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US 6,270,468 B1Granted
Shoe, ankle orthosis and method for protecting the ankle
OwnerBarry W. Townsend, Henry E. Pfisterinventors
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OwnerBarry W. Townsend, Henry E. Pfisterinventors
Estimating the term…
An improved athletic shoe, ankle orthosis and method for protecting the ankle against injury, limit subtalar joint motion of the ankle 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. A supporting structure a part of or connected to the shoe or orthosis is preferably in the form of a heel-sole counter provided about the heel and at least a portion of the foot forward of the subtalar joint. The supporting structure has a semi-rigid shape retaining character which is not collapsible vertically and which together with the shoe or orthosis limits torsional movement of the foot about the longitudinal axis of the subtalar joint as seen in a top plan view thereof by an upwardly extending portion thereof which acts as a torsion bar that is, in turn, secured to the lower leg. Preferably, the torsion bar has directional properties for resisting bending which are most rigid in a direction orthogonal or nearly orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the subtalar joint. In a disclosed embodiment of the shoe motion of the midtarsal joint is also limited by the supporting structure to aid in limiting subtalar joint motion and shoe rollover. The shoe is secured to the foot by way of a strap arrangement which applies a force to the foot in a direction which, together with the heel-sole counter opposes the subtalar joint motion in supination.
An athletic shoe for protecting a person's subtalar joint against inversion injury during walking, running or jumping while allowing normal ranges of motion in the ankle and subtalar joints which are for walking, running or jumping, said shoe comprising a mid- or high-top upper, a heel-sole, and said shoe including reinforcement for limiting shoe rollover and inversion ankle injury while permitting motion of the foot from a neutral position of the foot about the ankle joint in both plantarflexion and dorsiflexion in the sagittal plane during walking, running or jumping and permitting flexing motion of the foot about the joint between the forefoot and the midfoot, and said shoe further including an external strap which is non-stretchable in length and which can be adjustably tensioned over the anterior aspect of the ankle between points of attachment to the shoe on or about the lateral heel-sole of the shoe and the medial anterior aspect of the ankle, said points on or about the lateral heel-sole of the shoe including points fore and aft of the axis of the ankle joint as seen in a top plan view of the foot where two ends of said strap are attached, the intermediate portion of the external strap being free floating and adjustably secured by means of a free floating loop to the shoe at a medial, anterior and proximal aspect of the medial malleoli when said shoe is secured on the foot.
A shoe for protecting a person's subtalar joint against inversion injury while allowing normal ranges of motion in the ankle and subtalar joints, said shoe comprising a mid- or high-top upper, a heel-sole, and said shoe including reinforcement for limiting shoe rollover and inversion ankle injury while permitting motion of the foot from a neutral position of the foot about the ankle joint in both plantarflexion and dorsiflexion in the sagittal plane and permitting the flexing motion of the foot about the joint between the forefoot and the midfoot, and said shoe further including a strap for securing the shoe on a person's foot, wherein said strap is non-stretchable in length and can be adjustably tensioned over the anterior aspect of the ankle between points of attachment of the strap to the shoe on or about the lateral heel-sole of the shoe and the medial anterior aspect of the ankle, said points on or about the lateral heel-sole of the shoe including points fore and aft of the axis of the ankle joint as seen in a top plan view of the foot where respective, spaced apart portions of said strap are attached, the intermediate portion of the strap between said spaced apart portions being free floating and also positioned so that it can be adjustably secured to the shoe at a medial, anterior and proximal aspect of the medial malleoli when said shoe is secured on the foot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.