Patent Application
20140296762
The present disclosure relates generally to orthopedic walking boots.
It is common that people, especially active and/or frail people, experience a variety of lower leg and ankle injuries. To aid in the treatment of the injuries it is desirable to immobilize the injury, typically above and below the affected joint.
Physicians traditionally place a patient's leg in a short leg cast, which is a cast that begins at the patient's toes and ends below the patient's knee. Generally, casts retain heat, cause an itching sensation on the skin, and rub against the leg after swelling of the leg subsides.
An alternative to the short leg cast is an orthopedic walking boot, or a premanufactured orthopedic walking boot, that is made of a rigid plastic frame lined with a soft component (e.g., a soft padding) to accommodate the leg comfortably. Often, the liner, or soft component, may house a series of air bladders that can be adjusted by the patient to improve the fit and help compress the swelling to reduce pain and increase stability. The orthopedic walking boots can be removed to treat skin problems, such as, to remove sutures or conduct passive range of motion exercises. Short leg casts do not offer the luxury of easy on/off.
An orthopedic walking boot is primarily a rigid encasing that envelopes the leg and immobilizes the foot and ankle at a neutral position (e.g., the foot extends 90 degrees relative to the leg). The patient can walk easiest if the ankle is fixed at 90 degrees. At angles other than 90 degrees the patient will be walking on the toes or on the heel. The sole of the foot is generally curved from front to back in a rocker bottom fashion. The curvature of the sole provides a smoother stride from front to back allowing the heel to strike the ground first, followed by a rocking of foot forward, and finally a push off on the toes for a successful step.
Aspects of an orthopedic walking boot may include a base to support a user's foot; a support assembly extending from the base to support the user's lower leg; an outer sole; and a shock absorber insert arranged with the base and the outer sole to provide shock absorption to the user's foot.
The shock absorber insert may be arranged along a section of the base configured to support the user's plantar portion of the heel. The shock absorber insert may be located between the base and the outer sole. The shock absorber insert may include a plurality of ribs and the outer sole comprises a plurality of apertures. The ribs may extend into the apertures. The outer sole may include an outer surface. The ribs may extend through the apertures beyond the outer surface. The shock absorber insert may be located in the pocket. The shock absorber insert may include a perimeter rib. The pocket may comprise a channel configured to mate with the perimeter rib. The shock absorber insert may include a plurality of apertures. The outer sole may extend through the apertures towards the base. The outer sole may include a durometer, and the shock absorber insert comprises a durometer lower than the outer sole's durometer. The shock absorber insert may include a plurality of sections. Each of the sections may comprise a different durometer. The shock absorber insert may include a plurality of discreet shock absorbing elements. The base may include a plurality of apertures cooperating with the shock absorber insert. The base may include a pocket and the absorber insert may be located in the pocket. The shock absorber insert may include a perimeter rib, and the pocket may include a channel configured to mate with the perimeter rib. The shock absorber insert may include a plurality of apertures, and the outer sole may extend through the apertures towards the base. The outer sole may include a durometer, and the shock absorber insert may include a durometer lower than the outer sole's durometer. The shock absorber insert may include a plurality of sections, where each of the sections comprises a different durometer. The shock absorber insert may include a plurality of discreet shock absorbing elements.
Another aspect of an orthopedic walking boot may include a base to support a user's foot; a support assembly extending from the base to support the user's lower leg; an insole plate; and one or more shock absorber pins between the base and the insole plate to provide shock absorption to the user's foot.
The base may include a footbed having one or more apertures, each of the one or more shock absorber pins may be supported by a different one of the apertures. Each of the one or more shock absorber pins may include a head and a shaft. The shaft for each of the one or more shock absorber pins may be inserted into the aperture supporting it with the head engaging the insole plate. Each of the one or more shock absorber pins may include a head having a spherical, a cylindrical donut, a pyramid, a trapezoidal, or a serrated trapezoidal shape.
Various aspects of the present invention will be described herein with reference to drawings that are schematic illustrations of idealized configurations of the present invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, the various aspects of the present invention presented throughout this disclosure should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of elements (e.g., regions, layers, sections, substrates, etc.) illustrated and described herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. Thus, the elements illustrated in the drawings are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of an element and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, unless intentionally described as such.
It will be understood that when an element such as a region, layer, section, or the like, is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will be further understood that when an element such as a structure is referred to as being coupled to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. Similarly, two elements may be mechanically coupled by being either directly physically connected, or intervening connecting elements may be present. It will be further understood that when an element is referred to as being “formed” on another element, it can be deposited, attached, connected, coupled, or otherwise prepared or fabricated on the other element or an intervening element.
Furthermore, relative terms, such as “lower” or “bottom” and “upper” or “top,” may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another element as illustrated in the drawings. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of an apparatus in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. By way of example, if the orientation of an orthopedic walking boot shown in the drawings is turned over, elements described as being on the “lower” side of other elements would then be oriented on the “upper” side of the other elements. The term “lower”, can therefore, encompass both an orientation of “lower” and “upper,” depending of the particular orientation of the orthopedic walking boot. Similarly, if the orientation of an orthopedic walking boot shown in the drawing is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements would then be oriented “above” the other elements. The terms “below” or “beneath” can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of above and below.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure.
It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various aspects of the present invention and is not intended to represent all aspects in which the present invention may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the present invention.
Various aspects of the present invention may provide an orthopedic walking boot that may be fitted around the leg to provide support and allow ambulation for the affected limb.
Reference to various ranges may be used to describe certain aspects of the present invention. By way of example, a range may be used to describe variations of the bonding force at different points on an outer sole to describe an evenly distributed bonding of the outer sole to the base of the orthopedic walking boot. By way of an example, an outer sole which provides evenly distributed bonding to the base of the orthopedic walking boot may exhibit a narrower tolerance band of force values at all x,y coordinates on the bonding surface than tolerance band of any other attachment method of the outer sole to the base of the orthopedic walking boot.
People often experience injuries to the lower leg and ankle For example, blunt trauma, sports injuries and common falls are the primary causes. Injuries such as fractures of the bones or soft tissue injuries (e.g., ligamentous tears) have similar symptoms. Swelling, pain and inability to ambulate without support are expected and predictable. Some injuries need to be immobilized for a period of time for the injury to heal. The time required for ligamentous injuries to heal is similar to the time required for fractures to heal. A period of 4 to 6 weeks of immobilization is common. Different injuries require different rehab times and regimes.
Aspects of the present invention are directed to orthopedic walking boots. In an aspect of the prevention invention, an orthopedic walking boot may include bilateral struts which connect a base of the orthopedic walking boot to an upper portion of the orthopedic walking boot. The struts may be rigid and provided on either side of the leg. The bilateral struts may be held onto the limb with strapping systems that encircle at least a portion of the limb. In another aspect, the base may be attached a posterior piece which extends from the foot to the back of the leg and calf forming a clamshell configuration. In the clamshell configuration, a single piece encompasses the side of the leg (similar to the bilateral configuration) as well as the rear of the leg. The orthopedic walking boot may include an adjoining anterior piece that joins or overlaps the posterior piece and is held on by a traditional strapping system or with mechanical attachment mechanism. In another aspect, the orthopedic walking boot may comprise a “hybrid” configuration (also referred herein as a “multi-sectioned” configuration). In the hybrid configuration, the base may be attached to the bilateral struts of the bilateral configuration and also attached a separate/non-integral posterior element that encompasses the rear of leg (similar to the rear portion of the clamshell). In this manner, the bilateral struts surround the side of the legs while the separate posterior portion encompasses the rear of the leg. Thus, the hybrid configuration achieves a similar result as the clamshell with multiple sections, hence, “multi-sectioned.”
In an aspect, the orthopedic walking boot may be configured such that the portion that receives the user's foot (e.g., the base portion) extends at 90° degrees or at substantially 90° relative to a longitudinal axis of the portion that receives the user's leg (e.g., the upper portion). In another aspect, the orthopedic walking boot may include two struts rising from the base. The orthopedic walking boot may further include a soft component within the constraints of the struts and on top of the base. The soft component may be held by straps.
Patients who have recently been placed into an orthopedic walking boot by their doctor likely experienced acute trauma in their lower extremities, and may experience swelling and in many cases, intense pain. For these new patients, each step in an orthopedic walker may bring strong discomfort. With each stride of the patient, the orthopedic walking boot contacts the floor with a particular speed and momentum, creating a certain amount of deceleration force. The higher the downward velocity of the walker boot just before impact, the larger the impulse reaction, defined as the change of acceleration over time. Injured patients impact acutely, as it almost always results in pain to the injured area.
In an orthopedic walking boot there are generally two discreet zones that transfer the force of an impact to the wearer. One zone relates to the impact between the outer sole of the walker and the floor surface. The second zone relates to the impact between the foot of the patient and the insole of the walker boot. Both zones are important when considering patient pain.
An effective shock absorbing system may function without any degradation of primary functional aspects of the walker such as gait and overall mobility. In addition, key mechanical properties of the outer sole such as wear resistance and grip may be maintained in the regions of the walker that require these properties.
The amount of impact that can be absorbed by the base and outer sole may depend on several factors, some of which include the patient's weight, the durometer of each material included in the assembly, position of the shock element on the walker base as well as other factors.
As will be described in further detail below, the primary impact zone is located at the heel section of the outer sole, and absorbs the impact of the walker boot as the heel section of the outer sole strikes the surface upon which the patient is walking.
One aspect of the present invention creates a hybrid strike zone by combining two parts together into one assembly comprising the soft shock absorbing qualities of a lower durometer material with the wear resistant qualities of a higher durometer material. The materials may be in any number of material categories, including but not limited to thermoplastic elastomer (hereinafter “TPE”), thermoplastic polyurethane (hereinafter “TPU”), thermoplastic vulcanizate (hereinafter “TPV”), silicones, rubbers, gels, and the like.
In another aspect, the shock absorber insert 102 may be located outside of the outer sole 101. In a further aspect, the shock absorber insert 102 may be located on a front and/or rear section of underside of the base 104. In yet another aspect, the orthopedic walking boot may include a plurality of separate/distinct shock absorber inserts attached to the outer sole. Furthermore, the shock absorber insert 102 may comprise a plurality of sections having various durometers. In another aspect, the shock absorber insert may be replaceable to allow for the use of different shock absorber inserts having different durometers. The ability to replace the shock absorber insert having different durometers accommodates different weights of patients with the same base. The shock absorber insert 102 comprise a substantially lower durometer than the outer sole 101 and may be permanently attached to the base 104 by various methods including, but not limited to, overmolding, adhesives, interference fits, mechanical fasteners, welding, and the like. In an example aspect the outer sole may have a Shore A durometer of 60 A and the shock absorber insert may have a Shore A durometer of 30.
In one aspect, the shock absorber insert may be disposed completely inside the outer sole and is not visible to the consumer (e.g., if the outer sole does not have apertures). Additionally, the a shock absorber insert may be located in the general area of the heel, in the general area of the toes or front of the foot, or may be configured as a plurality of shock absorber inserts, located anywhere on the walking surface of the orthopedic walking boot. Furthermore, a distribution of a plurality of discreet shock absorber inserts may be envisioned, where a shock absorber insert in one area of the walker is complemented by other shock absorber inserts of different durometers, to address for instance, the different shock absorbing requirements in different zones of the walker.
The shock absorber insert 102 may include one or more through holes 109, while the base 104 may include a corresponding number of through holes 105. The through holes 105, 109 may be disposed such that when the shock absorber insert 102 is placed in the pocket 108, the holes 105, 109 align. With this configuration, when the outer sole 101 is overmolded onto the base 104, the molten resin of the outer sole will flow through the holes 105, 109, and harden into a shape resembling the geometry of a nail, thereby securing the shock absorber insert 102 between the outer sole 101 and the base 104. The overmolding process may also prevent the shock absorber insert 102 from moving out of position due to the chemical bond between the outer sole 101 and the base 104. An additional utility of the perimeter rib/groove system is that it creates a sealing surface which prevents the molten overmold material used to create the outer sole from passing around the shock absorber insert and into the cavity of the base.
In another aspect, the shock absorber insert may not have through holes, in which case corresponding through holes need not be present on the base. In this aspect, the shock absorber insert may be coupled to the base within the pocket by an adhesive.
In another aspect, the portion of the base surrounding the through holes 111, for example the crossbars 112, may include projecting posts (not shown). The projecting posts may extend from the underside surface of the base (i.e., the surface shown in
In another aspect, as best seen in
Another impact zone that affects patient pain is referred to as the secondary impact zone. Previously disclosed configurations have included an insole plate which is attached to the inside foot-bed of a rigid walker base. The insole plate has features a thickness of closed cell foam adhesively attached to the patient-facing surface, which cushions the foot of the injured patient. While this type of approach can absorb some of the impact imparted to the leg of the patient from contact with the insole plate, these foam cushions can experience a “compression set” which is a permanent deformation of the foam over time. The deformation over time reduces the efficacy of the secondary shock absorbing system. Furthermore, similar to automobile suspensions, a good shock absorbing system may include multiple shock absorbing areas.
In one aspect, the shock absorber pins 304 may be manually inserted into a corresponding receiver 305 located proximally to the footbed 302. The pins may be permanently attached via by adhesive bonding, mechanical fastening, interference fits, and the like. In another aspect, the pins may be formed as part of the process of overmolding the outer sole to the base.
The claims are not intended to be limited to the various aspects of this disclosure, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims. It is noted that specific illustrative embodiments of the invention have been shown in the drawings and described in detail hereinabove. It is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.”
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 61/802,024, filed Mar. 15, 2013 and 61/916,086, filed Dec. 13, 2013, which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61802024 | Mar 2013 | US | |
| 61916086 | Dec 2013 | US |
