The invention relates to a method for producing an artificial foot which, in a longitudinal direction, has a medial plane in which a nominal foot length is defined as a distance from a heel to a foot tip of a natural foot replaced by the artificial foot, and which is designed with a top connector piece for the torsionally rigid connection of a foot insert extending substantially along the length of the foot, and which, seen along the length, bears on two contact surfaces, of which a first heel-side contact surface is located in the heel area and a second ball-side contact surface is located in the ball area, and which is designed such that the connector part is connected to the contact surfaces of the foot part by spring connections.
Artificial feet of this kind are known in numerous designs. They have been optimized in many respects. An important function of an artificial foot is to ensure the most natural possible gait in the walking cycle, the aim being to give the prosthesis wearer a secure feeling when walking. In addition, the artificial foot is intended to permit a stance that is as stable as possible and that feels secure.
It has been found that artificial feet can be produced which are particularly suitable for the walking cycle but which do not give a secure feeling when standing on the artificial foot. By contrast, if the artificial foot is optimized for standing, the gait is adversely affected by an insecure feeling during walking.
The object of the present invention is therefore to make available a method for producing an artificial foot, by which means a good gait and also a secure feeling when standing are imparted by the artificial foot.
The present invention proceeds from the recognition that, in a natural leg with a natural foot, the resulting force vector (body vector) formed by the ground reaction forces lies some distance in front of the ankle joint acting as the point of load introduction from the lower leg to the foot. It is therefore known in principle to provide a corresponding construction for artificial feet too, in other words to arrange the body vector resulting from a vectorial sum of ground reaction forces in front of a load introduction axis via which weight forces are introduced into the artificial foot. Since the load introduction into the artificial foot does not then take place in a line extending through the joint axis, a torque occurs across the horizontal distance lever in the joints at the change-over from the unloaded foot to the foot loaded by the weight.
According to the invention, in order to solve the abovementioned problem, a method for producing an artificial foot of the type mentioned at the outset is characterized by
a) designing the curved contact surfaces to an approximately linear contact surface on a support,
b) positioning a body vector as resulting force vector of the ground reaction forces occurring on the contact surfaces in the rest state in a range between 40% and 48% of the nominal foot length, measured from the heel,
c) loading the foot with weight loads between 25% of the minimal permissible and 80% of the maximum permissible body weight, and
d) adapting the spring connections between the connector part and the contact surfaces in such a way that, during the loading according to method step d), the body vector shifts by less than ±4% of the nominal foot length.
The present invention is based on the concept that a secure feeling when the prosthesis wearer is standing presupposes that the resulting force vector (body vector) from the ground reaction forces occurring on the contact surfaces should not substantially change its position in the longitudinal direction when the load on the artificial foot varies. Such a change in the body vector takes place in the known set-ups of artificial feet. According to the invention, the spring connections between the connector part and the contact surfaces of the foot part are adapted to each other in such a way that, when the load on the artificial foot varies, the body vector does not substantially shift in the longitudinal direction, i.e. does not exceed a variation of ±4%, preferably of ±2%. It is also important in the present invention that the body vector is located within a predetermined range, namely between 40 and 48% of the nominal foot length, measured from the heel, the optimal setting being 44%, if appropriate ±1%.
Designing the curved contact surfaces to an approximately linear contact surface on a support has the purpose of ensuring defined contact surfaces which, when the weight shifts in the sagittal plane, do not lead to a change, or lead only to a very slight change, in the position of the contact surface in the longitudinal direction (in the sagittal plane). The linear contact surface can therefore also be formed by punctiform contact surfaces that form a resulting line.
It has been shown that an artificial foot produced according to the invention provides a secure feel when standing, corresponding to the feel when standing on a healthy foot. In addition, the artificial foot produced according to the invention can be readily designed to give a natural and secure feel when the prosthesis wearer is walking.
It is preferable overall if the body vector resulting from the ground reaction forces remains between 42 and 46% of the nominal foot length.
A resting state arises when the body is upright and the body load is distributed uniformly on both feet, such that the musculature is stressed only slightly. Measurements of the line of gravity in the resting state have shown that the body vector, starting from the center of the head (auditory canal), runs 1 cm anterior of the vertebral body L4 to a point 1.5 to 5 cm in front of the upper part of the ankle joint. The resting state is not completely stable since slight compensating movements occur, which take place approximately 4 to 6 times per second with variations of up to 5 mm in the lateral direction and of up to approximately 8 mm in the anterior and posterior directions.
The artificial foot produced according to the invention can be made in several designs.
In a first embodiment, the foot insert can have a core and can be connected to the contact surfaces via elastic pieces. The core can in this case be inelastic, although it can also have a predetermined elasticity, which in particular decreases along the length of the foot part in the direction of the toe area.
The elastic pieces can be made of elastically compressible material and form the curved contact surfaces. Alternatively, it is possible to insert springs as elastic pieces between the contact surfaces and the core.
In a development of this embodiment, the connector part can be connected to the core via a joint which, upon loading starting from the rest state, permits an elastically damped rotation of the connector part relative to the heel-side contact surface. This embodiment permits an extended plantar flexion of the foot. This plantar flexion is preferably limited by a flexible and preferably inelastic limiting means in the direction of expansion of the spring.
It is also possible for the foot insert to be designed, substantially or completely without a rigid core, as a spring combination that has a spring extending to the heel-side contact surface and a spring extending to the ball-side contact surface, wherein the springs are connected to each other on the connector part. In another embodiment of this design principle, the springs can be connected to each other at the ground side via a further spring, which extends along the length of the foot part.
The springs of the spring combination are preferably formed by leaf springs.
In all cases, it is essential to the present invention that the elasticities between the contact surfaces and the connector part are adapted to each other such that the constant position according to the invention of the center of gravity defined by the ground reaction forces is ensured within the specified range.
The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of illustrative embodiments depicted in the drawing, in which:
The weight is distributed via the foot part 2 on two curved contact surfaces 6, 7, of which a ball-side contact surface 6 is designed approximately at the level of the ball of the foot, and a heel-side contact surface 7 is designed approximately at the level of the heel of the foot. The ball-side contact surface 6 is provided for placing on a support 8, while the heel-side contact surface 7 is designed to be placed on the support 8 via a standard heel height 9.
The artificial foot is constructed with a set-up reference point A through which the structural body vector of the prosthesis is intended to pass when the foot is not loaded. The artificial foot has a medial plane M, which is illustrated in
The artificial foot has a nominal length l corresponding to the length of the natural foot that is to be replaced by the artificial foot.
The nominal length l runs in the medial plane M from the projection of the tip of the great toe to the projection of the heel.
In the foot according to the invention, the set-up reference point A lies at a distance of 0.44×l from the rear heel end. When the foot is loaded vertically, the force vector resulting from the ground reaction forces on the contact surfaces 6, 7 should be located within an area d, which has a radius of 0.04×l about the set-up reference point A, i.e. has a diameter of 2×0.04×l.
An artificial foot is designed for a weight range of a patient that ranges from a lower nominal weight mU to an upper nominal weight mO. The force vector resulting from the ground reaction forces on the contact surfaces 6, 7 should remain within the tolerance range d at a weight load of 0.25×mU to 0.8 mO.
The effect of the foot according to the invention is based on adapting the spring connection between the contact lines of the contact surfaces 6, 7 and the set-up reference point A. This ratio thus remains the same, such that the adaptation of the spring paths for the nominal heel height (
a1×F1˜a2×F2.
This condition, just like the condition that the distance x of the body vector from the set-up reference point A should be <d/2, applies as follows for the changing load with
0.25×mU< <0.8 mO
This changing load is effected in the “simulated stance” mentioned below.
The compliance with the condition according to the invention is checked using a test for a simulated stance, as is shown in
Whereas separate sliding bearings 12, 13 are provided in the arrangement according to
In a similar way in this illustrative embodiment, the curvature of the ball-side contact surface 106 is also determined by the fact that a pressure-elastic ball, cushion 122 is attached to the underside of the core 120. The elasticities of the heel cushion 121 and of the ball cushion 122 are adapted to each other in such a way as to meet the condition according to the invention whereby, upon loading of the artificial foot at between 0.25×mU and 0.8×mO, the resulting force vector of the ground reaction forces is intended to lie within the tolerance area d.
In the second embodiment of a foot according to the invention as shown in
The third embodiment of a foot according to the invention as shown in
In the fourth embodiment as shown in
In the heel area, the spring 431 serves to secure the heel cushion 421 on the underside, to hold the dorsal abutment 429 and also to mount the damping cushion 428 on the top of the spring 431.
The fifth embodiment as shown in
In the sixth embodiment of a foot produced according to the invention, as shown in
The forefoot spring 632 extends with a slight concave curvature from the connector surface 603 into the ball area and, with the curved design in the longitudinal direction in said ball area, determines the ball-side contact surface 6. From there, the forefoot spring 632 extends with an approximately rectilinear end into the toe area 624.
From the bearing surface 603, the heel spring 633 extends with a rearwardly directed curvature into the heel area and, with the corresponding curved design in the longitudinal direction in said heel area, forms the heel-side contact surface 7.
The spring hardness of the forefoot spring 632 and the spring hardness of the heel spring 633 are adapted to each other in such a way that the foot part 602 formed by the spring combination satisfies the condition according to the invention for the constant position of the center of gravity of the ground reaction forces.
The seventh embodiment of a foot produced according to the invention, as shown in
The sole spring is shaped in such a way that it adapts to the curved design of the heel spring 733 in the area of the heel-side contact surface 7 and to the curved design of the forefoot spring in the area of the ball-side contact surface 6. Between these, the sole spring 734 has a convex curvature in order to connect the contact surfaces 6, 7 like a bridge. The additional sole spring 734 ensures a more uniform distribution of the deformation energy to the forefoot spring 732 and the heel spring 733 upon loading during the walking cycle. Here too, the spring combination of the foot part 702 is adapted such that the constant position according to the invention of the resulting force vector of the ground reaction forces (body vector) is maintained.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2008 060 177 | Dec 2008 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/DE2009/001703 | 12/1/2009 | WO | 00 | 5/31/2011 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2010/063274 | 6/10/2010 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20110230976 A1 | Sep 2011 | US |