Abstract:
An ankle brace may be convertible so it can be used at various stages of treatment, from functioning as a splint when the ankle is first injured, to functioning as a pivoting, relatively non-restrictive protective brace after the ankle has fully healed. The brace also may have a pivoting buckle with the range of pivoting motion of the buckle being limited to provide for the brace to adapt to the wearer while still providing stability and support.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   The present invention relates to an ankle brace. More particularly, it relates to an ankle brace which can be adjusted to perform different functions, depending upon the needs of the wearer. It may serve either as a protective brace, which limits the range of side-to-side foot motion during normal athletic activities, or as a therapeutic ankle orthosis during the transitional period between resolution of acute sprain symptoms and complete restoration of normal ankle function. 
   Traditionally, ankle braces have been designed either to help prevent an ankle injury or to protect an existing acute ankle injury. The ankle braces designed to prevent an ankle injury are smaller in scale, usually made out of a flexible material such as cloth, and only provide minimal support. Those ankle braces designed to protect an acute ankle injury are larger in scale, usually made out of a rigid material, such as a plastic, and provide maximum support. 
   A functional ankle brace designed to prevent an ankle injury would not be used to protect an acutely injured ankle, because it lacks the necessary support and stability. A therapeutic ankle orthosis designed to protect an acute ankle injury would not be used for prevention, because it would be bulky, cumbersome, and restrict too much mobility. 
   SUMMARY 
   Certain embodiments of the present invention allow the user to convert an ankle brace to perform different functions, so it can be used first to treat an acutely injured ankle and then, after the ankle has healed, it can be used during normal athletic activities to protect against future injury. 
   One embodiment provides a snap-fit, upright extension which attaches to a “basic” (or functional) brace to provide an increased level of support and stability. With this upright extension, the brace is taller and provides more support. 
   Another embodiment provides a guide for cutting off the top portion of the brace to make it shorter and to provide for greater mobility once the ankle has healed. 
   Another embodiment provides a snap-fit, range-of-motion lock to the “basic” brace which fixes (locks) the brace in a neutral position to act as a splint. This splinting effect immobilizes the ankle, which is recommended for acute angle injuries for the first 24 to 48 hours after the injury. When swelling and pain have decreased to a point that rehabilitation can start, the range-of-motion lock can be detached from the brace allowing full plantar and dorsiflection of the ankle. Should immobilization be needed again, the range-of-motion lock can be reattached. 
   Another embodiment provides an ankle brace having strap buckles with limited rotation capability. Most ankle braces have a fixed buckle or slot to receive a strap to secure the brace to the leg, providing no capability for the strap to adjust to the angle and anatomy of the leg. A fully rotating buckle, on the other hand, provides excellent strap alignment with the leg, but full rotation also means unlimited motion between the buckle and the body of the brace, resulting in a lack of stability. A brace with a buckle which offers limited rotational capabilities allows the strap to efficiently fit the anatomy of the lower leg while still providing good support. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an ankle brace made in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of the ankle brace of  FIG. 1 , with the straps removed for clarity; 
       FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of a “basic” brace (with the strap removed for clarity), similar to that of  FIG. 1  but without the upper extension shell and without the Range-Of-Motion lock; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the ankle brace of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the ankle brace of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the upper extension shell of the of the ankle brace of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the Range-Of-Motion locks of the ankle brace of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6A  is a front view of one of the Range-Of-Motion locks of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of another embodiment of an ankle brace made in accordance with the present invention; and 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the upper extension shell of the ankle brace of  FIG. 7 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION 
     FIGS. 1-6  show an ankle brace  10  made in accordance with the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the ankle brace  10  includes a foot shell  12 , a medial shell  14 , an upright extension shell  16 , limited rotation buckles  18 , straps  20 , and range-of-motion locks  22 . 
   The foot shell or stirrup  12  includes a base portion that underlies the foot (not shown) and includes a substantially flat extension  24  which projects forward to just beyond the arch of the foot. The foot shell  12  has a contoured stirrup shape and includes left and right upper side portions  26 ,  28 , respectively. Each of these upper side portions  26 ,  28  defines a series of substantially oval-shaped through openings  30 ,  32 ,  34  (See also  FIG. 3 ), at least one of which cooperates with a snap fit, range-of-motion lock  22  as described in more detail below. 
   The medial shell  14  has a substantially “U” shaped cross section and is designed to fit against, and is contoured to, both lateral sides and the posterior side of the lower leg and ankle, and is open at the anterior side  40 . Adjacent the anterior side  40 , and on the outer surface of both lateral walls  42 ,  44  of the medial shell  14 , are triangularly-shaped indentations  46 , designed to engage similarly shaped buckles  18  to allow limited rotation of the buckles  18  as explained in more detail below. 
   The medial side portions  26 ,  28  of the foot shell  12  overlap the medial shell  14  such that rivets  38  extending through openings  36  (in the foot shell  12 ) and  60  (in the medial shell  14 ) pivotably secure the foot shell  12  to the medial shell  14 . 
   The lateral walls  42 ,  44  also define a series of substantially vertically aligned, oval-shaped through openings  48 ,  50 ,  52  (See also  FIG. 3 ) which engage a snap-fit, upright extension shell  16  attachment as described in more detail below. An additional through-opening  54  adjacent the lower end of each of the lateral walls  42 ,  44  of the medial shell  14  (and located to the rear of the through opening  60  which defines the pivot point between the medial shell  14  and the foot shell  12 ) is used, in cooperation with a respective range-of-motion lock  22  and at least one of the openings  30 ,  32 ,  34  in the foot shell  12 , to lock the foot shell  12  against pivoting motion relative to the medial shell  14 , as described in more detail below. 
     FIGS. 6 and 6A  depict the range-of-motion locks  22 , which are identical. Each range-of-motion lock  22  is substantially figure-8 shaped and defines upper and lower oval-shaped through openings  56 ,  58 , elongated in the “x” direction (see  FIG. 6 ), with each opening  56 ,  58  surrounded by a raised oval insert  59  projecting outwardly in the “z” direction, and with raised flanges  61 ,  62  projecting upwardly and downwardly in the “y” direction, respectively. The raised flanges  61 ,  62  are tapered on their outer surfaces to facilitate their insertion into the oval openings  54 ,  30  of the medial shell  14  and foot shell  12 , respectively, and they are flat on their rear surfaces. These raised flanges  61 ,  62  are flexible enough to snap through their respective openings  30  (in the foot shell  12 ) and  54  (in the medial shell  14 ) to releasably lock onto the foot shell  12  and medial shell  14 , respectively, to prevent relative pivoting motion of the foot shell  12  and medial shell  14  about the rivets  38 . 
   To summarize, the raised oval inserts  59  act as projections which extend outwardly through the opening  30  in the foot shell  12  and the opening  54  in the medial shell  14 , and the flanges  61 ,  62  act as deformable “hooks” at the end of these projections  59 , abutting the outer surfaces of the foot shell  12  and medial shell  14  to secure the range-of-motion locks  22  to the foot shell  12  and the medial shell  14  a the openings  30 ,  54 . When the range-of-motion locks  22  are snapped into the brace  10  to restrict pivoting movement between the foot shell  12  and the medial shell  14 , the brace  10  acts as a splint. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the upper extension shell  16  also has a substantially “U” shaped cross section, similar to the medial shell  14 . On the outer surface of the upper extension shell  16  on both lateral walls  68 ,  70  adjacent the anterior side  66  are triangularly-shaped indentations  72 , which engage similarly shaped buckles  18  to allow limited rotation of the buckles  18 , as explained in more detail below. 
   Downwardly-projecting tabs  74 L,  74 R extend from the lateral walls  68 ,  70 , respectively, and each of these tabs  74 L,  74 R defines a series of substantially vertically aligned, oval-shaped through openings  76 ,  78 ,  80  surrounded by raised inserts  81  (See  FIG. 5 ), similar to the raised inserts  59  described with respect to the range-of-motion locks  22  of  FIG. 6A . In this instance, of the three openings  76 ,  78 ,  80 , only the raised insert  81  surrounding the middle opening  78  has both upper and lower raised flanges  82 ,  84  (See also  FIG. 3 ). The raised insert  81  surrounding the upper opening  76  has only an upwardly-extending raised flange  86 . There are no raised flanges at the lower opening  80 . 
   As with the range-of-motion locks  22 , these raised flanges  82 ,  84 ,  86  have a tapered outer surface and are relatively flexible to allow them to be deformed far enough to snap through the corresponding openings  48 ,  50  in the medial shell  14  in order to releasably lock onto the medial shell  14 . It should also be noted that there are outward projections on the raised flanges  82 ,  84 ,  86  which permit them to be grasped to flex the flange for removal of the upper shell  16  from the medial shell  14 . 
   Of course, other snap-fit arrangements could be used instead, or other known types of connecting mechanisms could be used. 
   While the brace is being worn, the wearer&#39;s foot and leg also tend to keep the tabs  74 R,  74 L of the upper shell  16  pressed outwardly toward the medial shell  14  and the range-of-motion locks  22  pressed outwardly toward the medial shell  14  and foot shell  12 , thereby keeping the range-of-motion locks  22  and the upper shell  16  engaged and secured. Only when the wearer removes the brace and presses on the outward projections of the flanges can he disengage the range-of-motion locks  22  or the upper shell  16 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the buckles  18  are triangularly shaped to conform generally to the similarly shaped indentations  46 ,  72  in the outer surface of the medial shell  14  and upper shell  16 , respectively. The buckles  18  are rotatably secured to their respective shells  14 ,  16  with rivets  88 , which allow rotation of the buckles  18  about the axes of the rivets  88 . However, the rotation of the buckle  18  is limited, or confined, to the area defined by the indentations  46 ,  72 . Since the indentations  46 ,  72  are slightly larger than the buckles  18  (See  FIG. 3 ), the buckles  18  are able to rotate within a desired range before abutting the sides of the indentations. The range of rotation of the buckle relative to its respective shell preferably is less than 45 degrees, more preferably less than fifteen degrees, and in this case less than ten degrees, to allow the strap  20  to efficiently fit the anatomy of the lower leg while still providing sufficient support and stability. 
   Of course, the buckle  18  need not be triangularly shaped, nor do the indentations  46 ,  72  need to be similarly shaped to the buckles  18  in order to provide some kind of stops that limit the rotation of the buckles  18  to a desired or preferred degree of rotation. For example, the stops could be simple projections which extend outwardly from the shells without recessing the buckles. 
   The straps  20  are secured to the buckles  18  by passing the straps  20  through slotted openings  92  in the buckles  18 , as is well known in the art. 
   When the brace  10  is used without the upper extension shell  16  and without the range-of-motion locks  22 , it functions as a “basic” pivoting brace  10 ″, as depicted in  FIG. 2A . This “basic” brace  10 ″ is designed to be worn during normal athletic activities to prevent an ankle injury, so it is smaller in scale, and provides support without unduly restricting mobility. 
   As can be appreciated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the range-of-motion locks  22  may be added to the “basic” brace  10 ″ to releasably fix, or lock, the foot shell  12  and the medial shell  14  to prevent pivotal motion (motion in the forward and aft directions) between these two shells  12 ,  14 . As has been described above, the flanges  61 ,  62  and inserts  59  of the range-of-motion locks  22  are inserted through their respective openings  30  in the foot shell  12  and openings  54  in the medial shell  14 . This locks the foot shell  12  in a neutral position relative to the medial shell  14 , preventing the brace  10  from pivoting about the axes defined by the rivets  38  joining these two shells  12 ,  14 . 
   Adding the left and right range-of-motion locks  22  to the “basic” brace fixes the brace  10  in a neutral position to act as a splint. This splinting effect immobilizes the ankle, which is recommended for acute ankle injuries for the first 24 to 48 hours after the injury. When the swelling and pain have decreased to a point that rehabilitation can start, the range-of-motion locks  22  can be removed from the brace  10 , allowing full plantar and dorsiflection of the ankle. Should immobilization be needed again, the range-of-motion locks  22  can be reattached. 
   Similarly, the upper extension shell  16  may also be releasably attached to the “basic” brace  10 ″ as has already been described. Attaching the upper extension shell  16  to the basic brace makes the brace  10  taller and thereby provides more leverage to help gain additional stability to improve ankle support. The elongated brace  10  with the upper extension  16  is also more rigid, which also adds to the support and stability of the brace  10 . 
   Normally, when an ankle is severely injured, the brace will be used in the form shown in  FIG. 1 , with the upper extension  16  and range-of-motion locks  22  installed. Then, as the swelling and pain subside, the range-of-motion locks  22  are removed to permit flexing of the ankle. Later, as the ankle heals further, the upper extension  16  is removed, and the brace is used in the form shown in  FIG. 2A . 
   To remove the upper extension shell  16  from the brace  10 , one need only squeeze together the flanges  82 ,  84  of the middle opening  78  and push the flanges out of the opening  50  in the medial shell  14 , pushing the tabs  74 L,  74 R toward the inside of the brace  10 . The lowermost raised insert  81  immediately exits its corresponding opening  52  in the medial shell  14  and, as the tabs  74 L,  74 R pull away from the medial shell  14 , they hinge inwardly until the uppermost flange  86  also disengages from its corresponding upper opening  48  of the medial shell  14 , and the upper extension shell  16  is released. 
     FIGS. 7 and 8  depict an alternative embodiment of an ankle brace  10 ′ made in accordance with the present invention. The main difference between this embodiment  10 ′ and the previously described embodiment  10  is that the upper extension shell  16 ′ in this embodiment  10 ′ is molded as one piece with the medial shell  14 ′. An indented cutting guide  90  is molded into the shell, serving as a demarcation between the upper extension shell  16 ′ and the medial shell  14 ′ and showing where the user may cut the shell to separate the upper extension shell  16 ′ from the medial shell  14 ′, if desired, to achieve the “basic” brace  10 ″. Alternatively, the cutting guide could be a decal, a marking, or some other indicator applied to the shell. Of course, in this embodiment, once the upper extension shell  16 ′ has been cut away from the medial shell  14 ′, there is no provision for reattaching it. However, there are through openings  48 ′,  50 ′,  52 ′ in the medial shell  14 ′ which may be used to attach an upper extension shell  16  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ) after the original upper extension shell  16 ′ has been cut off, as has already been described. Alternatively, a connector similar to the range-of-motion locks  22  could be used to snap into openings in the upper shell  16 ′ and the medial shell  14 ′ to re-connect them. 
   This brace  10 ′ also differs from the previous brace  10  in that it has no provision for a range-of-motion lock  22  to restrict rotation of the foot shell  12  relative to the medial shell  14 ′. However, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art to provide the through opening  54  in the medial shell  14 ′ of  FIG. 7  such that the range-of-motion lock  22  also may be used in this embodiment  10 ′. 
   It should also be noted that the range-of-motion locks need not be designed to completely prevent relative rotation. They could, instead, provide some “slop” between the inserts  59  and the respective openings into which they are inserted in order to permit some limited amount of relative motion. 
   While the embodiments described above show simple means for releasably securing an upper extension shell to a medial shell, as well as means to lock the foot shell to the medial shell, various other mechanisms, such as Velcro™ (hook and loop type) fasteners, alternatively could be used to accomplish these tasks. Also, while they are used on a particular brace design, these features could be used on other brace designs as well. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.