Casted foot medical boot with dual pivot points

• US 5,088,481 A
• Filed: 10/10/1990
• Issued: 02/18/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Darco International Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Darco International Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Darby, H. Darrel
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DVORAK, LINDA C
• Application Number:
  US07/596,114
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 128/80 R, 128/83, 128/83.5, 128/84 R, 128/87 R, 128/89 R, 128/83.5, 36/110, 36/11.5, 36/25 R, 36/83, 36/88, 36/102, 36/103, 36/110, 36/102
• US Class Current: 602/23
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/043 Shoe-like cast covers; Cast socks A61F15/004 takes precedence; shoe-like orthopaedic devices for protecting the feet against injuries after operations A61F5/0195; walking soles A61F13/045

Abstract

A light weight material boot specifically designed to fit a light weight fiberglass cast about the ankle and foot of a patient, has an outer sole constructed with a double rocker bottom including a first pivot point located approximately 30% over the length of the boot measured from the heel to the toe defined by an upwardly and rearwardly oblique, flat bottom surface portion and a central flat bottom surface portion on the bottom of the sole roughly below the front of the ankle and a second pivot point located approximately 70% over the length of the boot measuring from heel to toe where the metatarsal-phalangeal joint of the foot is located defined by an upwardly oblique, flat bottom surface portion from the metatarsal phalangeal joint towards the toe of the boot thereby ensuring that there is a lack of stress on the case or the lower leg and foot of the patient wearing the boot during the gait cycle.

Claims

1. A medical boot capable of conforming to a form fitting cast, enveloping a foot and ankle of a patient, said boot comprising:

a sole assembly,

an upper assembly secured to said sole assembly and adapted to surround the heel, sides and dorsal portions of the patient'"'"'s foot while leaving the toe region open,

said upper assembly including a pair of side walls of flexible material which mold comfortably to the contours of either the cast or the foot and ankle of the patient, one of said upper assembly side walls including a flap which underlies the other side wall and is adapted to cover the dorsal region of the foot, said sole assembly comprising an outer sole extending generally the length of the shoe, from heel to toe, having an outer sole bottom surface which tapers from the toe and heel oppositely in directions away from the upper, wherein said outer sole bottom surface includes a flat horizontal central portion and a flat rearwardly, upwardly oblique portion forming therebetween a first pivot point for said medical boot, at a position, which is in vertical alignment with the front of the ankle of the patient, and wherein, said bottom of said outer sole includes a forwardly and upwardly oblique, flat portion from the end of the flat horizontal central portion remote from the heel, to the toe defining therebetween a second pivot point in vertical alignment with the metatarsal-phalangeal joint is located on the foot of the patient borne by said shoe, and an outer sole top surface which is flat and which tapers forwardly and downwardly over the flat central portion and said upwardly oblique flat portion of the sole bottom surface from the central portion to the toe, whereby;

the combination of said two pivot points ensures that there is no stress on the cast or on the lower leg and foot of the patient during the gait cycle upon ambulation of the patient.

2. The medical boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outer sole is formed of a top layer of substantial thickness and having oppositely tapered portions respectively in the direction of the heel and toe of the outer sole, wherein the upper surface of the top layer is joined to the shoe upper assembly, and wherein said bottom layer is generally of even thickness over the longitudinal length of the same and wherein, said bottom layer extends the full length of the sole assembly from the heel to the toe thereof of the boot.

3. The medical boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top layer, and said bottom layer are adhesively bonded to each other, and wherein the boot upper is adhesively bonded to the upper surface of said outer sole top layer.

4. The medical boot as claimed in claim 2, wherein said top layer, and said bottom layer are adhesively bonded to each other, and wherein the boot upper is adhesively bonded to the upper surface of said outer sole top layer.

5. The medical boot as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bottom surface of the outer sole is corrugated over the length of the same with the corrugations extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the boot.

6. The medical boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first pivot point is located approximately 30% of the length of the boot measuring from the heel to the toe.

7. The medical boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second pivot point is located approximately 70% over the length of the boot measuring from the heel to the toe.

8. The medical boot as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second pivot point is located approximately 70% over the length of the boot measuring from the heel to the toe.

9. The medical boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shoe further comprises two sets of closure straps formed of face contacting portions of opposite hook and loop engaging material straps about the flexible side walls of the shoe upper assembly extending horizontally and wrapped about the ankle of the shoe, and extending obliquely across the underlying flap about the dorsal portion of the foot respectfully, to maintain the side walls of the flexible material upper assembly securely wrapped about the patient'"'"'s foot and about the ankle thereof from heel to toe to ensure that the casted foot moves through the gait cycle smoothly while making use of the two pivot points provided on the bottom surface of the sole assembly outer sole.