Abstract:
A heel and forefoot plantar surface suspension device to be located to relieve pressure to ulcerated or injured forefoot and heel areas of a patient&#39;s foot. A contoured elongated pad of synthetic resin foam that has specific qualities of high-density shapeability characteristics is positioned on the foot engagement portion of the therapeutic foot enclosure that will selectively isolate and suspend alternately the plantar forefoot portion or plantar heel portion from direct contact engagement with opposing engagement surfaces.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This device relates to footgear having orthopedic soles providing pressure relief to selective areas of the foot. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different foot cushions to aid in the distribution on weight and thus pressure relief to injured areas of the foot. Such devices are typified by insole inserts of cushion material or synthetic resin foam pads with removable areas to isolate specific portions of the foot for non-contact. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,329,705, 5,762,622. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,705 a foot gear with pressure relief zone is disclosed in which an inner sole has a plurality of removable sections that can be selectively removed to provide a non-pressure bearing area to the foot. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,622 a device is directed towards a medical boot with a unitary splint in which the splint element is positioned within an inflatable cushion insert. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A heel and foot plantar surface suspension device for use with orthopedic foot and ankle braces and the like. The foot surface suspension device comprises an elongated suspension pad that is positioned within a foot engagement enclosure to selectively support the foot allowing either the forefoot or heel plantar surface to be suspended therefrom without surface contact. The present invention has contoured portions that are selectively positioned to provide the desired suspension. Attachment surface and multiple extension straps are supplied to selectively position and secure the foot surface suspension device within the enclosure. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the foot surface suspension device within an orthopedic foot brace suspending the heel portion of the foot; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view of a repositioned foot surface suspension device in an orthopedic foot brace in which the forefoot is suspended thereby; 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the foot surface suspension device of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a front elevational view on lines  4 — 4  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view on lines  5 — 5  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the foot surface suspension device; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective front, top and side view of the foot suspension surface device; 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a sole engagement and attachment portion of an orthopedic brace with portions broken away; 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged side elevational view of an extension attachment strap for use with the foot surface suspension device; 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged front elevational view of the extension strap illustrated in FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of an extension strap mounted on a portion of the orthopedic foot brace with the surface foot suspension device of the invention in place. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2  and  8  of the drawings, the pressure relief insert  10  of the invention can be seen positioned within an orthopedic foot and ankle brace  11 . The insert  10  has a foot portion  12 , a leg portion  13  and an interconnecting heel portion  14  therebetween. The foot portion  12  has a footpad  15  secured to an attachment brace  16 . A resilient walking pad  17  is secured to the base  16 . The foot pad  15  is of a generally rectangular configuration with oppositely disposed longitudinally spaced apertured attachment tab pairs  18  and  19  extending therefrom, as best seen in FIG. 8 of the drawings. A mounting pocket  20  extends inwardly from the bottom of the footpad  15  for registerable engagement with the inner connecting heel portion  14  between the attachment brace  16  and the foot portion  15  by fasteners F. A compound adjustable hinge assembly  21  is positioned on the interconnecting heel portion  14  between the foot portion  12  and leg portion  13  and is described in greater detail by reference in applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,679. 
     A toe extension member  22  is adjustably secured to the under side of the footpad  15  by fasteners F opposite said mounting pocket  20  having an upturned angular offset end portion  23 . A resilient toe pad  24  is secured to the underside of the end portion  23 . A fabric foot enclosure  25  has a fabric sleeve  26  lined with a soft synthetic fur-like material  27 . The fabric sleeve  26  has a plurality of longitudinally spaced enclosure straps  28  and correspondingly registering buckle assemblies  29  secured thereto that extend transversely over the sleeve  26  to secure the patient&#39;s foot  30  within. A leg strap and buckle assembly  31  extends from the leg portion  13  that has a fabric insert  13 A around the patient&#39;s leg  30 A as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. 
     The fabric sleeve  26  has a pair of interengaging heel strap extension members  32  that extend in overlapping relationship about a portion of the heel interconnecting member  14  and leg portion  13  respectively, as best seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings. Pairs of oppositely disposed attachment straps  33  and  34  extend in longitudinally spaced relation to one another from the fabric sleeve  26  for securing the sleeve to the foot portion  15 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3-7 of the drawings, the pressure relief insert  10  of the invention can be seen having a generally rectangular body member  35  formed of a synthetic resin foam material commonly known as “cloud EVA” that has a consistency that can be shaped with cutting and grinding tools. The body member  35  has upper and lower surfaces  36  and  37  respectively and oppositely disposed ends at  38  and  39 . A tapered upper surface portion  40  extends inwardly from the end  38  and will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter. 
     Oppositely disposed vertical sides  41  extend from the tapered surface portion  40  angularly inwardly towards one another to the body member&#39;s end  39 . The intersection of the end  38  and the respective sides  41  are curved at  41 A as best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings. A contoured recess area  42  extends inwardly in the bottom surface  37  from the end  39  midway between said respective sides  41 . A plurality of longitudinally spaced paired parallel mounting slots  43 ,  44  and  45  extend through the body member  34  adjacent its respective sides  41 . The mounting slots will be selectively aligned between the attachment strap pairs  33  and  34  and the respective apertured tab pairs  18  and  19  on the foot pad  15  as hereinbefore described. 
     In use, the pressure relief insert  10  is adjustably and releasably secured on the foot pad  15  by hook and loop material HL positioned on its respective upper and lower surfaces  36  and  37  and correspondingly on the opposing fabric sleeve  26  and foot portion  15  as best seen in FIGS. 1,  6  and  7  of the drawings. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1,  2  and  9 - 11  of the drawings, multiple mounting strap extensions  46  can be seen each having a fabric base  47  with a select section of hook fastening material H on its surface extending inwardly from one end thereof. An elongated section of loop fastening material L on its opposing surface extends inwardly from the oppositely disposed end thereof. The strap extensions  46  are removably secured to the respective mounting strap pairs  33  and  34  that extend from the fabric sleeve  26  as seen in FIG. 11 of the drawings. The strap extensions  46  provide additional length needed to pass through their respective aligned slots  43 ,  44 , and  45 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the pressure relief insert  10  is shown within the orthopedic foot and ankle brace  11  with its upper surface  36  inverted and selectively secured against the foot portion  15 . The pressure relief insert  10  is positioned forward so as to overlie the toe extension portion  23  being accommodated by the hereinbefore-described tapered surface  40 . The strap extensions  46  therefore extend through the respective slot pairs  44  and  45 , through the apertured tabs  18  and  19  and back upon themselves by inner engagement of the respective hook and loop materials thereon as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. 
     The patient&#39;s heel  48  is centered and stabilized by the recessed area  42  with the heel&#39;s plantar surface  48 A suspended from contact with the foot portion  15 . 
     The second mounting position of the pressure relief insert  10  is illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings in which the pressure relief insert  10  is inverted from that in FIG.  1  and repositioned for direct engagement with the heel&#39;s plantar surface  48 A. In this configuration the mounting strap extensions  46  extend through respective aligned slot pairs  43  and  44 , through the apertured tab pairs  18  and  19  and back upon themselves as hereinbefore described. In this position the tapered portion  40  of the upper surface  36  provides additional clearance for the patient&#39;s forefoot plantar surface  47  suspending same above the toe extension member  22 . The pressure relief insert  10  is of a dimensional characteristic that it can be foreshortened by removing a portion of its tapered end surface  40  as indicated by broken lines at  49  in FIG. 3 of the drawings. This will allow for adjustable use requirements as determined by the patient&#39;s foot size without interfering with the dual suspension nature of the insert  10 , as noted above. 
     It will also be evident from the above description that the pressure relief insert  10  of the invention due to the nature of its composite synthetic resin material preferably used in this construction, that it can easily be reshaped to increase specific forefoot and heel plantar surface suspension requirements afforded thereby. 
     It will be seen that a new and novel pressure relief insert has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.