Patent ID: 6926687

Claim:
An ankle-foot orthosis for relief of a patient from orthopedic dysfunctions, the orthosis comprising, in combination: a) a shoe having an upper portion that includes a forward part and a heel portion, and a longitudinal vertical plane, the shoe further including an adjoining first side portion and a second side portion that are bisected by the longitudinal vertical plane; and b) a brace assembly comprising: i) a support brace comprising a leg member and a pair of opposed upright members, the leg member having an inner surface and an outer surface, the leg member being shaped to curve generally concavely laterally between a pair of spaced side edges of the leg member and is constructed and arranged such that portions of the inner surface of the leg member complementarily conform to portions of the rear and sides of a patient's lower leg, each upright member of the pair of upright members being connected to a portion of the leg member proximate a respective side edge of the leg member and extending downwardly from the leg member to a distal end; and ii) means for resiliently connecting a portion of the support brace to the upper portion of the shoe, wherein, in use, at least a portion of the distal end of one upright member of the pair of upright members is inserted into a portion of the heel portion of the shoe between the first side portion and the patient's foot and at least a portion of the distal end of the opposed upright member of the pair of upright members is inserted into a portion of the heel portion of the shoe between the second side portion and the patient's foot.