Abstract: A shoulder orthosis is provided for maintenance of a patients arm in a postoperative shoulder immobilization posture in the context of tearing of rotator cuff muscles. The orthosis comprises a belt, an arm splint, and a column member with axial mechanical spring continuously adjustable by a manual adjustment handle and interconnecting the belt to the splint and biasing the splint to an abduction upper limit position. The orthosis provides stable support for the patients forearm around a horizontal plane, while allowing pivoting movement of the patients injured arm about a vertical axis intersecting the patients elbow and approaching the patients torso in a transverse plane. This orthosis also allows a cyclical back and forth movement of the splint, the free downward movement of the patients arm by his healthy muscles, assisted by the adductor muscles against the bias of the adjustable spring without active movement of the rotator cuff.

Abstract: A shoulder orthosis for long term support of a patient's arm in postoperative shoulder immobilization posture for rotator cuff tears, comprising a waist belt, an arm splint, and a piston and cylinder assembly interconnecting the waist belt to the splint and biasing the splint to an abduction upper limit position. The orthosis provides stable support of the forearm about a horizontal plane, while enabling both pivotal movement of the arm about a vertical axis intersecting the patient's elbow and towards or away from the patient's torso within this horizontal plane. This orthosis also enables cyclical up and down motion of the splint, the downward motion being healthy adductor-assisted against the bias of the piston and cylinder assembly. A lock system releasably locks the piston and cylinder at a selected retracted position of the piston rod.

Abstract: A shoulder orthosis for long term support of a patient's arm in postoperative shoulder immobilization posture for rotator cuff tears, comprising a waist belt, an arm splint, and a piston and cylinder assembly interconnecting the waist belt to the splint and biasing the splint to an abduction upper limit position. The orthosis provides stable support of the forearm about a horizontal plane, while enabling both pivotal movement of the arm about a vertical axis intersecting the patient's elbow and towards or away from the patient's torso within this horizontal plane. This orthosis also enables cyclical up and down motion of the splint, the downward motion being healthy adductor-assisted against the bias of the piston and cylinder assembly. A lock system releasably locks the piston and cylinder at a selected retracted position of the piston rod.