Surgery: splint – brace – or bandage – Orthopedic bandage – Splint or brace
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-29
2001-08-07
Lewis, Kim M. (Department: 3761)
Surgery: splint, brace, or bandage
Orthopedic bandage
Splint or brace
C602S065000, C036S114000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270468
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved shoe, ankle orthosis and method for protecting the ankle. More specifically, an athletic shoe, particularly a high-top tennis shoe, is disclosed which eliminates or reduces shoe rollover and inversion ankle injury while not restricting normal motion of the foot during gait, running and jumping.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Inversion and eversion ankle injuries are common in all athletic endeavors. Eversion ankle joint injuries account for ten percent (10%) of ankle injuries and inversion ankle injuries occur ninety percent (90%) of the time. These injuries are a result of the ankle joint or subtalar joint being forced beyond their normal ranges (arcs) of motion causing a tearing or stretching of the lateral collateral talo fibular and/or calcaneo-fibular ligaments. In extreme cases of force and trauma, avulsion of the lateral malleolus and oblique or vertical fractures of the medial malleolus may result. These injuries may happen from the athlete stopping abruptly while cutting laterally, or by his/her stepping with the medial side of the foot on a player's foot or ball. Once these ligaments have been stretched these injuries can and do become chronic in nature.
Present ankle orthoses and shoes or both in conjunction have not proven to be effective in preventing or treating these injuries while at the same time not unduly restricting normal motions of the athlete's foot. Acceptable treatment methods and ankle orthosis designs include taping, lace up ankle supports with steel or plastic stays, or “figure eight” straps, air casts which are medial and lateral support structures hinged at the ankle or not, and heel wedges. These known attempts are not completely satisfactory in that they unduly limit normal motion of the foot and/or are not highly effective in preventing or treating these injuries. There is a need for an improved shoe, ankle orthosis and method for protecting the ankle which overcome the drawbacks and limitations of the prior art to prevent or treat these injuries while allowing normal motion of the foot.
The efficiency of treatment utilizing known orthoses and shoes is hindered by the fact that the shoes and braces are not attached to one another and the foot can slip or slide to the lateral side of the shoe's foot bed and in extreme cases can slide off the entire foot bed. The sole can turn over (medial side raises while lateral side is weight bearing). This lateral movement of the foot and lack of lateral support from the shoe causes the sole of the shoe to move medially in relationship to the foot. This medial migration (movement) of the shoe sole causes the weight line of the shoe to shift medial of the ankle joint or subtalar joint's axis of rotation. The movement creates uncontrollable and unacceptable inversion torque which causes inversion injuries to the ankle. Another problem with present shoe and orthosis designs is that the tensioning of vertically positioned straps collapses circumferential ankle straps which slide down the ankle in time. As a result, the vertically positioned straps lose their ability to support the lateral structures of the ankle.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved shoe, orthosis and method for protecting the ankle which avoid the aforementioned drawbacks and limitations of conventional shoes, orthoses and methods. More particularly, an object of the invention is to provide an improved athletic shoe, orthosis and method for protecting the ankle which on one hand will not impede normal ranges of motion in the ankle and subtalar joints which are necessary to walk, run or jump, while on the other hand will protect the ankle against injury.
These and other objects are attained by the improved shoe of the present invention which comprises a mid- or high-top upper, a heel-sole and means for securing the shoe on a person's foot, and wherein a heel-sole counter is provided. The heel-sole counter has a semi-rigid, shape-retaining character and includes a first portion adapted to be secured about the lower leg, a second portion spaced from the first portion and adapted to be secured about the heel and at least a portion of the foot forward of the subtalar joint for limiting subtalar joint motion by controlling the motions of segments of the subtalar joint fore and aft of the subtalar joint while permitting motion of the foot about the ankle joint, and an upwardly extending portion extending between the first and second portions for limiting torsional movement of the second portion about a longitudinal axis of the subtalar joint, as seen in a top plan view thereof, when the shoe is secured on the foot. In a disclosed embodiment, the heel-sole counter and shoe limit motion of the subtalar joint to within a normal range of motion of the subtalar joint. More specifically, supination of the subtalar joint beyond this normal range is prevented to eliminate or reduce inversion ankle injury.
For this purpose, the upwardly extending portion of the heel-sole counter of a disclosed embodiment includes a torsion bar which, as seen in transverse plan view thereof adjacent the second portion of the heel-sole counter, is elongated and relatively rigid against bending in a direction orthogonal or nearly orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the subtalar joint as seen in a top plan view thereof while the torsion bar is narrower and more flexible in bending in another direction transverse to the direction of elongation. A further feature of the disclosed embodiment is that the torsion bar is progressively twisted along its length between the first and second portions of the heel-sole counter so that the aforementioned another direction is more forwardly facing adjacent the first portion to permit the foot to move about the ankle joint while effectively limiting motion of the second portion about the longitudinal axis of the subtalar joint.
The second portion of the heel-sole counter in the preferred embodiment extends forward of the subtalar joint on the lateral side of the foot to at least the cuboid tarsal of the foot and atop a lateral portion of the foot above the cuboid tarsal for limiting motion of the midtarsal joint and the subtalar joint of the foot. The means for securing is vertically supported by the heel-sole counter when the shoe is secured on the foot for avoiding collapse and loss of tension in the means for securing.
The first portion of the heel-sole counter is secured about the lower leg by the means for securing for yieldably resisting rotation of the tibia and fibula in a plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the leg. The heel-sole counter in a disclosed embodiment has a construction which allows free dorsiflexion of the foot and plantarflexion with resistance. According to a further feature of the invention, the heel-sole counter in one form of the invention is configured to position the foot in the shoe in slight dorsiflexion such that when the foot plantarflexes it creates tension on the heel-sole counter for assisting the foot upon its return to its starting position.
The first portion, second portion and upwardly extending portion of the heel-sole counter are formed integrally with one another in one form of the invention. For example, the entire heel-sole counter can be formed of plastic by molding. In another form of the invention the heel-sole counter is formed of a plurality of segments such as a mid-sole member and a heel counter which are employed in combination in the shoe as the heel-sole counter.
The heel-sole counter is preferably formed integrally with a side wall of the upper and the heel-sole of the shoe during manufacture. Alternatively, the heel-sole counter can be a separate orthosis which is used inside of the shoe in combination with the shoe wherein means are provided for connecting the shoe and heel-sole counter to one another at least when secured on the foot.
A further embodiment of the shoe of the present invention employs a heel-sole counter which includes a sole extension in the
Pfister Henry E.
Townsend Barry W.
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Lewis Kim M.
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