Patent ID: 7018351

Claim:
An orthopaedic support for comfortably supporting the ankle of a wearer, comprising: an outer shell formed for fitting about the lower leg of the wearer; a molded pad bonded to said shell; an overmold that substantially surrounds said pad and said shell substantially sealing together said orthopaedic support; said pad having a base layer; said pad having a plurality of molded substantially hollow structures to provide differing levels of cushioning support for the wearer of the orthopaedic support at different areas of the pad, at least some of said structures having a different dimension than others of said structures; and said hollow structures extending substantially perpendicular from said base layer; said hollow structures being integrally molded with said base layer; wherein said molded structures comprise walls, said walls providing cushioning support for the ankle and having a self supporting free standing construction even without inflating or otherwise filling said molded structures with air, liquid, or gel.