Dorsi-plantar prosthetic ankle module

An ankle module removably coupleable to a proximal portion of a prosthetic foot comprising:

• a base portion coupleable to the proximal portion so that a planar surface of the base portion contacts a surface of the proximal portion of the prosthetic foot;
• an adapter portion pivotally coupled to the base portion and having a coupling member configured to removably couple the prosthetic foot to a prosthetic pylon or socket, one of the base and adapter portions having four cylinders formed therein and aligned symmetrically relative to a pivot axis of the ankle module, the four cylinders housing corresponding pistons slidably displaceable within the cylinders, the cylinders selectively placeable in fluid communication with each other, wherein two of the four cylinders are upper cylinders and two of the four cylinders are lower cylinders positioned vertically lower than the upper cylinders, and wherein the upper cylinders are in fluid communication with each other and the lower cylinders are in fluid communication with each other;
• and
• an actuator selectively actuatable to place the upper cylinders in fluid communication with the lower cylinders, allowing a hydraulic fluid to flow between the upper and lower cylinders as an angular position of the adapter portion is adjusted relative to the base portion, the actuator selectively actuatable to fluidly isolate the upper and lower cylinders from each other so that the angular position of the adapter portion relative to the base portion remains substantially fixed, thereby adjusting the dorsi-plantar position between the adapter portion and the base portion of the ankle module.

A prosthetic ankle module coupleable to a prosthetic foot member extending from a proximal portion to a distal portion, the ankle module comprising:

• a base portion coupleable to the proximal portion of the foot member, wherein the proximal portion of the foot member is planar and extends generally vertically and a rear surface of the base portion contacts a front surface of the proximal portion along a contact plane, and wherein the base portion comprises a central vertical axis and a length extending along the central vertical axis;
• an adapter portion pivotally coupled to the base portion by a pivot located generally at a mid-point along the length of the base portion, wherein the base portion and adapter portion are coupled such that a rear surface of the adapter portion faces a front surface of the base portion and so that a longitudinal axis of the adapter portion extends generally parallel to the contact plane defined by the rear surface of the base portion;
• a first piston assembly that comprises a first piston and a first cylinder, wherein the first piston is slidably displaceable within the first cylinder, the first piston assembly is coupled to the base portion and coupled to the adapter portion such that slidably displacing the first piston relative to the first cylinder causes the adapter portion to pivot relative to the base portion;
• a second piston assembly that comprises a second piston and a second cylinder, wherein the second piston is slidably displaceable within the second cylinder, the second piston assembly is coupled to the base portion and coupled to the adapter portion such that slidably displacing the second piston relative to the second cylinder causes the adapter portion to pivot relative to the base portion, the first piston assembly and the second piston assembly are selectively placeable in fluid communication with each other;
• a valve that is fluidly coupled between the first piston assembly and the second piston assembly;
• and
• an actuator coupled to the valve, wherein the actuator is actuatable to place the valve in a first position that places the first piston assembly in fluid communication with the second piston assembly and actuatable to place the valve in a second position that hydraulically seals the first piston assembly from the second piston assembly.