Patent Application
20080208094
This invention relates to orthotic devices for the treatment of plantar fasciitis with support and adjustment features which enhance the comfort, adjustability and support provided by the device. Plantar fasciitis is a medical condition characterized by inflammation of the plantar fascia (i.e., thick tissue on the bottom of the foot) that causes heel pain and disability. More specifically, the plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that covers the bones on the bottom of the foot and extends from the base of the heel bone to each of the toes of the foot. Plantar fasciitis results when, either suddenly or gradually, motion or lack of arch support causes the flattening of the arch or the spreading of the toes such that sufficient pressure is exerted on the bottom of the foot to tear the plantar fascia. Injury often occurs as the result of hyperextension of the toes in the upward direction during exercise. Plantar fasciitis can be debilitating in that everyday activities such as walking and standing are painful. Typically, most pain is experienced in the heel area, where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel and where tears and separations often occur. Plantar fasciitis is most efficiently treated by wearing a foot support designed to heal the condition while permitting the user to remain relatively mobile.
Some plantar fasciitis supports are designed for use only when the patient is resting (i.e., when little or no weight is applied to the injured foot). Other plantar fasciitis supports, such as the present invention, can be worn by the patient during limited activity (e.g., walking to and from bed) as well as when at rest.
Known supports are often too bulky to be readily worn with footwear, or too flimsy to provide adequate support. Other known supports provide inadequate adjustment or, when provided, the manner of adjustment requires various mechanical devices. The present invention provides an orthotic device for the treatment of plantar fasciitis which addresses these problems.
The invention is an orthotic device 10 for a lower leg having a body member 11 that engages portions of the lower leg and foot, a flexible sheet member 15 that secures the body member to the leg and foot, and a manually adjustable stabilizing member 14 fixed to sections of the body member. In particular, upper and lower sections of the stabilizing member 14 and body member 11 are adjustable by a user. By manually adjusting the stabilizing member 14, the user may select a desired angle between the relative positions of the upper and lower sections 12, 13 of the body member 11. Providing a manually adjustable stabilizing member 14 in the body member 11 facilitates the ease of adjusting the desired angle of the foot relative to the leg. Advantageously, the stabilizing member 14 is sufficiently rigid to resist movement during limited activity such as walking from one room of a house to another.
The body member 11 can be formed from plastic while the stabilizing member 14 can be formed from any number of semi-rigid materials such as metal or alloy. The body member 11 may be covered with cloth or similar textile material. The sheet member 15 can be formed from an elastomeric material.
More specifically, the orthotic device of the invention includes a body member 11 having an upper section 12 for engaging an anterior portion of the lower leg and a lower section 13 for engaging a dorsal portion of a foot, a manually adjustable stabilizing member 14 fixed to portions of the upper and lower sections 12, 13 of the body member 11, and a flexible sheet member 15 for adjustably securing the body member against the lower leg and foot. In one embodiment, the flexible sheet member 15 has one portion fixed to an upper section 12 of the body member 11 and another portion removably attachable to the upper section 12 of the body member 11. Further, the flexible sheet member 15 may define at least one opening 23 for receiving portions of a heel.
The orthotic device of the invention may also include a pair of rear or heel tensioning arms 25, 26 and a pair of front or foot tensioning arms 30, 31. The pair of heel tensioning arms 25, 26 is positioned at opposing sides of the opening 23 in the flexible sheet member 15. The pair of foot tensioning arms 30, 31 is positioned at opposite sides of a lower portion of the flexible sheet member 15. The heel and foot tensioning arms 25, 26, 30, 31 are removably attachable to the body member 11 with fasteners 22, thus permitting a user to adjustably secure the device 10 to the lower leg and foot.
In one embodiment, the orthotic device 10 may further provide a pair of flexible panels 24 that connect lower portions of the sheet member 15 to edges of the lower section 13 of the body member 11. As configured, the panels 24 position lower portions of the sheet member 15 against a lower portion of the foot.
The orthotic device may further include a base pad 32 fixed to a lower portion of the flexible sheet member 15 such that the base pad 32 is positioned substantially adjacent to the pair of flexible panels 24. In particular, the base pad 32 is positioned substantially adjacent to the lower section 13 of the body member 11 such that the base pad 32 engages a lower portion of the foot. In this embodiment, the flexible panels 24 promote initial fitment of the device on the foot and the base pad 32 provides cushioning for the lower foot during limited activity.
Thus, the invention provides, among other benefits, an adjustable stabilizing member 14 that permits a user to manually adjust the angle of the upper section 12 of the body member 11 relative to the lower section 13 of the body member, thereby maintaining a desired position of the foot relative to the lower leg during rest and limited activity. Moreover, the invention provides heel and foot tensioning arms 25, 26, 30, 31 that adjustably secure the device to the lower leg and foot of the wearer. The combination of the adjustable stabilizing member 14 and the semi-rigid body member 11 of the invention promotes ease of adjustment and improved support lacking in known orthotic devices.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention and the manner in which the same are accomplished will become clearer based on the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which multiple embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Further, like numbers with the prime notation refer to like or similar elements of the structure.
An overall view of an embodiment of an orthotic device of the invention is set forth at 10 in the perspective views of
As illustrated in
The body member 11 has an external surface 20 and an internal surface 21. With reference to the orientation of the brace in
The external surface 20 of the body member 11 may include fasteners 22 for removably attaching a portion of the flexible sheet member 15 to a portion of the external surface 20 of the body member 11. With respect to the term “fasteners”, although hook-and-loop fasteners are illustrated, it should be recognized that other fasteners could be used, if desired, although not necessarily with equivalent results. Fasteners include a wide variety of devices for securing the components of the orthotic device 10. Thus, a fastener includes a hook-and-loop fastener, snaps, lace and strings, or any other element or combination of elements capable of securing various components, alone or in combination with other fastener elements, to other components of the orthotic device 10.
In one novel aspect of the present invention, the stabilizing member 14 is adjustable (i.e., bendable) and fixed to portions of the upper and lower sections 12, 13 of the body member 11. In one embodiment, the stabilizing member 14 is elongate and extends the length of a portion of the upper and lower sections 12, 13 of the body member 11. As depicted in
Accordingly, the device provides a novel combination of a body member 11, sheet member 15, and a stabilizing member 14, wherein the stabilizing member is manually adjustable yet sufficiently rigid to resist movement during wear. Stated differently and referring to
In practice, the flexible sheet member 15 adjustably secures the body member 11 against the lower leg and foot as illustrated in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In more detail, the first heel tensioning arm 25 is positioned at one side of the opening 23 in the flexible sheet member 15 and the second heel tensioning arm 26 is positioned at an opposite side of the opening 23. In other words, a pair of rear or heel tensioning arms 25, 26 is positioned at opposing sides of the opening 23 in the flexible sheet member 15.
Still referring to
As illustrated in
The orthotic device further provides a base pad 32 fixed to a lower portion of the flexible sheet member 15. The base pad 32 engages a lower portion of the foot as illustrated in
Referring to
Accordingly, a user may adjustably secure the orthotic device 10 to the leg and foot. Specifically, the user places a front portion of the foot between the lower section 13 of the body member 11 and the base pad 32 such that the flexible panels 24 draw the body member against the anterior portion of the lower leg and the dorsal portion of the foot. Next, the user applies the flexible sheet member 15 against the lower leg and foot such that the opening 23 in the sheet member 15 receives the heel, and the flexible sheet member surrounds the posterior portions of the lower leg. Subsequently, the user releasably secures the flexible sheet member 15 to the exterior surface of the body member 11 with fasteners 22 provided. During adjustment, the user draws the foot tensioning arms 30, 31 upward and against the external surface 20 of the lower section 13 of the body member 11, and releasably secures the foot tensioning arms 30, 31 to the body member 11 at a desired amount of support. In addition, the user may draw the heel tensioning arms 25, 26 against the body member 11 and secure the arms thereto at a desired amount of support. Before or after initial fitment of the orthotic device 10 to the leg and foot, the user may manually adjust the stabilizing member 14 to achieve a desired angle of support (e.g., a or a′) as depicted in
In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed typical embodiments on the invention and, although specific terms have been employed, they have been used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.
