LT6591B - Orthopedic lower leg support - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to medical field - lower leg ankle conservative treatment with the aim to control and stabilize the ankle joint and improve the pathological gait. The purpose is achieved as follows: the lower leg support merges with the spring through ventral side which runs around lateral ankle part, anterior-posterior direction and the dorsal side, broadening and connecting to the sole, spring edges are curved in the lateral direction. The lay-up of the spring is designed in the way that it's flexibility effect would be greater towards anterior-posterior direction and not medial-lateral. The design of the orthosis is developed in the way that it stores and returns energy during natural gate cycle, meanwhile flexible sole design doesn't restrict bending and natural movement of the toes, also increases orthosis durability and reduces possibility of cracks formation in the composite structure and the risk of breaking the sole. Lower leg extended support's increases stability for lateral movement. Orthosis geometric proportions are determined based on anthropometric measurements and varies depending on the brace size according to the scale, and can also be adapted to individual needs.

Description

The invention belongs to the field of medicine - conservative treatment (fixation or immobilization) of the ankle joint, the aim of which is to control and stabilize the ankle joint in order to improve the pathological gait. An orthopedic ankle-foot splint is provided, which consists of a frame made of light and strong carbon and aramid composite, the lower part of the frame on the dorsal side of the foot is connected to the sole, the upper part - a support, attached to the foot with contact adhesive tapes. According to the international classification, the invention is classified in class A61 F5 / 0 1.

Known Otto Bock Healthcare GmbH ankle-foot splint made of lightweight and strong carbon composite. The splint has a sole for receiving the foot and a part of the lower leg which adheres to the lower leg from the ventral side and is medially connected to the part of the foot by a spring (see patent no. EP 2858605 B1).

This splint has both functional and patient-specific deficiencies (splint individualization). It is difficult to fit corrective shoe insoles to such a splint due to the spring running medially from the foot. Also, the medial spring can rub and irritate the ankle bone, which often causes pain and swelling of the tissues surrounding the bone. This splint does not have child sizes on its size scale and is therefore not suitable for children.

Known ankle splint from Light Weight Support AB and Nordic Composites AB, made of lightweight and strong carbon composite. The splint has a sole for receiving the foot and a part of the lower leg which is close to the lower leg from the ventral side and is laterally connected by a strut to the part of the foot (see patent no. EP 1 114 626 B1).

The disadvantage of such a splint is that the structure of the column is immobile with respect to the anteriorposterior axis with respect to the sole, and is therefore unsuitable for energy storage and delivery during stepping. The sole construction features a rigid rigid supinator that prevents the splint from bending in the foot portion between the heel and the metatarsals, and sharpens the line of inclination at the metatarsals, i. does not have a consistent transition between the rigid rear and flexible front sole support. This reduces the longevity of the splint, increases the risk of sole and strut breakage, and reduces energy storage and delivery during stepping. Due to the post running laterally from the sole of the sole, it is difficult to apply corrective inserts to the splint to immobilize the copper-eating direction of the ankle.

The aim of the invention is a splint with greater functionality than analogues on the market and with wider personalization options, which allows to better adapt the splint to the patient's anatomy, adapt it to the biomechanics of patient movement identified in the treatment plan, and minimize the effects of splinters. We present an orthopedic ankle-foot splint consisting of a frame made of light and strong carbon and aramid composite, the lower part of the frame on the dorsal side of the foot is connected to the sole, curved according to the anatomy of the foot, and the upper part is supported by straps attached to the foot. The support passes from the ventral side to the spring which extends in the anterior-posterior direction of the lateral ankle and extends from the dorsal side to the sole, the edges of the spring being curved to the lateral side to form an elliptical shape giving the spring rigidity. The layers of material are formed so that the flexibility of the spring in the anterior-posterior direction is greater than in the medial-lateral direction, which allows the calves to move back and forth with respect to the foot, but is fixed in the medial-lateral direction and is resistant to rotation about the vertical axis. In the anterior-posterior direction, the unrestrained ankle joint helps to naturally develop and strengthen the ligaments. In the construction of the provided splint spring and evenly flexible sole, energy is accumulated during the transfer of the center of gravity along the foot's center of gravity trajectory, from the heel support phase to the starting phase and given in the toe lifting phase, thus improving natural walking. The evenly flexible sole construction and its natural anatomical curvature ensure consistent energy storage and release, do not restrict the functions of the toes (bending), increase the durability of the splint, reduce the risk of cracks and fractures. The spring connects to the sole from the dorsal side and does not interfere with the application of the corrective inserts of the ankle, while in the prototype, due to the strut running laterally from the sole part, it is difficult to adjust the corrective inserts. The calf support coincides with the vertical axis and is in the form of a curved gutter, padded, the support lugs being flexible in the medial or lateral direction and tightly securing the calf in the splint by means of contact adhesive tapes. And the elevations of the ears on the sides of the proximal end about the roughness of the tibia increase the lateral support provided by the splint. The geometric proportions of the splint are determined on the basis of anthropometric measurements of a representative sample and vary depending on the size of the splint according to a scale that includes all standard footwear sizes including children, women and men and can be customized. The hardness of the bracket depends on the number of layers of carbon, which also varies according to the size scale and can be adapted to individual needs.

The drawings show:

FIG. 1 Splint with contact adhesive tapes;

FIG. 2 Support sole construction;

FIG. 3 Variation of the vertical component of the force during the step cycle;

FIG. 4 Explanation of body sides and axes.

The orthopedic ankle-foot splint consists of a carcass 1, the lower part of which is connected to the sole 2 on the dorsal side of the foot and the upper part to a support 3, fixed to the foot by contact adhesive tapes 4. The support 3 passes from the ventral side to the spring 5 with the ankle part in the anterior-posterior direction and extending from the dorsal side to the sole 2. The insole sole 2, depending on the size scale, consists of 4 to 9 evenly increasing layers of composite. 2. The cover layers 7 and 8 are made of a transverse carbon fiber composite and the middle layers are made of an aramid fiber 9 and a longitudinal carbon fabric composite 10, 11, 12 and 13. Depending on the size of the splint, the middle carbon 10, 11, 12, 13 and the layers of aramid 9 are spaced at different distances from each other so that the sole of the splint is flexible enough at the toes. In the case of the present splint, the forces generated during the step cycle repeat the forces 15 generated during the step cycle of a healthy leg, while only in the prototype the forces generated during the spoked cycle 16 are significantly lower, which means that the body weight is transferred unevenly, the gait is unbalanced.

The foot is placed on the sole 2 of the splint carcass 1, and the lower leg is inserted into the support 3 and secured tightly in the splint by means of contact adhesive tapes 4. The patient's leg is covered with a splint in normal footwear. Thanks to the construction of the splint, the energy created during the step cycle 14 is stored and released during the patient's stepping. The spring allows the ankle joint to move naturally during the step 5 cycle, as well as helps to maintain the body weight 14,15. The calf support 3 provides confidence, a sense of security during foot movement, and the earlobes 6 on the sides of the proximal end around the tibia roughness increase the lateral support provided by the splint.

In the splint structure, energy is accumulated during the shift of the center of gravity along the foot's center of gravity trajectory from the heel step phase to the starting phase and given in the toe lift phase 14. the risk of cracks and fractures of the sole. The spring connects to the sole on the dorsal side and does not interfere with the application of corrective inserts to the ankle eaters.

Claims (4)

DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION 1. An ankle-foot orthopedic splint consisting of a carcass made of a lightweight and strong carbon composite, the lower part of the carcass being connected to the sole and the upper part being supported by a padding, the foot being fastened with contact adhesive tapes, characterized in that the support is made of the front sides pass into a spring which is widening, extends in the anterior-posterior direction of the outer ankle and connects from the dorsal side to the anatomically shaped sole, and the edges of the spring are curved to the lateral side to form an elliptical shape giving the spring stiffness and material layers formed so that the flexibility of the spring in the anterior-posterior direction is greater than in the medial-lateral direction. 2. An ankle-foot orthopedic splint according to claim 1, characterized in that the calf support is curved in the shape of a vertical axis, the ears are flexible in the medial or lateral direction due to a smaller number of layers, and the splint provides lateral support to increase lateral support at the proximal end of the calf ear promotions. 3. An ankle-foot orthopedic splint according to claim 1, characterized in that the width of the splint spring is selected in proportion to the size of the splint, but can also be adapted to individual needs. 4. An ankle-foot orthopedic splint according to claim 1, characterized in that the number of layers of the splint sole structure is at least 4 and can be increased depending on the size of the splint on a scale based on a representative sample of anthropometric measurements covering all standard footwear sizes including children. , women and men and can be adapted to individual needs.