Orthosis with variable motion controls

A controlled motion ankle-foot orthosis for supporting motion about a single axis through the ankle joint, comprising:

• a leg support for releasable attachment to the lower leg above the ankle joint;
• a foot support for releasable attachment to the foot;
• an elongated rigid support plate extending continuously from the leg support, across the ankle joint, and to the foot support;
• means for rigidly affixing a first portion of the rigid support plate to the leg support above the axis of rotation through the ankle joint;
• the rigid support plate having an outwardly projecting shoulder facing toward the foot support for forming a hard stop in both angular directions of rotation about said single axis of rotation;
• a rigid cam positioned for overlapping the ankle joint and removably positioned adjacent the rigid support plate and the foot support, the cam being rigidly fastened to the foot support and for positioning of the cam adjacent the shoulder on the rigid support plate;
• means pivotally securing the cam and its attached foot support to the rigid support plate so that foot support and the cam rotate in unison, relative to the support plate and leg support, about said single axis of rotation through the pivot means substantially aligned with the axis of rotation of the ankle joint;
• the shoulder of the support plate facing toward the cam and extending anteriorly and posteriorly relative to the axis of rotation through the pivot means;
• the cam having anterior and posterior cam surfaces on opposite sides of the single pivot axis of rotation and confronting the shoulder on the rigid support plate so that rotation of the foot support in one direction about the axis of rotation causes the anterior cam surface to rotate into contact with the shoulder anterior of said axis to act as a rigid stop to limit rotation in dorsiflexion to a controlled angle, and so that rotation of the foot support in an opposite direction about the axis of rotation causes the posterior cam surface to rotate into contact with the shoulder posterior of said axis to act as rigid stop to limit angular rotation in plantar flexion to a controlled angle;
• the cam being releasable from its attachment to the rigid support plate and its attachment to the foot support so the cam can be replaced with another cam for selectively adjusting either or both angles of rotation in dorsiflexion and plantar flexion.

A controlled motion orthosis assembly for controlling angular motion between first and second orthotic support members adapted for attachment to bodily members on opposite sides of a bodily joint, comprising:

• an elongated rigid support adapted to extend from the first orthotic support member across a single axis of rotation of the bodily joint and to the second orthotic support member;
• fastening means on the support plate for rigidly securing the support plate to the first orthotic support member spaced from the single axis of rotation through the bodily joint;
• an elongated shoulder projecting from a face of the support plate for extending anteriorly of and posteriorly of the bodily joint, the shoulder providing a rigid stop in both angular directions of rotation about said single axis of rotation;
• a set of individual cam members each adapted for selective positioning between the support plate and the second orthotic support member, each cam member having means for releasably but rigidly securing the cam member to the second orthotic support member, the cam member being adapted for releasably but rigidly securing the cam member to the second orthotic support member, the cam member being adapted for positioning adjacent the rigid support plate and the shoulder thereon;
• and
• means pivotally securing the cam member and the second orthotic support member to the support plate so the cam member and the attached second orthotic support member rotate in unison relative to the first orthotic support member about said single axis of rotation;
• the cam members having separate combinations of anterior and posterior can surfaces extending anteriorly of and posteriorly of the single joint axis of rotation and adapted for positioning adjacent the shoulder of the support plate so that rotation of the cam member in a first direction about the joint axis causes the first cam surface to engage or rotate into engagement with the first shoulder to act as a rigid stop to limit the angle of rotation in a first direction, and so that rotation of the cam member in a second direction about the joint single axis of rotation causes the second cam member to engage or rotate into engagement with the shoulder to act as a rigid stop to limit the angle of rotation in a second direction, the set of cam members providing different combinations of anterior and posterior cam surfaces so that each individual cam member can be releasably fastened to the second orthotic support member and engaged with the support plate to control a unique combination of rotation about the axis in the first and second directions.