Ankle foot orthosis

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides an ankle-foot orthosis (1) for resisting plantarflexion of a patient's foot, comprising a resiliently flexible sock-like orthotic structure (1) formed of first (12) and second (14) tubular sections set at an angle to one another, wherein the second tubular section is capable of being opened for insertion of the patient's foot and lower leg into respective ones of said first and second tubular sections, the orthosis further comprising at least one closure member (34) that can be passed round at least part of the periphery of the second tubular section and secured in place to urge the second tubular section towards a closed position in which the second tubular section is closely fitted to the lower leg of the patient.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to ankle foot orthoses. Background technique [0002] An orthosis is a mechanical device that exerts force on a patient's limb and can be used for many different purposes. For example, an orthosis may be used for supportive, functional, corrective or protective purposes, or indeed a combination of these purposes. [0003] Ankle-foot orthoses are generally used to provide protection to a patient's ankle and foot while providing support against hyper-plantar flexion (or more colloquially "foot drop"). Plantarflexion of the foot is a medical condition caused by disease, trauma, or a congenital abnormality. Patients infected with this condition often have difficulty walking because the patient's foot tends to droop when lifted off the ground, so the patient typically has to lift the foot higher than it should to avoid tripping. It is also not uncommon for patients to have problems during the swing phase of the gait cycle, s...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

The effect of this is ultimately to make orthotics more expensive to manufacture than otherwise, and therefore more expensive to buy

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