Multiple fixed angle orthopaedic appliance
First Claim
1. An orthopaedic lower leg and ankle walker for supporting the lower leg, ankle and foot of a patient, comprisinga shoe for reception of the foot of the patient, said shoe including upwardly extending lateral and medial sidewall portions each terminating below the malleolus of the ankle of the patient,of said shoe extending upwardly respectively from of said shoe extending upwardly respectively from respective ones of said sidewall portions outwardly of the malleolus on respective sides of the patient'"'"'s ankle,a pair of lower leg support members extending upwardly respectively from the malleolus on the respective sides of the patient'"'"'s ankle along the respective sides of the patient'"'"'s leg,a pair of second hinge members located respectively at the lower ends of respective ones of said leg support members,means connecting the second hinge member on each side of the patient'"'"'s ankle to the first hinge member on the same side of the patient'"'"'s ankle for oscillatory movement about an axis substantially aligned with the axis of articulation of the patient'"'"'s ankle,second hinge members on at leastone of said first and second hinge members on at least one side of the patient'"'"'s ankle including retention means in the form of an arc substantially concentric with the axis of oscillation between said hinge members on said one side of the ankle,locking means associated with and adjustably mounted on the other one of said first and second hinge members on said at least one side of the patient'"'"'s ankle in alignment with said retention means, said locking means being selectively engageable with said retention means and including at least one surface portion lockingly engageable with said retention means,said retention means and locking means being so arranged relative to one another that said locking means is aligned with a mid-portion of the arc of said retention means when said shoe is generally perpendicular to said leg support members,said locking means being adjustable to engage said surface thereof with said retention means for selectively locking said hinge members together in said position wherein said shoe is perpendicular to said leg support members and in any of a plurality of positions in dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of said shoe relative to said leg support members within the limits of the arc of said retention means, and to be disengaged from said retention means while remaining associated with said other hinge member to accommodate free floating oscillatory movement of said shoe relative to said leg support members in both dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, whereby said hinge members may be locked in any of a plurality of selected positions of adjustment, quickly released from such position to accommodate rehabilitative exercise of the patient'"'"'s ankle in plantar flexion and dorsiflexion, and quickly returned to and locked in the selected position of adjustment, andmeans for releasably securing said shoe to the patient'"'"'s foot and said leg support members to the opposite sides of the patient'"'"'s leg.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An orthopaedic brace for articulated joints of the human body and the members of the body joined by such joints is comprised of support members for securement to respective body members on opposite sides of the joint and a hinge assembly connecting the support members and providing an axis of oscillation aligned with the axis of articulation of the joint; the hinge assembly including retention surfaces on one hinge member and a locking device on another hinge member cooperative with the retention surfaces for supporting the joint and the associated body members in any one of a plurality of fixed angle positions during normal activity; for quick release from the fixed position to a free-floating condition to enable the wearer to periodically engage the therapeutic and/or rehabilitative exercise of the joint without having to remove the brace; and for quick and facile return to the selected fixed angle position without having to engage in tedious readjustment of the brace following execise.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated and described, the appliance comprises a lower leg and ankle walker for holding the foot and ankle in any one of a plurality of fixed positions and for release from the fixed position to a free floating condition to accomodate rehabilitative afrticulation of the ankle in both dorsiflexion and plantar flexion.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An orthopaedic lower leg and ankle walker for supporting the lower leg, ankle and foot of a patient, comprising
a shoe for reception of the foot of the patient, said shoe including upwardly extending lateral and medial sidewall portions each terminating below the malleolus of the ankle of the patient, of said shoe extending upwardly respectively from of said shoe extending upwardly respectively from respective ones of said sidewall portions outwardly of the malleolus on respective sides of the patient'"'"'s ankle, a pair of lower leg support members extending upwardly respectively from the malleolus on the respective sides of the patient'"'"'s ankle along the respective sides of the patient'"'"'s leg, a pair of second hinge members located respectively at the lower ends of respective ones of said leg support members, means connecting the second hinge member on each side of the patient'"'"'s ankle to the first hinge member on the same side of the patient'"'"'s ankle for oscillatory movement about an axis substantially aligned with the axis of articulation of the patient'"'"'s ankle, second hinge members on at least one of said first and second hinge members on at least one side of the patient'"'"'s ankle including retention means in the form of an arc substantially concentric with the axis of oscillation between said hinge members on said one side of the ankle, locking means associated with and adjustably mounted on the other one of said first and second hinge members on said at least one side of the patient'"'"'s ankle in alignment with said retention means, said locking means being selectively engageable with said retention means and including at least one surface portion lockingly engageable with said retention means, said retention means and locking means being so arranged relative to one another that said locking means is aligned with a mid-portion of the arc of said retention means when said shoe is generally perpendicular to said leg support members, said locking means being adjustable to engage said surface thereof with said retention means for selectively locking said hinge members together in said position wherein said shoe is perpendicular to said leg support members and in any of a plurality of positions in dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of said shoe relative to said leg support members within the limits of the arc of said retention means, and to be disengaged from said retention means while remaining associated with said other hinge member to accommodate free floating oscillatory movement of said shoe relative to said leg support members in both dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, whereby said hinge members may be locked in any of a plurality of selected positions of adjustment, quickly released from such position to accommodate rehabilitative exercise of the patient'"'"'s ankle in plantar flexion and dorsiflexion, and quickly returned to and locked in the selected position of adjustment, and means for releasably securing said shoe to the patient'"'"'s foot and said leg support members to the opposite sides of the patient'"'"'s leg.
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12. An orthopaedic appliance for an articulated joint of the body of a patient and the members of the patient'"'"'s body joined by such joint, comprising
a first support member for securement to a patient'"'"'s body adjacent to and at one side of an articulated joint of the patient'"'"'s body, a second support member for securement to the body member of the patient at the other side of the joint adjacent to the joint, a first hinge member on said first support member aligned with the articulated joint of the patient, a second hinge member on said second support member aligned with said first hinge member and the articulated joint of the patient, means connecting said first and second hinge members for oscillatory movement about an axis substantially coincident with the axis of articulation of the articulated joint of the patient, one of said hinge members including retention means in the form of an arc substantially concentric with the axis of oscillatory movement between said hinge members, locking means associated with and adjustably mounted on the other one of said hinge members in alignment with said retention means, said locking means including thereon at least one surface lockingly engageable with said retention means, said hinge members being angularly adjustable relative to one another, said locking means being adjustable to engage said surface thereon selectively with said retention means for releasably locking said hinge members together in any of a plurality of positions of relative angular adjustment of said hinge and support members, said locking means being adjustable to be disengaged from said retention means while remaining associated with said other hinge member to accommodate free floating oscillatory movement of said support members and articulation of the patient'"'"'s joint, whereby said hinge and support members may be locked in any selected position of relative angular adjustment of said support members, quickly released from the selected position to accommodate rehabilitative articulation of the patient'"'"'s joint, and quickly returned to and locked in the selected position of adjustment.
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15. An orthopaedic appliance for an articulated joint of the body of a patient and the members of the patient'"'"'s body joined by such joint, comprising
a first support member for securement to a patient'"'"'s body adjacent to and at one side of an articulated joint of the patient'"'"'s body, a second support member for securement to the body member of the patient at the other side of the joint adjacent to the joint, a first hinge member on said first support member aligned with the articulated joint of the patient, a second hinge member on said second support member aligned with said first hinge member and the articulated joint of the patient, means connecting said first and second hinge members for oscillatory movement about an axis substantially coincident with the axis of articulation of the articulated joint of the patient, an arcuate slot in one of said hinge members substantially concentric with the axis of oscillatory movement between said hinge members, locking means adjustably mounted on the other one of said hinge members in alignment with said slot, said locking means extending into said slot and including thereon at least one surface engageable with surface portions on said one hinge member adjoining the margins of said slot, said locking means being adjustable to engage said surface thereon selectively with said surface portions on said one hinge member for releasably locking said hinge members together in any one of a plurality of positions of relative angular adjustment of said support members, and to be disengaged from said surface portions on said one hinge member while remaining associated with said other hinge member to accommodate free floating movement of said support members and articulation of the patient'"'"'s joint, whereby said hinge and support members may be locked in any selected position of relative angular adjustment of said support members within the limits of oscillatory movement accommodated by the arcuate extent of said slot, quickly released from the selected position to accommodate rehabilitative articulation of the patient'"'"'s joint, and quickly returned to and locked in the selected position of adjustment.
Specification