DE102007008703B4 - Hallux valgus insert - Google Patents

Abstract

Insert for a hallux valgus deformation in the area of the big toe made of a thermoplastic polymer or copolymer or an elastomer as a base material that can be processed using the low-temperature process, which is replicated in a complementary manner to the anatomy of the footbed (3) and has a retrocapital increase (5), the Insert (1) at least partially encompasses the big toe in the region of its inward limitation, pointing towards the other toes, by forming an edge protruding from the footbed (3), and which is designed to be rigid.

Description

The invention relates to an insert for hallux valgus deformations of the big toe.

Hallux valgus basically refers to a deformity of the toes in humans, which usually occurs in conjunction with a splayfoot. This is understood to mean a deformation of the big toe position, caused by a misalignment of the great toe in its base joint to the outside. It forms a prominent prominent toe-toe, which often makes painful and especially is very sensitive to pressure. Hallux valgus deformities of the great toe are not uncommon, especially in the Western world, and are increasingly occurring. In addition to a genetic predisposition, experts in this hallux valgus deformation call for the wearing of a footwear that is too narrow for the natural position of the toes.

Treatment of such hallux valgus can be either surgical or conservative. For conservative treatment are z. B. orthopedic shoes with appropriate deposits available. Also known are hallux valgus splints, which are created from the inside of the big toe, where it is adjacent to the other toes. A bridge leads over the back of the foot to about its middle and by means of elastic bands, which are stretched transversely to the longitudinal direction of the foot by means of the rail, a pressure on the big toe away from the other toes is exerted to compensate for the malposition. Such a splint for correction of big toe maintenance is usually created at night and regulated the desired, to be exerted on the big toe pressure via a Velcro. The usually formed of plastic clasp should so in cooperation with the padded rail with regular wear at night to correct the bale and the tilted big toe lead.

By the EP 1 044 618 A1 Furthermore, a portable in the day in footwear support insert with an adjustable loop for the correction of Hallux valgus deformation has become known in the area of the great toe ball has a leather strip which is mounted orthogonally relative to the longitudinal axis of the insert and the big toe from the abnormally angled Situation in the normal position to lead back. A disadvantage of this deposit is that the attached for fixing the big toe leather strips should be closed by means of a hook and loop fastener below the liner, which makes the deposit of therefore already difficult to handle. Apart from this, this known insert is due to the leather strap at best for sandals, but not suitable for solid shoes.

Also is by the German utility model DE 85 29 094 U1 an insole has become known, which may be formed from a semi-elastic plastic such as polyethylene, and in the toe area has a plurality of radially arranged slots for receiving separating wall-like holding elements. In this insert, it is disadvantageous that the position of the correction bracket in the form of the partition wall-like holding elements is fixed by the existing slots in the insole. An individual adaptation is made impossible. It is also disadvantageous that the areal contact pressure on the big toe is selectively increased significantly by the structure of the disclosed insert or insole. The positioning can only take place in the adduction or abduction plane. Thus, only in the sagittal plane, which is the plane parallel to the frontal plane is called, a small pressure point.

Based on this prior art, the present invention, the object of the invention to provide an insert for a Hallux valgus deformation of the big toe, which allows stabilization of the deformed big toe and its return to the normal position when worn over a longer period of time, and in any type of shoe can be inserted and worn.

This object is achieved by an insert for a Hallux valgus deformation in the area of the big toe from a processable in the low temperature thermoplastic polymer or copolymer or elastomer as a base material that is the backbone of the anatomy of the footbed replicates and has a retrocapital increase, wherein the Insert the big toe in the region of his pointing to the other toes inner boundary by forming a rising from the footbed edge at least partially, and is formed rigid.

Preferably, the upstanding from the footbed edge is formed in the form of a stirrup, in which the malformation of the great toe formed due to the Hallux valgus deformation is embedded and thus stabilized. Furthermore, it can be provided that on the inside, d. H. directed towards the other foot area of the footbed, following the bale of the big toe in the longitudinal direction of the footbed, another edge is formed as a contact surface. This contact surface thus serves essentially as an abutment in order to support the outgoing of the edge or the bow-shaped curvature train to the big toe and at the same time to stabilize the Interphalangealwinkel and possibly reduce.

The acting on the big toe train of bow-shaped curvature is characterized conditionally that the big toe receiving area of the insert is formed in a slight correction position.

To increase the running comfort can be provided that the flexural rigidity of the insert is reduced in the region of the transition from the big toe to the bale. This can z. B. be achieved in that the insert is reduced in this area relative to the rest of the insert thickness.

In order to ensure the bending stiffness necessary for the requirements of the insert according to the invention in terms of stability, it is preferable to use a thermoplastic polymer or copolymer processable by the low-temperature process, or an elastomer as a base material of a multilayer plate material. Preferably, the base material is selected from low temperature thermoplastics such as polyethylene, a copolymer of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, or a copolymer of polyethylene and polystyrene.

The insert according to the invention can be used both for solid shoes, including boots, as well as for open sandals, provided they have a heel strap. It is thus universally applicable.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and an embodiment.

Show it:

1 - 4 : various, three-dimensional views of a positive for a hallux valgus insert of the left foot with cross-sectional curves, in the longitudinal direction,

5 : Another three-dimensional view of a positive for a hallux valgus insert of the left foot with cross-sectional curves, viewed from the heel towards the big toe.

Explanation of the Halux valgus insert based on the drawing

In the 1 - 5 is the positive of an insert for a hallux valgus deformation illustrated by the example of the left foot, in total with 1 referred to and in the following, for the sake of simplicity, only short insert 1 called. This insert 1 essentially forms the anatomy of the footbed 3 in particular, this insert also has a retrocapital elevation 5 incorporated. The cross-sectional lines, which are not shown in more detail in all figures and are not provided with reference numerals, merely serve to better illustrate the contours of the insert 1 , In the area of the big toe 6 protrudes from the footbed 3 in the area of its boundary pointing inwards, to the further toes, an edge or a vault in the form of a stirrup 7 which forms a contact surface for the crooked big toe. It is essential that this temple 7 is formed in the area of the inside, to the other toes pointing boundary of the big toe and so the misalignment supports and catches. Furthermore, in the longitudinal direction of the footbed 3 , opposite to the curvature or the temple 7 and following the area of the footbed 3 , which picks up the balls of the big toe, another raised edge 9 provided an additional contact surface of the foot to the insert 1 forms, which serves as an abutment to the train's bow 7 to support. As a result, the misalignment of the big toe can not only be sustained and absorbed, but corrected in the long term. Ie. the raised edge 9 is placed in the direction of the heel, essentially in accordance with the anatomy of the foot in extension of the metatarsal caput. At the same time it is achieved that the so-called interphalangeal angle is stabilized and / or reduced. In the transition area of the bale to the joint of the big toe is the thickness of the insert 1 significantly reduced, as below with respect to the manufacture of the insert 1 will be explained in more detail here to get a flexible area for a smooth rolling movement of the foot.

In the illustrated positive form of the insert 1 The second to fifth toes are removed as a temple 7 to be able to produce a trained edge. In addition, the area becomes 6 of the footbed 3 , which serves as a pad for the big toe, modeled so that it is slightly corrected from the actual foot position with the hallux valgus deformation. This will be the pull of the strap 7 on the hallux valgus causes or intensifies and even reduces the interphalangeal angle at sustained wearing of the insole. At the finished insert 1 For example, the area of the recessed toes two to five can ensure adequate wearing comfort by suitable relining.

Production of a hallux valgus insert

For the Hallux valgus insert according to the invention, a positive model is produced and for this purpose in the embodiment, a low-temperature thermoplastic, consisting of about 60% polyethylene (PE) and 40% polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is used. The PVC gives the finished insert improved stiffness. The base material used for the embodiment is commercially available under the trade name "Polyform A" as a plate material with a plate thickness of about 2 mm. This plate material is first reduced in the transition region of the bale to the joint of the big toe to about one millimeter in order to ensure a flexible area for trouble-free rolling movement of the foot here. Then the material is laminated with a gauze pad by heating it to about 90 ° C and applying gauze on both sides under pressure. As a result, the material is stabilized and obtains a better deformability, substantially without tendency to cracking. The thus laminated plate material is first allowed to cool and then reheated to about 90 ° C to be vacuum evacuated over the positive conforming to the anatomy of the footbed, as discussed above, as a blank, i. H. as the basic form of the deposit, to obtain.

This blank can then be reworked according to individual requirements. This includes, for example, that of the footbed 3 towering, bow-shaped curvature 7 in the area of the bale of the big toe can be adapted individually to the hallux valgus and the respective foot shape. The reworking allows not only an individual adaptation to the circumstances of a single customer but also the industrial production of the blank according to a prefabricated basic form. It must then be done only the customization manually in a subsequent operation.

The thus adapted blank is now still provided on its top and bottom with an individual, familiar to those skilled per cover layer, wherein the application of the respective top layer is done by gluing.

In addition to the plate material mentioned above, any other commercially available soles may be used as a basic shape, which are then processed into the finished insert by first releasing the bulge shape or bulge in the region of the hallux valgus by attaching an incision and the blank is then modeled in Vakuumtiefziehverfahren, as has also been described for the plate material used in the embodiment.

Commercially available soles may also be those which are carbon fiber reinforced or generally composed of or containing composites. Commercially available soles may be obtained from low temperature polyethylene, either alone or as a copolymer with polyvinyl chloride in various compositions, the level of polyvinyl chloride affecting strength. By choosing the basic material, therefore, the strength and flexural rigidity is adjustable and adaptable. For special stiffness requirements, it may also be envisaged to use a copolymer of polyethylene and polystyrene in which the benzene rings present in the polystyrene still increase the stiffness of the copolymer. In principle, all low-temperature thermoplastics (NTTP), optionally in various blends, can be used as copolymers for processing into the insert according to the invention.

Claims (6)

Insertion for a hallux valgus deformation in the area of the big toe of a low temperature processable thermoplastic polymer or copolymer or an elastomer as a base material, the anatomy of the footbed ( 3 ) is replicated complementarily and a retrocapital increase ( 5 ), the insert ( 1 ) the big toe in the region of its inward, to the other toes pointing boundary by forming one of the footbed ( 3 ) upstanding edge at least partially, and is formed rigid. Insert according to claim 1, characterized in that that of the footbed ( 3 ) rising edge in the form of a bracket ( 7 ) is trained. Insert according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that on the inwardly directed region of the footbed ( 3 ), following the bale of the big toe in the longitudinal direction of the footbed ( 3 ) another edge ( 9 ) is raised as a contact surface. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the flexural rigidity of the insert ( 1 ) is reduced in the area of the transition from the big toe to the bale. Insert according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the base material is selected from a low-temperature thermoplastic such as polyethylene, a copolymer of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride or a copolymer of polyethylene and polystyrene. Use of the insert according to one of claims 1 to 5 for sturdy shoes, boots and sandals.

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