Ankle brace walker

• US 5,620,411 A
• Filed: 05/27/1994
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DJO LLC (Enovis Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tecnol Medical Products, Inc. (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Schumann, Gail H., Stevenson, Vernon L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US08/250,271
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 128/846, 128/882, 128/DIG. 20, 128/DIG. 15, 128/869, 602/5, 602/23, 602/26, 602/27
• US Class Current: 602/23
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0111 for the feet or ankles

Abstract

Load forces are distributed and reacted along lateral and medial side plates, thereby avoiding the concentration of stresses which could cause cracking, buckling, crippling and the like. This is provided by an intermediate plate portion which has an external edge in the form of an elliptical segment. Because of the elliptical profile of the intermediate side plate portion, shear forces imposed by an applied toe load will be distributed through the intermediate side plate portion, thereby reducing the maximum level of forces imposed at the union of lateral and medial brace members with lateral and medial side plates. The gait pattern of the patient is accommodated by a composite outsole which permits yieldable, bending contact rather than rigid, rolling contact with the ground surface. The composite outsole includes an elongated, flexible shell, a flexible heel core and a flexible foot core, with the flexible heel core and foot core being enclosed within the flexible shell in tandem relation to each other. A fulcrum line is established at the interface of the heel core and foot core. The composite, flexible outsole is bendable laterally and medially with respect to the longitudinal centerline, thereby accommodating lateral or medial toe walk gait aspects.

Claims

1. An ankle brace assembly for securing a patient'"'"'s ankle and foot against relative movement comprising, in combination:

a foot plate having a planar surface for supporting the patient'"'"'s foot;

lateral and medial side plates attached to said foot plate on opposite sides of said planar surface, said lateral and medial side plates projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;

said lateral and medial side plates each formed as one piece and having an anterior plate portion, a posterior plate portion, and an intermediate plate portion integrally formed with the anterior plate portion and the posterior plate portion, the posterior plate portion having a coupling plate portion projecting upright relative to the intermediate plate portion, each side plate having an external edge which transitions along a continuous concave arch extending along the intermediate plate portion from the anterior plate portion to the coupling plate portion; and

lateral and medial brace members attached to the posterior plate portions of said lateral and medial side plates, respectively, said lateral and medial brace members projecting upright with respect to said foot plate.

2. An ankle brace assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the concave arch has a curvature substantially in the form of an oval segment.

3. An ankle brace assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the concave arch has a curvature substantially in the form of an elliptical segment.

4. An ankle brace assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the external edge of each intermediate plate portion transitions along the concave arch having a surface curvature substantially in the form of a concave ellipsoidal surface.

5. An ankle brace assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the external edge of each side plate transitions along the continuous concave arch having a curvature substantially in the form of an elliptical segment lying between a major axis and a minor axis of an ellipse, the external edge transitioning from the concave arch to the edge of the coupling plate at a point of intersection between the external edge and the major axis.

6. An ankle brace assembly as defined in claim 1, the anterior plate portion of each side plate having an external edge which transitions along a convex arch from the external edge of the intermediate plate portion to said foot plate.

7. A foot plate assembly as defined in claim 6, wherein the convex arch of the anterior plate portion has a substantially constant radius of curvature.

8. An ankle brace assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the posterior plate portion has an external edge which transitions along a concave arch leading from the posterior plate portion to said foot plate.

9. A foot plate assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the concave arch of the posterior plate portion has a substantially constant radius of curvature.

10. An ankle brace assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the lateral and medial side plates are integrally formed with said foot plate.

11. An ankle brace assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the lateral and medial side plates project upright substantially in right angle relationship with the planar surface of said foot plate, respectively.

12. An ankle brace assembly as defined in claim 1, including an elongated flange connected to the intermediate plate portion of each side plate, respectively, each elongated flange projecting upright with respect to said foot plate and each elongated flange being intersected by first and second slots, said slots being adapted for receiving fastener straps.

13. An ankle brace walker assembly comprising, in combination:

a foot plate having a first planar surface for supporting a patient'"'"'s foot and having a second planar surface for attachment to an outsole;

lateral and medial side plates attached to said foot plate on opposite sides of said first planar surface, said lateral and medial side plates projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;

lateral and medial brace members attached to said lateral and medial side plates, respectively, said lateral and medial brace members projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;

an

a composite outsole attached to the second side surface of said foot plate, said composite outsole including an elongated, flexible shell, a flexible heel core and a flexible foot core, the flexible heel core and flexible foot core being enclosed within the flexible shell in tandem relation to each other;

wherein said heel core comprises a first resilient, yieldable material and said foot core comprises a second resilient, yieldable material, with the first material being significantly more resilient and significantly less yieldable than the second material.

14. An ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 13, wherein said heel core comprises a first body of cellular foam having a first density, and said foot core comprises a second body of cellular foam having second density, wherein the first density is greater than the second density.

15. An ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 14, wherein the first density and the second density are in the range of about 3 pounds per cubic foot to about 8 pounds per cubic foot.

16. An ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 14, wherein the first density is about 8 pounds per cubic foot, and the second density is about 3 pounds per cubic foot.

17. An ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 14, wherein said first and second bodies of cellular foam comprise polyethylene.

18. An ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 13, including an inner sole disposed on the first planar surface of said foot plate, said inner sole comprising a body of cellular foam material having a hardness durometer of about 12 on the Shore "0" scale.

19. An ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 18, wherein said body of cellular foam material comprises microcellular urethane.

20. An ankle brace assembly for securing a patient'"'"'s ankle and foot against relative movement comprising, in combination:

a foot plate having a planar surface for supporting the patient'"'"'s foot;

lateral and medial side plates attached to said foot plate on opposite sides of said planar surface, said lateral and medial side plates projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;

lateral and medial brace members attached to said lateral and medial side plates, respectively, said lateral and medial brace members projecting upright with respect to said foot plate; and

,

said lateral and medial side plates each formed as one piece and having an anterior plate portion, a posterior plate portion, and an intermediate plate portion integrally formed with the anterior plate portion and the posterior plate portion, the posterior plate portion having a coupling plate portion projecting upright relative to the intermediate plate portion, and the intermediate plate portion of each side plate having an external edge which transitions along a continuous concave arch leading from the coupling plate portion to the anterior plate portion, the external edge becoming substantially straight at the coupling plate portion.

21. An ankle brace walker assembly comprising, in combination:

a foot plate having a first planar surface for supporting a patient'"'"'s foot and having a second planar surface for attachment to an outsole;

lateral and medial side plates attached to said foot plate on opposite sides of said first planar surface, said lateral and medial side plates projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;

lateral and medial brace members attached to said lateral and medial side plates, respectively, said lateral and medial brace members projecting upright with respect to said foot plate; and

,

a composite outsole attached to the second planar surface of said foot plate, said composite outsole including an elongated, flexible shell, a flexible heel core and a flexible foot core, the flexible heel core and the flexible foot core being enclosed within the flexible shell in tandem relation to each other, wherein said heel core comprises a first resilient, yieldable material and said foot core comprises a second resilient, yieldable material, with the first material being significantly more resilient and significantly less yieldable than the second material.

22. An ankle brace walker assembly comprising, in combination:

a foot plate having a first planar surface for supporting a patient'"'"'s foot and having a second planar surface for attachment to an outsole;

an outsole attached to the second planar surface of said foot plate;

lateral and medial side plates attached to said foot plate on opposite sides of said first planar surface, said lateral and medial side plates projecting upright with respect to said foot plate;

lateral and medial brace members attached to said lateral and medial side plates, respectively, said lateral and medial brace members projecting upright with respect to said foot plate; and

,

said lateral and medial side plates each formed as a single piece and having an anterior plate portion, a posterior plate portion, and an intermediate plate portion integrally formed with the posterior plate portion and the anterior plate portion, each posterior plate portion having a coupling plate portion projecting upright relative to the intermediate plate portion, each side plate having an external edge which transitions along a continuous concave arch leading from the coupling plate portion to the anterior plate portion, the external edge becoming substantially straight and perpendicular to the foot plate along the coupling plate portion beyond the concave arch.

23. A protective wrap for fitting about the foot, ankle and lower leg of a patient comprising a single unitary sheet of resilient padding material having a leg enclosure section for wrapping around the lower leg and extending from below the knee joint to approximately the instep region of the foot above the ankle, an L-shaped ankle enclosure section for wrapping about the ankle, and a foot enclosure section, said protective wrap having a continuous front opening extending its full length so that the front portion of the wrap can open apart continuously from an upper opening at the top of the wrap, along the ankle enclosure section and the foot enclosure section of the wrap, to a lower opening near the end of the foot section, with one side of the upper enclosure section being formed as a flexible upper wrap to overlap the opposite side along the front opening to form a long, straight closure extending along the front of the leg enclosure section, one side of the foot enclosure section being formed as a flexible lower flap to form a closure extending along the top of the foot section, with the foot enclosure section being joined to the leg enclosure section by a heel flap portion, said heel flap transitioning through substantially a right angle from the foot wrap portion to the leg wrap portion, and having an apex portion secured to the leg wrap portion and the foot wrap portion along a bifurcated seam.

24. A protective wrap as defined in claim 23, wherein the resilient padding material is a composite lamination comprising an open cell polyester foam core sandwiched between an outer layer of brushed nylon fabric and an inner layer of polyester fabric.

25. An ankle brace walker assembly comprising:

a foot plate having a first surface for supporting a patient'"'"'s foot and a second surface for attachment to an outsole;

a pair of side plates attached to said foot plate on opposite sides of said first surface, said side plates projecting from said first surface;

a pair of brace members attached respectively to one of said side plates and projecting from said foot plate in the same direction as said side plates; and

a composite outsole attached to the second surface of said foot plate, said composite outsole having a thickness substantially greater than the thickness of the associated foot plate in order to provide enhanced cushioning to the walker assembly and having an elongated, flexible shell, a flexible heel core and a flexible foot core enclosed within the flexible shell in tandem relationship with each other, said heel core comprising a resilient, yieldable material and said foot core comprising a resilient, yieldable material, with the heel core material being relatively hard as compared to the foot core material.

26. The ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 25 further comprising:

an inner sole disposed on the first surface of said foot plate; and

the thickness of the foot plate substantially reduced as compared to the thickness of said inner sole and said composite outsole whereby the overall thickness of said inner sole, said footplate, and said composite outsole may be minimized.

27. The ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 25, wherein said composite outsole extends over the second surface and provides resilient means for substantially equalizing the vertical support of said patient'"'"'s feet.

28. The ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 25, further comprising the foot plate, side plates and brace members having approximately the same thickness with respect to each other.

29. The ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 25, wherein said heel core comprises a body of cellular foam, and said foot core comprises a body of cellular foam, the density of the cellular foam in said heel core being greater than the density of the cellular foam in said foot core.

30. The ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 29, wherein the density of the cellular foam material in the heel core and the density of the cellular foam material in the foot core are in the range of from about 3 pounds per cubic foot to about 8 pounds per cubic foot.

31. The ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 29, wherein said bodies of cellular foam comprise polyethylene.

32. The ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 25, further comprising:

an inner sole disposed on the first surface of said foot plate; and

said inner sole and said composite outsole cooperating to provide additional resilient means for substantially equalizing the vertical support of said patient'"'"'s feet.

33. The ankle brace walker assembly as defined in claim 32, wherein said inner sole further comprises a body of cellular foam material.