Abstract:
A toe protector for orthopedic foot fixtures comprising a semi-rigid arcuate enclosure that is positioned over a patient&#39;s exposed toes extending from within a fabric foot fixture. The toe protector overlies the exposed toes and is secured in place by engagement with portions of the foot fixture.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to foot supports and braces that are used on a patient&#39;s foot for immobilization and support after injury. More specifically this invention is directed to toe protection devices that are used in conjunction with these supports to protect the exposed toes extending from the foot enclosure. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     A number of prior art devices have been developed in an attempt to address the problem of exposed toes evident with the use of the typical foot cast or other fabric foot ankle support structures. Heretofore such devices have utilized protection bars that encircle around the toes and are secured to the cast, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,872 which has a horizontally disposed rigid band that extends along opposite sides of the foot and wraps around in spaced relation to the patient&#39;s toes. 
     Alternately, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,041 a toe guard is described for a walking cast that extends around the toe utilizing a horizontal band that extends from a central support stem engaged under the cast. 
     A toe protection sock is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,830 in which a fabric cap member is fitted over the ends of the exposed toes and cast. This device is held in place by a pair of restraining straps that extend around the outer surface of the cast. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,138 a toe protection and foot support for an orthopedic cast is disclosed having an elongated support tongue extending from under the patient&#39;s foot with a toe dome shaped toe cover inter-engaged on a mounting rim extending around the forward end of the support. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A toe protection device for use with orthopedic foot fixtures and casts and orthopedic fabric foot and ankle braces. The toe protection device overlies the patient&#39;s exposed toes that typically extend from the end of the orthopedic enclosures. The toe protection device is of a contoured arcuate configuration that extends over the toes and is held in place by engagement with portions of the enclosing device. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an orthopedic foot support with a toe protector of the invention positioned within; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toe protector of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the toe protector of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is an illustrative end view; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial top plan view of a foot support enclosure in open position with the toe protector of the invention positioned within; and 
     FIG. 6 is a partial top plan view of the foot enclosure set forth in FIG. 5 in closed position over a fully engaged toe protector of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a therapeutic fabric foot enclosure  10  can be seen having a resilient sole  11  with an integral fabric foot engagement portion  12  extending therefrom. The foot engagement portion  12  has a heel area  13  and a pair of oppositely disposed flexible fabric closure flaps  14 A and  14 B extending from over the length of the sole  11 . A pair of strap assemblies  15  and  16  extend from the sole  11  and overlie the respective flaps  14 A and  14 B and are in spaced longitudinal relation to one another. Each of the strap assemblies  15  and  16  comprises a pair of straps  15 A &amp;  15 B and  16 A &amp;  16 B with attached buckle fittings  17 . Engagement straps  18 A &amp;  18 B extend between the respective buckle fittings  17  of each of the strap pairs and have hook and loop fastening elements generally indicated at  19  on the respective sides so as to be secured to themselves after passing through the respective oppositely disposed buckle fittings  17  of the respective strap pairs  15 A &amp;  15 B and  16 A &amp;  16 B as will be well know by those skilled in the art as best seen in FIGS. 1-5 of the drawings. 
     A toe protection device  20  of the invention has an elongated arcuate main body member  21  formed from flexible synthetic resin material, best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The main body member  21  defines a toe opening  22  at one end and a foot opening  23  at its oppositely disposed end. 
     The elongated arcuate main body  21  defines respective side elements  24  and  25  with an integral interengaging interconnecting top portion  26 . 
     Each of the side elements  24  and  25  have respective sole engagement edges  27 A and  27 B with curved transitional corners  24 A and  25 A defining the toe opening  22 . The main body member  21  is tapered longitudinally from the foot opening  23  downwardly to the toe opening  22  as best seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings. A portion of the main body member  21  that extends inwardly from a perimeter edge along the toe opening is recessed at  30 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the toe protection device  20  of the invention can be seen having a cross-sectionally thin configuration so as to impart an adjustable transverse flexation when depressed as from a vertical load indicating by arrow L from an initial rest configuration shown in solid lines to a deflective position shown in broken lines. The deflection property thus imparted will allow for adjustability to the various sole widths indicated by a minimum range at W 1  to a maximum range at W 2 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings, in use, the toe protector  20  is positioned over a patient&#39;s toes  31  extending from the patient&#39;s foot  32 . Typically, the foot  32  has been wrapped in a protective fabric stocking or band  33  with the toes  31  normally exposed. The toe protective device  20  is removably secured in position by engagement with the overlapping flaps  14 A and  14 B by a strip of hook attachment material  34  of commercially available hook and loop material known as Velcro which is adhesively secured to the upper portion  26  of the toe protector  20 . The hook attachment material  34  can extend longitudinally or transversely across the upper portion  26  depending on the application of choice and for illustration purposes both positions are shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. 
     In this example, flap  14 A engages the toe protection device  21 , then flap  14 B overlies flap  14 A indicated by directional arrows in FIG. 5 of the drawings. The strap assemblies  15  and  16  are secured over the closed flaps and secured thereover as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. 
     It will be evident that a portion of the toe protector  20  extending out from beyond the enclosed fabric foot support, shielding the hereinbefore exposed toes from accidental contact with foreign objects. 
     The toe protector  20  as noted is made of synthetic resin material and is illustrated as being transparent in this example chosen for illustration. 
     It will be apparent that given the toe protector  20 &#39;s transverse adjustability and longitudinally tapered configuration that it can be adjustably positioned within various therapeutic foot enclosures where the patient&#39;s toe extends unprotected therefrom.