle. But if a simple fixation is required, the patient is not assigned a complex orthosis. The tread on the knee joint copes with this task quite adequately.

How does the tutor work?

The tutor consists of a rigid sleeve and a system of fixing fasteners. Fasteners can be in the form of lacing or wide straps. Depending on the required rigidity, the tutor can be made of plastic, metal alloys, polymer fabrics or leather.

For fabric and leather products is characterized by the use of metal tires or reinforcing carcass with semirings.

Why appoint a tutor

If a knee joint is needed, the tutor can be assigned regardless of age. Similar designs are successfully used in the treatment of both adults and children. Depending on the chosen modification, the tutor performs the following functions:

• Do not allow the joint to flex during treatment or post-traumatic rehabilitation. Obezdvizhivaet knee after operations.
• Reduces pain after injury.
• Reduces the risk of joint injury in osteoporosis.
• Holds the joint at rest.
• Helps to correct limb deformities.
• It is used as a prophylaxis for relapses or complications.
• Performs the function of gypsum board or tire.

Traumatologists practice the appointment of a tutor to the knee joints during rehabilitation after trauma to reduce swelling and restore normal blood supply. This accelerates the restoration of damaged tissues.

Orlett Tents

Traumatologists and orthopedists often prefer the designs of the Orlett brand. This is a well-known manufacturer of rehabilitation products from Germany. The products of this company are distinguished by reliable designs and are made of high quality materials. The most common option is the KS 601 knee joint tread.

This design copes well with the treatment and rehabilitation of patients suffering from pathological changes of knee joints, among which:

• Various traumas (meniscus, patella , bones);
• Unstable joint work;
• Surgical intervention (KS 601 is used before and after operations);
• Form disturbances, including lateral curvatures.

Main advantages of KS 601

The design consists of a fabric base with pockets for 5 tires (metal), fixed by wide straps with Velcro. The main advantages of this tutor include:

1. The use of a soft, porous material that allows the skin to "breathe". This allows you to wear the construction for a long time without feeling discomfort.
2. Tire tires are removable. Velcro with good fixation. The tutor allows to completely immobilize the knee, without injuring the skin and muscles.
3. The design does not cause difficulties when putting on. Patients cope with this task independently.
4. There are 5 sizes of the KS 601 tutor, which allows selecting a remedy for a patient with any complexion.

Correct size selection

From the correct selection of the size of the tutor on the knee joint, the success of the rehabilitation of the patient depends. The determination of the size begins with the measurement of the mid-thigh circumference of the mid-thigh. The measuring tape is wrapped tightly, but without tightening the leg. Depending on the result, the length and size are determined:

1. With a circumference of the middle part of the thigh less than 43 cm, the patient needs a size S, the length of which is 42 cm.
2. If the middle of the thigh is within 43-50 cm, then the patient needs a tuft of size M, with a length of 50 cm.
3. When the result of measuring the circumference from 50-56 cm, the size of the knee tutor L, and its length - 58 cm.
4. At values from 56 to 62 - the size XL, and the length of the design is 63 cm.
5. If the circumference of the circumference is greater than 62 cm, the patient needs the size XXL, the length of the tutor in this case is 70 cm.

Another variant of the design selection from the manufacturer Orlett is the measurement of the circumference of the central part of the knee joint.

The domestic manufacturer uses the following parameters for the design selection: the thigh circumference, the shin circumference and the height of the structure. Models with a hip circumference from 32 to 47 cm are considered childish. Models with a circumference of 33 cm to 51 cm are considered adults.

When rehabilitating children, especially with the diagnosis of cerebral palsy, the tutors should preferably be made on individual casts.

The main principle of selection is that the tutor is bought only after consultation with the treating specialist. Self-medication in this issue is unacceptable. You can buy the tutor yourself only if the old design is damaged and it needs to be replaced.

How to care for the product

Orlett tread on the knee joint requires some care. The lock can be washed, since the metal tires in the construction are removable. The washing is done manually, the water temperature should not exceed 40 ° С. Chlorinated detergents and bleaches can not be used for washing, so as not to damage the fabric of the tutor.

Press and unscrew the orthopedic product can not. Dry the tutor in a shaded cool place. The fabric part of the structure after washing is not subjected to ironing. Before further use, you should return the metal tires to the place.

Are there any contraindications?

In the tutor on the knee joints there is a small list of undesirable factors:

• In case of skin damage, such as abrasions, deep scratches or cuts, additional medical advice is required. This is necessary to understand whether it is possible to use the structure.
• When there are abscesses, boils, or ulcers, you need to make sure that the tutor is properly selected, because a size error can damage the skin.
• If there is a violation of circulation in the legs, then the tutor can not be worn.
• If the patient experiences muscle spasms or has hyperkinesis, then the tutor is also contraindicated.
• The patient should not wear a tutor if it has an allergic reaction to the material from which it is made.