Short leg walker

• US 5,833,639 A
• Filed: 10/04/1996
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DJO LLC (Enovis Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Johnson and Johnson Professional Inc (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Brian, Harkins, Jack R., Nunes, Victor M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): POTHIER, DENISE M
• Application Number:
  US08/726,249
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 602/5, 602/6, 602/13, 602/23, 602/27, 128/882, 128/DIG. 20
• US Class Current: 602/23
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0111 for the feet or ankles
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/012 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/34 Pressure pads filled with air or liquid valves specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; valves per se F16K

Abstract

There is disclosed a short leg walker comprising a rigid sole and calf shell and an articulated rigid skin and dorsal shell. The shells are padded at some locations with a non-inflatable padding such as foam or a fiber padding and at other locations with an inflatable bladder and a second bladder between the inflatable bladder and the limb of the patient. The second bladder is responsive to deforming pressure exerted on it and will maintain its support of the limb when the pressure is removed.

Claims

1. A lower leg immobilizing walker comprising a first semi-rigid open shell having a sole portion and an attached calf and ankle portion and a second open semi-rigid shell comprising a shin portion and an instep portion flexibly connected to the shin portion, said first and second shells adapted to overlap to fit together and surround the lower leg and foot of the wearer, said sole portion having an interior and exterior surface, a soft flexible orthotic insert overlying at least a major portion of the interior surface of the sole portion, an elastomeric sole underlying a major portion of the exterior surface of the sole portion and having a hard exterior surface, a first padding secured to the medial, lateral and posterior interior surfaces of said first shell to provide supporting contact for the calf of the wearer, a second padding secured to an interior surface of the shin portion of the second shell to contact the shin and instep of the wearer, said first and second padding each including an expandable bladder connected to air pumps capable of inflating said bladders and said first and second padding, each including a second bladder containing microspheres in a lubricant on the surface of the expandable bladder facing the limb of the wearer, and multiple straps attached to said shells to secure the first and second shells together and secure said walker to leg of the wearer.

2. The walker of claim 1 in which there is an edge around the periphery of each of the shells and in which the edges of the instep portion of the second shell fit within the edges of the sole portion of the first shell and the edges of the calf portion of the first shell fit within edges of the shin portion of the second shell when the walker is secured to the leg of the wearer.