| 摘要 |
A metatarsal fracture neutralizer including a pair of brace elements secured with one another in sandwiching relation about a foot containing a fractured metatarsal, and a plurality of neutralization pads secured to the brace elements in confronting relation with one another. Two of the neutralization pads engage and immobilize the fractured metatarsal and the remaining neutralization pads engage and immobilize the remaining metatarsals so as to prevent movement of the fractured metatarsal due to muscle interconnection between metatarsals, while also permitting a full range of motion at the ankle joint connected to the metatarsals in order to aid comprehensive rehabilitation of the foot. The fracture neutralizer further includes three compression pads operatively coupled with the neutralization pad that engages the fractured metatarsal, a first compression pad being disposed to engage a first side of the fractured metatarsal at a fracture site, and the remaining compression pads engaging a second side of the fractured metatarsal opposite the first side at points distal and proximal to the fracture site. Furthermore, the first compression pad pushes the fractured metatarsal in a direction which opposes a direction of the fracture and which opposes a direction in which the remaining compression pads push, thereby maintaining the fractured metatarsal in a proper healing orientation, upon securement of the brace elements about the foot.
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