Patent Publication Number: US-7913429-B1

Title: Orthotic wedge system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a system of heel wedges which can be attached to a foot orthotic shell to correct orthopedic foot problems. More particularly, the system can be provided in kit form whereby the same wedges can be used to correct lateral or medial arch conditions. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Orthotic devices are used by podiatrists to correct various foot or arch alignment problems. Such problems may include post tibial tendonitis, plantar faciitis, pes planus, pronation, and supination. These conditions are normally treated with preformed orthotics made of a polymeric material and is sold in a variety of sizes and shapes. The podiatrist attempts to match one of those orthotic devices to the needs of the patient. Such is often difficult, and since mass production can only economically justify a minimum number of configurations, the ideal fit for the patent is often compromised. 
     As a result, orthotics are available which are custom fit for the patient. However, such are quite expensive and, in addition, throughout the treatment process, the needs of the patient may change requiring the frequent creation of new, expensive, custom fit devices. Such is particularly prevalent for infant or child patients whose condition may not necessarily change but who will outgrow custom made devices. 
     More recently, wedge-like devices have been developed which can be attached to the bottom of a foot orthotic shell. These wedges can be provided with a variety of angles and the podiatrist selects the appropriate wedge and attaches it to the shell. Then, if the patient&#39;s condition changes so as to warrant the use of a wedge having a different angle, the wedge can merely be changed. However, such a system does not account for the fact that some patients will need correction on the arch side of the foot, know as a medial condition, while other patients will need correction on the outside of the foot, known as a lateral correction. The prior art does not provide a system wherein wedges can be used interchangeably to selectively provide both lateral and medial correction. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     It is thus an object of one aspect of the present invention to provide a system of orthotic wedges which are interchangeable to provide lateral or medial foot correction. 
     It is an object of another aspect of the present invention to provide such wedges in a kit form for the timesaving use of the practitioner without the need for expensive modification machinery. 
     These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements hereinafter described and claimed. 
     In general, a system in accordance with the present invention for constructing a pair of devices to provide first or second orthopedic corrections includes a shell for a right foot, a shell for a left foot, and first and second wedges. The first wedge is connectable to the right foot shell and the second wedge is connectable to the left foot shell to provide the first orthopedic correction. The first wedge is connectable to the left foot shell and the second wedge is connectable to the right foot shell to provide the second orthopedic correction. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a kit may be provided for constructing a pair of devices to provide first and second orthopedic corrections of a selected degree. The kit includes at least one pair of shells including a first shell for the right foot and a second shell for the left foot. The kit also includes a plurality of pairs of wedges, each pair providing a different degree of correction. Each pair of wedges includes a first wedge and a second wedge, the first wedge of the selected pair of wedges being connectable to the second shell to provide the first orthopedic correction. The second orthopedic correction is provided in that the first wedge of the selective pair of wedges is connectable to the second shell and the second wedge of the selected pair of wedges is connectable to the first shell. 
     A method of constructing a pair of devices to provide orthopedic corrections includes the steps of selecting a shell for the right foot, selecting a shell for the left foot, selecting a pair of wedges providing the desired amount of correction, placing one of the wedges on the right shell and the other of the wedges on the left shell if one type of correction is required or placing the other of the wedges on the right shell and the one of the wedges on the left shell if a different type of correction is required. 
     A preferred exemplary orthotic wedge system according to the concepts of the present invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings without attempting to show all the various forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied, the invention being measured by the appended claims and not by the details of the specification. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a foot orthotic shell and a wedge made in accordance with the concepts of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1A  is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 1B  is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the shell for the left foot. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of a shell for the left foot. 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a shell for the right foot. 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view of a shell for the right foot. 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of one wedge made in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a rear elevational view of the wedge of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a front elevational view of the wedge of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom plan view of another wedge made in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a rear elevational view of the wedge of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a front elevational view of the wedge of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 12  is a composite sectional view of a pair of shells and wedges taken generally along line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 1  and showing the wedge of  FIG. 6  on the left shell of  FIGS. 2 and 3  and the wedge of  FIG. 9  on the right shell of  FIGS. 4 and 5  to provide medial corrections. 
         FIG. 13  is a composite sectional view like  FIG. 12  but showing the wedge of  FIG. 9  on the left shell of  FIGS. 2 and 3  and the wedge of  FIG. 6  on the right shell of  FIGS. 4 and 5  to provide lateral corrections. 
         FIG. 14  is a composite sectional view of a pair of shells and wedges taken along line  14 - 14  of  FIG. 1  and showing the wedge of  FIG. 6  on the left shell of  FIGS. 2 and 3  and the wedge of  FIG. 9  on the right shell of  FIGS. 4 and 5  to provide medial corrections. 
         FIG. 15  is a composite sectional view like  FIG. 14  but showing the wedge of  FIG. 9  on the left shell of  FIGS. 2 and 3  and the wedge of  FIG. 6  on the right shell of  FIGS. 4 and 5  to provide lateral correction. 
     
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     The foundation of the system for creating a pair of orthotic devices includes a foot orthotic shell for the left foot, generally indicated by the numeral  20 L, and a foot orthotic shell for the right foot generally indicated by the numeral  20 R. Each shell  20 , can be made of a suitable plastic material that can be reshaped with heating such as polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, glycol modified polyethylene terephthalete, or like copolymer material, includes a toe portion  21 , a central portion  22 , and a heel portion generally indicated by the numeral  23 . Each central portion  22  includes an arch  24  formed on the inside thereof, that is, on the side adjacent to the other foot. 
     Each heel portion  23  is shown as having an aperture  25  extending therethrough. As will hereinafter become evident, apertures  25  can generally be of any peripheral configuration other than circular and are shown as being in the form of a racetrack having two opposed curved portions  26  spaced by two opposed straight portions  27 . Each straight portion  27  is provided with a lug  28  which extends into the opening of aperture  25 . 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the surface  29  of heel portion  23  is curved to generally conform to the shape of the heel of a foot. The bottom of the surface  29  of each heel portion  23  is provided with ribs  30  which extend laterally from side to side of heel portion  23  and longitudinally extending ribs  31  which intersect ribs  30  to form a ribbing grid. As shown in the drawings, because surface  29  is curved, the height of the ribs  30  and  31  varies. In particular, ribs  31  are of minimal height near aperture  25  and are of their maximum height at the front and rear of heel portion  23 . As best shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , ribs  30  are highest on the arch side of shells  20  and lowest on the opposite side. 
     Lateral and medial correcting wedges are generally indicated by the numeral  40  with the wedge of  FIGS. 6-8  being indicated as wedge  40 A and the wedge of  FIGS. 9-11  being indicated as wedge  40 B. Wedges  40  may also be made of a polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, glycol modified polyethylene terephthalete, or like copolymer material and take the peripheral shape of the heel portions  23  of shells  20 L and  20 R. Wedges  40  have a flat bottom surface  41  with a generally U-shaped peripheral sidewall having a base  42  and opposed arms  43 ,  44  extending upwardly from bottom surface  41 . A front wall  45  intersects the ends of arms  43 ,  44 . The arm  43 ,  44  on one side of front wall  43  is higher than the arm  43 ,  44  on the other side of front wall  43  with the wedges  40 A and  40 B being mirror images of each other. That is, as shown in  FIGS. 6-11 , wedge  40 A has a sidewall arm  43 A that is higher than its opposed sidewall arm  44 A, and wedge  40 B has a sidewall arm  43 B which is lower than its opposed sidewall arm  44 B. 
     A pattern of ribbing extends upwardly from bottom surface  41  of each wedge  40  and generally matches the ribbing grid of heel portions  23  of shells  20 . Thus, ribs  46  extend laterally from side to side of wedges  40  and longitudinally extending ribs  47  intersect ribs  46 . Ribs  46 ,  47  generally parallel the curvature of surface  29  of heel portion  23  of shells  20  and thus, as shown in  FIG. 1 , ribs  46  are shallowest at their centers and extend outwardly higher until they reach arms  43 ,  44 . Ribs  47  are shallowest at the front wall  45  of wedges  40  and extend higher as they reach sidewall base  42 . 
     Each wedge  40  also includes a hub  48  extending upwardly from bottom surface  41  generally centrally thereof and between longitudinal ribs  47 . Hub  48  can generally have any peripheral shape other than circular and its shape should match that of shell aperture  25 . Thus, hub  48  is shown as being in the form of a racetrack having two opposed curved surfaces  49  spaced by opposed straight portions  50 . Each straight portion  50  is provided with a lug  51  which extends outwardly therefrom. 
     As will hereinafter be described in more detail, a selected wedge  40  is attached to a selected shell  20  by merely positioning hub  48  into aperture  25  and pushing hub  48  inwardly until lug  51  snaps over lug  28  to attach wedge  40  to shell  20 . Such an attachment is shown in  FIGS. 12-15 . To remove a wedge  40  from a shell  20 , one need only push downwardly on hub  42 , which is exposed on the top of shell  20 , to move lug  51  past lug  28 . 
     For the convenience of the podiatrist, the shell  20 /wedge  40  combinations can be provided in kit form with left and right shells  20 L,  20 R of one or more sizes, and a plurality of wedges  40  being provided in each kit. These wedges  40  are provided in pairs  40 A and  40 B, each pair having a different posting angle, that is, the angle provided by the difference in heights between sidewall arms  43  and  44  of wedges  40 . Thus, for example, four pairs of wedges  40  might be provided in each kit possibly having, but not limited to, posting angles of 0°, 2°, 4°, and 6°. Wedges  40 A and  40 B are shown in  FIGS. 6 and 10  as being marked as a pair of wedges having a 2° posting angle. By providing a plurality of angle selections, the podiatrist is able to select the pair of wedges  40  having the angle currently needed by the patient, and attach those wedges  40  to the shells  20 . At a later date, if the patient needs to have his correction changed, a pair of wedges  40  having a different angle can conveniently be substituted for the wedges  40  currently attached to the shells  20 . 
     Of importance is that because of the configuration of wedges  40  and shells  20 , just described, each pair of wedges  40  can be interchangeably used for both medial and lateral correction. For example, if medical corrections are required, wedge  40 A of  FIG. 6  is put onto left shell  20 L and wedge  40 B of FIG.  9  is put onto right shell  20 R. Such an assembly is shown in  FIGS. 12 and 14  wherein it can be seen that the inside arch sides of the shells  20  are higher than the outside of the shells  20 . However, if lateral corrections are required, the wedges  20  of the desired pair merely need to be reversed. That is, wedge  40 A of  FIG. 6  is put onto right shell  20 R and wedge  40 B of  FIG. 9  is put onto left shell  20 L resulting in corrections shown in  FIGS. 13 and 15 , that is, the inside, arch sides of shells  20  are lower than the outside of each shell  20 . The indicia “L-MEDIAL R-LATERAL” imprinted on wedge  40 A and “R-MEDIAL L-LATERAL” imprinted on wedge  40 B instructs the user as to the correct assemblage of the orthotic devices dependent on the desired result. 
     In view of the forgoing, it should be apparent that orthotic devices construction as described herein accomplish the objects of the present invention and otherwise substantially improve the art.