Ankle orthosis

• US 4,556,054 A
• Filed: 11/21/1983
• Issued: 12/03/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stephen G. Paulseth
• Original Assignee: Stephen G. Paulseth
• Inventors: Paulseth, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Curtis R.
• Application Number:
  US06/554,063
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 128/80 R, 128/80 H, 128/166
• US Class Current: 602/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0111 for the feet or ankles

Abstract

An ankle orthosis useful for the prevention and/or rehabilitation of inversion injuries is disclosed. The orthosis includes a cuff adapted for fastening around the leg above the ankle, a foot plate for positioning beneath the foot, and connecting means extending down the lateral side of the orthosis. Resilient or elastic means may be employed in conjunction with non-elastic means to produce any desired combination of elastic and non-elastic restriction of ankle inversion.

Claims

1. An ankle orthosis adapted for installation on an ankle, comprising:

a cuff, adapted for fastening around the leg above the ankle;

a foot plate, adapted to be positioned beneath the tarsal bones of the foot;

means connecting the cuff and the foot plate positioned so as to extend down the lateral side of the ankle when the orthosis is worn on the ankle, the length of said connecting means in relation to the distance between the cuff and the foot plate being such as to restrict inversion of the ankle, said connecting means comprising a non-elastic strap; and

a resilient bumper attached to the lateral side of the cuff and protruding outwardly therefrom, said connecting means overriding and being displaced by said bumper such that said non-elastic strap can only be straightened by compressing said bumper between said connecting means and the ankle, whereby ankle inversion is progressively resisted by virtue of the resilience of the bumper, and whereby ankle inversion is substantially prevented once said progressive resistance has been overcome and said non-elastic strap has been straightened.

2. An ankle orthosis as recited in claim 1, in which said connecting means comprise:

a ring connected to a lateral portion of the cuff;

a first strap connected to a rearward lateral portion of the foot plate and extending upwardly and forwardly through said ring; and

a second strap connected to a forward lateral portion said foot plate and extending rearwardly and upwardly through said ring;

said first and second straps thence extending forwardly and rearwardly respectively and around the ankle and being adapted for fastening to each other on the medial side of the ankle.

3. An ankle orthosis as recited in claim 1, in which said connecting means comprise:

a ring connected to a lateral portion of the cuff; and

a strap connected at one end to a rearward lateral portion of the foot plate, extending forwardly and upwardly through the ring and thence downwardly and forwardly, and connected at its other end to a forward lateral portion of the foot plate.

4. An ankle orthosis adapted for installation on an ankle, comprising:

a cuff, adapted for fastening around the leg above the ankle;

a foot plate, adapted to be positioned beneath the tarsal bones of the foot;

means connecting the cuff and the foot plate positioned so as to extend down the lateral side of the ankle when the orthosis is worn on the ankle, the length of said connecting means in relation to the distance between the cuff and the foot plate being such as to restrict inversion of the ankle, said connecting means comprising a ring connected to a lateral portion of the cuff, an elastic strap connected at one end to a rearward lateral portion of the foot plate, extending forwardly and upwardly through the ring and thence downwardly and forwardly, and connected at its other end to a forward lateral portion of the foot plate, whereby the restriction against inversion increases progressively as and a non-elastic strap connected between the cuff and the foot inversion occurs and the strap stretches, plate on the lateral side of the ankle, whereby inversion is elastically restricted by the elastic strap until sufficient inversion has occurred to tauten the non-elastic strap, whereupon further inversion is substantially prevented.

5. An ankle orthosis adapted for installation on an ankle, comprising:

a cuff, adapted for fastening around the leg above the ankle;

a foot plate, adapted to be positioned beneath the tarsal bones of the foot;

means connecting the cuff and the foot plate positioned so as to extend down the lateral side of the ankle when the orthosis is worn on the ankle, the length of said connecting means in relation to the distance between the cuff and the foot plate being such as to restrict inversion of the ankle, said connecting means comprising a non-elastic strap connected between the cuff and the foot plate; and

a length of elastic strap attached at its ends to points on said non-elastic strap which are farther apart than the length of the elastic strap, whereby the non-elastic strap can only be tautened by overcoming the elastic resistance of the elastic strap;

whereby inversion is progressively restricted as inversion occurs and the elastic strap stretches and inversion is substantially prevented once the non-elastic strap tautens.