Orthotic foot brace

Abstract

An orthotic foot brace for a person wearing a footwear has a leg holder having a cuff securable to a lower leg of the person for use, a foot strut having a hinge member, a heel member below the hinge member and adapted to engage a heel portion of the footwear, a leg strut extending between the cuff and the foot strut, and an instep strut assembly securable to an instep portion of the footwear. The instep strut assembly includes a guide extending from the foot strut and a movable member engaged with the guide and displaceable along the guide between an extended position and a retracted position.

Description

ORTHOTIC FOOT BRACECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the priority of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 553,241 filed February 14, 2024, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD

[0002] The improvements generally relate to orthotics and, more particularly, to an orthosis for addressing a foot drop condition.BACKGROUND

[0003] Foot drop or drop foot are terms which have been employed to describe ankle and toe dorsiflexor paresis (referred to hereinafter as foot drop for simplicity) resulting in the inability to raise the foot at the ankle, such that the foot inclines towards and scrapes the ground when walking. Dorsiflexion is the action of raising the foot, or more specifically the instep portion of the foot, upwardly towards the shin of a lower leg. This motion is one of the many actions that must take place during a normal gait cycle, and is particularly important through the entirety of the swing phase of the gait cycle, so that the toes of the foot (or more specifically for the toe section of the footwear being used) do not drag on the ground.

[0004] Many braces have been proposed to assist with or address the condition of foot drop. However, there always remains room for improvement.SUMMARY

[0005] Orthotic foot braces can have a leg holder which attaches to the lower leg of a user and a foot strut which interfaces with a foot of the user. The leg holder can be interconnected to the foot strut via a leg strut. When a user enters the swing phase of the gait cycle with their foot exhibiting foot drop symptoms, the position of the lower leg and the orthotic foot brace can transfer a force on the foot upwardly, towards the lower leg, via the leg holder anchoring point. The mechanical force transferred from the lower leg to the foot is provided by the leg strut, which mechanically unites the two pieces.

[0006] The leg strut can be an elongated portion of the orthotic foot brace and play a role in the transfer of mechanical loads. While gaits may be ascertained in relation to a single plane coincident with a linear direction of travel of a user, it is understood that lower legs and foots go through complex multidirectional movements. The leg struts are not only subject to axial (applied along the longitudinal axis) and bending forces (applied orthogonal to the longitudinal axis), but further to torsional forces, which must effectively be transferred between the foot and the lower leg. Further, by the nature of the use of the orthotic foot brace, it can be desirable for the leg strut to be capable of operating in a cyclical way while minimizing fatigue failure. Weight, structural resistance, elastic behavior, and other design considerations of the leg strut are also factors to be taken into account. As the leg strut is an elongated member which forms a significant portion of the orthotic foot brace, the design of the leg strut can have a significant impact on the overall design.

[0007] It was found that providing a plurality of beams which extend alongside each other between the leg holder and the foot strut permitted to overcome at least some of the issues which have been associated to leg struts in orthotic foot braces. It was found that the plurality of beams can cooperate together to provide a significantly greater torsional resistance than either of them would otherwise exhibit individually, in addition to providing bending and axial resistance to the orthotic foot brace, in a way which can present new options from the performance perspective (e.g. costs, weight, visual appeal, structural resistance).

[0008] It was further found that having certain elements of the orthotic foot brace having an elasticity modulus larger than others brought about the advantage of increasing the efficiency of transferred forces and permits the bending of the foot strut to occur along the elements that are desired. It was determined that providing an instep strut made of a material which has an elasticity modulus higher than that of the foot strut to which it is connected permitted to reduce the amount of deflection of the instep strut, and therefore the amount of deflection of the foot attached thereto. It was found that this increased the efficiency of the mechanical forces transferred to the foot strut. Material with similar mechanical properties can be used for the leg strut, either alone or in combination with a corresponding material in the instep strut, such as to increase the efficiency of the mechanical force transfer and encourage bending at the desired location of the orthotic foot brace.

[0009] Yet, adjustability of the orthotic foot brace to different leg, foot, and footwear dimensions and shapes was found to be advantageous. For example, attachment of the orthotic foot brace on the wearer’s footwear and leg, and / or interface areas of the orthotic foot brace with the instep region of the footwear may require a positioning / repositioning for better interoperability with the wearer’s footwear and / or leg. Indeed, boots, such as winter boots or dress boots for example, worn by the wearer may have a different envelope size (e.g., width, thickness) and shape (e.g., instep region outline) than shoes of various types (e.g., sports shoes, dress shoes, etc.). Adjustability was also found to be practical for an orthotist to fit a given orthotic foot brace to different wearers, when such orthotic foot brace is used as a tool to dimension a patient-specific brace, whether or not such a patient-specific orthotic foot brace is itself adjustable.

[0010] In accordance with one aspect, there is provided an orthotic foot brace for a person wearing a footwear, the orthotic foot brace comprising: a leg holder having a cuff securable to a lower leg of the person for use; a foot strut having a hinge member, and a heel member below the hinge member, the heel member adapted to engage a heel portion of the footwear; a leg strut extending between the cuff and the foot strut; and an instep strut assembly securable to an instep portion of the footwear, the instep strut assembly including a guide extending from the foot strut and a movable member engaged with the guide and displaceable along the guide between an extended position and a retracted position.

[0011] Further in accordance with the above aspect, for example, the guide includes a pair of arms extending anteriorly from the foot strut.

[0012] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the guide is removably securable to the foot strut.

[0013] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the arms of the pair of arms are spaced by a foot spacing, the foot spacing adapted to receive the footwear when the orthotic foot brace is worn by the person.

[0014] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the arms of the pair of arms have a length, the movable member displaceable along a majority of the length.

[0015] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the arms of the pair of arms have a generally oval cross-section.

[0016] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the guide is fastenable to the foot strut.

[0017] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the movable member includes a transverse member having a central portion extending transversely with respect to the guide, and a pair of guide portions at opposite ends of the central portion, the guide portions of the pair of guide portions are slidably engaged to the guide.

[0018] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the guide portions each have an aperture receiving the guide.

[0019] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, guide portions define female portions and the pair of arms define male portions engageable with the female portions.

[0020] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the transverse member forms a crescent between the pair of arms thereby bridging the pair of arms to one another.

[0021] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the leg strut includes a plurality of beams extending parallel to one another and laterally offset from one another.

[0022] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the foot strut has a junction at a lateral side of the footwear receiving the guide of the instep strut assembly.

[0023] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the heel member has a proximal portion extending below the hinge member, from the junction, towards a heel portion of the footwear.

[0024] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the cuff has a cuff connector engageable with the leg strut, the cuff connector configured to engage with the leg strut and displaceable between an extended position and a retracted position relative thereto.

[0025] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, in the extended position, a distance between the cuff and the foot strut is greater than when in the retracted position.

[0026] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the cuff connector includes at least one cuff connector passage for receiving the leg strut, the leg strut displaceable within the at least one cuff connector passage between the extended position and the retracted position.

[0027] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the leg strut is securable to the cuff connector to lock a relative displacement of the leg strut and the leg holder at a desired axial position within a range of possible positions between the extended position and the retracted position.

[0028] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the cuff connector has at least one fastener aperture configured to receive a fastener therein, the fastener engageable with the leg strut to axially lock the leg strut with the leg holder in the desired axial position.

[0029] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided an orthotic foot brace for a person wearing a footwear, the orthotic foot brace comprising: a leg holder having a cuff securable to a lower leg of the person for use, the cuff having a cuff connector; a foot strut having a hinge member, and a heel member below the hinge member, the heel member adapted to engage a heel portion of the footwear; a leg strut extending between the leg holder and the foot strut, the leg strut engageable with the cuff connector and configured to displace relative to the cuff connector between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein in the extended position a distance between the cuff and the foot strut is greater than when in the retracted position; and an instep strut assembly securable to an instep portion of the footwear.

[0030] Further in accordance with the above aspect, for example, the cuff connector includes at least one cuff connector passage for receiving the leg strut, the leg strutdisplaceable within the at least one cuff connector passage between the extended position and the retracted position.

[0031] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the leg strut is securable to the cuff connector to lock a relative displacement of the leg strut and the leg holder at a desired axial position within a range of possible positions between the extended position and the retracted position.

[0032] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the cuff connector has at least one fastener aperture configured to receive a fastener therein, the fastener engageable with the leg strut to axially lock the leg strut with the leg holder in the desired axial position.

[0033] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the instep strut assembly includes a guide extending from the foot strut and a movable member engaged with the guide and displaceable along the guide between an extended position and a retracted position.

[0034] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the guide includes a pair of arms extending anteriorly from the foot strut.

[0035] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the guide is removably securable to the foot strut.

[0036] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the pair of arms are spaced by a foot spacing, the foot spacing adapted to receive the footwear when the orthotic foot brace is worn by the person.

[0037] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the pair of arms have a length, the movable member displaceable along a majority of the length.

[0038] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the pair of arms have a generally oval cross-section.

[0039] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the guide is fastenable to the foot strut.

[0040] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the movable member includes a transverse member having a central portion extending transversely with respect to the guide, and a pair of guide portions at opposite ends of the central portion, the guide portions of the pair of guide portions are slidable engaged to the guide.

[0041] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the guide portions each have an aperture receiving the guide.

[0042] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the guide portions define female portions and the pair of arms define male portions engageable with the female portions.

[0043] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the transverse member forms a crescent between the pair of arms thereby bridging the pair of arms to one another.

[0044] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the leg strut includes a plurality of beams extending parallel to one another and laterally offset from one another, the beams axially engageable with respective passages of the cuff connector.

[0045] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the foot strut has a junction at a lateral side of the footwear receiving the guide of the instep strut assembly.

[0046] Further in accordance with the above aspects, for example, the heel member has a proximal portion extending below the hinge member, from the junction, towards a heel portion of the footwear.

[0047] In this specification, the use of the terms anterior, posterior, plantar, dorsal, proximal, distal, medial, lateral make reference to the positions of elements with reference to the anatomical atlas which is centred at the trunk of the person. As such, distal denotes a region which is relatively furthest from the trunk of a person in contrast to another region said to be proximal, which denotes a portion that is relatively closer to the trunk of a person. Front generally refers to the space found facing the torso of a person and in the general directionthat one would typically walk, while back generally refers to the space found facing the anatomical back of a person. As such, the anterior portion of the leg, for instance, refers to the general portion facing the direction of travel, while posterior is the portion facing away from the direction of travel. An imaginary median plane cuts the body longitudinally in half, where each one of the legs of a person is found in opposite sides of the median plane. As such, a medial portion of something refers to a portion which is closest or generally extending towards the median plane of the person, while the lateral portion refers to a portion which is furthest or generally extending away from the median plane. This is not to be confused with the expression lateral side(s) which can be either one of the sides of an object or subject.

[0048] In view of the nature of the orthotic foot brace of the present application, the anatomical reference terms may be used to denote relative positions of elements on the apparatus. These terms are to be understood in relation to the anatomical atlas of a hypothetical user who has his or her leg engaged within the orthotic foot brace. As will be made clear below, the orthotic foot brace of the present application can be used on either one or both feet of a user, which form a mirror image along the median plane. As such, the terms are not to be construed as limitative in any way and are to be used purely for the purpose of clarifying relative positions.

[0049] Many further features and combinations thereof concerning the present improvements will appearto those skilled in the art following a reading of the instant disclosure.DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0050] Fig. 1 A is a front perspective view of an example of an orthotic foot brace;

[0051] Fig. 1 B is a perspective view of a portion ofthe orthotic foot brace of Fig. 1A, shown in one configuration;

[0052] Fig. 1 C is a perspective view of a portion of the orthotic foot brace of Fig. 1A, shown in another configuration;

[0053] Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the orthotic foot brace of Fig. 1A worn by a user;

[0054] Fig. 3A is a rear perspective view of the orthotic foot brace of Fig. 2 not worn by a user;

[0055] Fig. 3B is a cross-sectional view of beams of the orthotic foot brace of Fig. 2, taken along the line 3B-3B of Fig. 3A;

[0056] Fig. 3C is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the beams of Fig. 3B;

[0057] Fig. 4A is a close-up perspective view of the portion 4A-4A of Fig. 3A;

[0058] Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4B-4B of Fig. 4A;

[0059] Fig. 4C is a partial top view of the orthotic foot brace of Fig. 3A taken along a crosssection of a beam of the orthotic foot brace;

[0060] Fig. 5A is a bottom perspective view of portions of the orthotic foot brace of Fig. 1A;

[0061] Fig. 5B is another perspective view of portions of the orthotic foot brace of Fig. 1 A;

[0062] Fig. 5C is a close-up perspective front view of a portion of an instep strut assembly of the orthotic foot brace of Fig. 5A;

[0063] Fig. 6 is a flow chart identifying steps for assembling an orthotic foot brace, according to an embodiment;

[0064] Fig. 7 is a partial side view of the orthotic foot brace of Fig ,1A being loaded uniformly on the lateral and medial sides and deflecting under load;

[0065] Fig. 8 is a partial front view of the orthotic foot brace shown in Fig. 7 being loaded on one of the lateral or medial side and deflecting under load;

[0066] Fig. 9 is a front perspective view of an orthotic foot brace, according to a variant;

[0067] Fig. 10 is a lateral elevation view of the orthotic foot brace of Fig. 9 worn by a user; and

[0068] Fig. 11 is a rear perspective view of the orthotic foot brace of Figs. 9-10 not worn by a user.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0069] Fig. 1A shows an example of an orthotic foot brace 10. The foot brace 10 includes a leg holder 12 which has of a cuff 14 operable to attach to the lower leg of a user (Fig. 2). The leg holder 12 may optionally have a pad 18 (Fig. 2) extending along the surface of the cuff 14 which receives the lower leg 16 of the user, and further includes a band 20 (Fig. 2) which extends from the first lateral side of the cuff 14 to an opposite lateral side of the cuff 14. In this particular case, the band 20 is hooked on the first side of the cuff 14 and is configured to extend over the anterior portion of the lower leg 16 and be fastened via a hook & loop fastener system. For instance, the fastening means can be of the type known as Velcro™, where the first one of the hook or loop portion is found on the band 20, while the other one of the hook and loop portion is provided on the cuff 14, such as to be able to secure the lower leg 16 against the pad 18.

[0070] The band 20 may use other fastening means to hold the lower leg 16 in place. In another embodiment, the pad 18 can be altered or omitted.

[0071] Still referring to Fig. 1A and with additional reference to Figs. 1 B-1 C, the orthotic foot brace 10 further includes a foot strut 22 which is configured to interface with the foot of the user directly or indirectly via a footwear 24 (Fig. 2). In the embodiment shown, the foot strut 22 generally extends downwardly from a single crest. Two hinge members 26a, 26b extend from the crest downwardly and forwardly until each one reaches a junction 28a, 28b. The junctions 28a, 28b form a connection with a heel member 30. The heel member 30 extends downwardly from the junction 28a, 28b and rearwardly under the hinge members 26a, 26b, back in the direction of the heel portion 32 of the footwear 24 (as shown in Fig. 2). Two proximal portions 34a, 34b of the heel member 30 extend from each one of the junctions 28a, 28b and merge at a distal portion 36, forming a loop between the two junctions 28a, 28b. The junctions 28a, 28b are engageable with portions of an instep strut assembly 38 therein.

[0072] The instep strut assembly 38 includes a guide and a movable member engaged with the guide and displaceable therealong between an extended position and a retracted position. In the embodiment shown, the guide includes two arms 38a, 38b, which may also be called pins or rails, extending from the respective junctions 28a, 28b of the foot strut 22. The movable member is defined by a transverse member 39 mounted on the arms 38a, 38b and displaceable relative thereto along a length L of the arms 38a, 38b. The transverse member 39 could also be referred to as a slider, carriage, a bar, or an instep arch portion of the instep strut assembly 38. The transverse member 39 may slidably engage the arms 38a, 38b. The transverse member 39 may form a crescent between the two arms 38a, 38b and bridging the two arms 38a, 38b to one another. The transverse member 39 has a generally concave shape between the two arms 38a, 38b, with the concavity facing towards the instep region of the footwear 24. The transverse member 39 includes guide portions 39a, 39b at opposite ends thereof. The guide portions 39a, 39b engage with respective ones of the arms 38a, 38b. The transverse member 39 has a central portion 39c extending between the guide portions 39a, 39b. The central portion 39c extends generally above the guide portions 39a, 39b. Stated differently, the guide portions 39a, 39b depend from the central portion 39c and are thus closer to the plantar section 62 (Fig. 2) of the footwear 24 than the central portion 39c when the orthotic foot brace 10 is in a use condition. In some embodiments, as shown, the central portion 39c extends forwardly from the guide portions 39a, 39b. In the embodiment shown, the guide portions 39a, 39b are integral with a central portion 39c that extends across the instep region of the footwear 24, though they could be separate parts coupled therewith. In the embodiment shown, the guide portions 39a, 39b have an aperture 39d extending thereacross that is adapted to receive the respective arms 38a, 38b. The guide portions 39a, 39b may define female portions and the arms 38a, 38b may define male portions of a pin guide assembly. Other aspects of the guide portions 39a, 39b will be described later with reference to Figs. 5A-5C. Other configurations for the guiding arrangement of the instep strut assembly 38 could be contemplated, such as slotted or groove connection engagement or rails with a complementary shaped slider engageable therewith, as other possibilities.

[0073] The foot strut 22 and the leg holder 12 are joined by a leg strut 42. In this particular embodiment, the leg strut 42 has a pair of beams 44a, 44b. Each beam 44a, 44b has a firstend engaged with the leg holder 12 and a second end engaged with the foot strut 22. The first end and the second end of the beams 44a, 44b can be identical in this embodiment.

[0074] As seen in Fig. 2, the orthotic foot brace 10 is engaged with a lower leg 16 and footwear 24 of a user. The cuff 14 of the leg holder 12 is configured to abut with the posterior portion of the leg 16, while the band 20 is wrapped around the anterior portion of the leg 16. As will be discussed in further detail below with reference to Figs. 4A and 4B, the cuff 14 includes a cuff connector 46, which receives a first end 48 of the beams 44a, 44b. The beams 44a, 44b extend downwardly and away from the cuff connector 46, along the posterior portion of the lower leg 16, and somewhat parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the lower leg. As seen in Fig. 3A, the orthotic foot brace 10 has two beams 44a, 44b, which are laterally spaced from one another, and extending in a parallel fashion along an axis C of the foot brace 10 which may be generally parallel to the axis A of the lower leg when the foot brace is in use.

[0075] Returning to Fig. 2 and with additional reference to Fig. 3A, the beams 44a, 44b extend from the cuff connector 46 until reaching the foot strut 22. The second end of the beams engages the foot strut 22 via foot strut connectors 50a, 50b which are integrated to a crest 52 in this embodiment. The foot strut connectors 50a, 50b are located at the posterior of the leg 16, directly above the crest 52. The crest 52, which is also found at the posterior of the leg and foot, splits to form two hinge members 26a, 26b. These hinge members 26a, 26b extend downwardly from the crest 52 and forwardly along the longitudinal axis B of the footwear 24, while further extending along the lateral sides of the footwear 24. In this fashion, when the footwear 24 is engaged with the orthotic foot brace 10, as seen in Fig. 2, the hinge members 26a, 26b remain adjacent the lateral sides and general form of the footwear 24, while forming a curved portion which corresponds to the angle difference between the lower leg axis A and longitudinal axis B of the footwear 24.

[0076] Each one of the hinge members 26a, 26b ends at a junction 28a, 28b approximately midway along the length of the footwear 24 and along the lateral sides of the footwear 24. The instep strut assembly 38 is engaged with the junctions 28a, 28b at each one of the lateral sides, forming an extension to the hinge members 26a, 26b. The instep strut assembly 38 extends from its connection at the junctions 28a, 28b along the longitudinal axis of the footwear B, into the instep portion 54 of the footwear 24 and extends over the dorsalsection 56 of the footwear 24. A coupler 58 may be used to secure the dorsal section 56 of the footwear 24 to the instep strut assembly 38. In some variants, the coupler 58 (Fig. 2) may be integral with the transverse member 39 of the instep strut assembly 38, instead of being removably connected thereto.

[0077] While the foot strut 22 in this embodiment is shown as having two hinge members 26a, 26b extending on each lateral side of the footwear 24 and each engaged with a respective arm 38a, 38b of the instep strut assembly 38, in variants, there can be only one arm to the instep strut assembly 38 which connects to either one of the junctions on the lateral side of the footwear. In such an embodiment, the instep strut assembly 38 may extend from the engaged junction, via interconnection with the remaining arm and the transverse member 39 and terminates at the coupler 58. In yet another embodiment, the foot strut 22 may only have a hinge member on one lateral side of the footwear, whether it be the medial side or lateral side of a given footwear, and an instep strut arm may extend on the same lateral side.

[0078] Still referring to Fig. 2, the foot strut 22 further includes the heel member 30 made integral to the foot strut 22 via the junction 28a, 28b. The heel member 30 has a proximal portion 34a, 34b which extends downwardly towards the plantar section 62 of the footwear 24 and then extends rearwardly under the hinge members 26a, 26b, laterally along the footwear 24 and proximal the plantar section 62 towards the heel portion 32. As with Fig. 1 , the heel member 30 extends from the junction 28a at the first lateral side, around the heel portion 30 and terminates at the complementary one of the junctions 28b on the opposite lateral side.

[0079] As seen in Fig. 2, the heel member 30 follows the heel portion 32 and may contribute to the mechanical work which can be transmitted between the foot and the orthotic foot brace 10.

[0080] In variants, the heel member 30 may extend only from one of the lateral sides and terminates at the heel portion 32. In yet some variants, the heel member 30 may extend from the crest 52 of the foot strut 22 towards the heel member 30 and extend on one or both of the lateral sides of the footwear, proximal to the plantar section of the footwear 24. In yet other variants, the heel member 30 may be replaced entirely with a strap which extends over the heel portion of the footwear between the two junctions 28a, 28b found on the lateral side ofthe footwear 34, and may provide corresponding support to the orthotic foot brace 10. In yet another embodiment, the heel member may be omitted altogether.

[0081] Referring now to Fig. 3A, showing the orthotic foot brace 10 of Fig. 2 while not in use. It will be noted here that the orthotic foot brace 10 has two portions which extend generally along corresponding ones of two distinct longitudinal axes. The leg strut 42 extends along an axis C which, during use, is generally parallel to the axis A of the lower leg 16 (Fig. 2), and the instep strut assembly 38 extends along axis B which corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the footwear 24. In contrast to the active use scenario presented in Fig. 2, the Fig. 3A forms a resting angle a which is acute, i.e. smaller than 90°. This angle can be any variety of values depending on the model and the needs of the client. When in use, however, as seen in Fig. 2, and depending on the step of the gait cycle which is to be observed, the angle between the axis C and the axis B is configured to change. As will be discussed below in more detail, in this example, it is desirable for the foot strut 22, and particularly the hinge member 26a, 26b to be of a material that has a modulus of elasticity lower than that of the leg strut 42 and / or the arms 38a, 38b of the instep strut assembly 38, and to be the one which most significantly elastically deforms during use.

[0082] Still referring to Fig. 3A, in this embodiment, the beams 44a, 44b have a set of planar surfaces extending along the beam length. As seen in Fig. 3B showing a cross-section of the pair of beams along the line 3B-3B of Fig. 3A, the beams 44a, 44b are obround, or otherwise said, have a “racetrack” cross-sectional shape. The planar surfaces 60a, 60b of the beams 44a, 44b are circumferentially opposed to one another, such as to form parallel planes interspaced by the curved surfaces on each side.

[0083] In the particular embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3B, the beams 44a, 44b are plain. The beams 44a, 44b, can be said to have an outer radius 62 corresponding to the curved faces. The beams further having a beam thickness 64, a beam width 66, a planar surface width 68 which is smaller than the beam width 66 due to the presence of the curved faces, and a beam spacing 70, between the beams 44a, 44b. Depending of the embodiment, the exact size and dimensions of the beams 44a, 44b can be defined by any combination of these measurements.

[0084] Fig. 3C shows an alternate embodiment of the beams 44a, 44b which can be used with the foot brace 22 in Fig. 3A. In this embodiment, the beams 44a, 44b are very similar to the beams of Fig. 3B, except that they are hollow rather than being plain. A wall thickness 72 of a peripheral wall of the beams 44a, 44b delimits an internal cavity. Other cross-sectional shapes for the beams 44a, 44b can be contemplated, such as round, rectangular, oval, squircle, square, hexagonal, octagonal, etc.

[0085] It is understood that different mechanical properties can be achieved by changing the structural values of the beams, no matter whether they are solid, such as shown in Fig. 3B or hollow, such as shown in Fig. 3C. For instance, the variable to modify to achieve the desired mechanical property can be the beam thickness, beam width, outer radius, planar surface width, etc. It is also understood that different mechanical properties can be achieved by adjusting the beam spacing. As seen in Fig. 3A, the beams 44a, 44b couple the leg holder 12 to the foot strut 22 along the axis C. They can be subject to axial and bending stresses, but also to torsional stresses. The beam spacing 70 can be chosen to provide the desired torsional strength of the assembly forming the leg strut 42. As will be further discussed below, in this embodiment, the non-circular cross-section of the beams at the cuff connector 46 and foot connector 50a, 50b also provides means to impede eventual slippage between the beams 44a, 44b and connectors 50a, 50b, helping in ensuring that the structure formed by the beams and the connectors acts in an integral manner when subjected to torsion.

[0086] It is understood that the exact dimensions, internal structure and surface structures of the beams can be altered without departing from the present disclosure. For instance, in an alternate embodiment, the beams only have a single planar surface. In yet another embodiment, the curved surface may be omitted. In yet another embodiment, the planar surfaces of the beams may only extend from the beams ends (Fig. 4B) for a portion of the beam length whereas the remaining length of the beam may be circular or oval.

[0087] The beams can be made of any material deemed suitable for the application of the foot brace 22. In this particular embodiment, the beams 44a, 44b are made of carbon fiber finished graphite. In certain embodiments, the beams 44a, 44b can be dimensioned to provide a beam flexural modulus of approximately 1 .5 GPa at room temperature, for instance. In alternate embodiments, the beams 44a, 44b are made of a material having mechanicalproperties corresponding to those of the instep strut assembly 38, e.g., the arms 38a, 38b and / or the transverse member 39, described herein below in detail. In yet another embodiment, the beams 44a, 44b are made of the same material as the arms 38a, 38b and / or the transverse member 39 of the instep strut assembly 38.

[0088] With continued reference to Figs. 3A-3C, in the embodiment shown, the two planar surfaces 60a, 60b of the beams 44a, 44b are oriented such that the first one of the planar surfaces faces the posterior portion of the lower leg when in use, while the opposite planar surface faces away from the lower leg. This can bring the advantage of minimizing the chances that the user’s leg rubs against the beams while further providing an accessible flat surface for fasteners to securely engage against, as will be discussed in further detail below.

[0089] The beams 44a, 44b couple the leg holder 12 to the foot strut 22 via the cuff connector 46 and the foot strut connector 50a, 50b, respectively. Attention is now brought to Fig. 4A which shows a close-up view of the section 4A-4A of the orthotic foot brace 10 of Fig. 3A. The cuff connector 46 is available to receive and engage with the end 48 of each one of the beams 44a, 44b. The beams 44a, 44b are received within the cuff connector 46 via corresponding passage openings which lead to respective passages 74. The passages may each have a cross-section shape and size matching the shape and size of the cross-section of the beams 44a, 44b, so as to securely receive the body of the beam while minimizing movement.

[0090] As described above, and as shown in Figs. 4A-4B, the planar surface 60b of the beams 44a, 44b is oriented away from the posterior portion of the leg of the user. The cuff connector has fastener apertures 76 configured to receive a corresponding fastener 78 therein. The fasteners 78 may communicate with the passage 74 and be aligned with the planar surface 60b of the beams 44a, 44b. As such, when the fastener 78 is received within the fastener apertures 76, the tip of the fastener 78 can abut flatly against the planar surface 74 of the beam 44a, 44b and force the beam 44a, 44b against the opposing face of the passage 74. The fasteners 78 can collaborate with the tight-fitting of the non-circular shapes of the beams 44a, 44b and their respective passages 74 in preventing the rotation of the beams 44a, 44b in their respective passages 74.

[0091] In this manner, the cuff connector 46 may transfer forces efficiently to the beam 44a, 44b. This ensures that the load is evenly distributed along the surface of the beam end 48 which is received within the cuff connector passage 74, while avoiding relative rotation between the beam 44a, 44b and the cuff connector 46. The combination of the structure of the passage of the cuff connector 46, in combination with the structure of the beams 44a, 44b and means of frictionally holding the beams 44a, 44b in place permit the cuff and the beams to work together to efficiently transfers axial, bending and torsional forces.

[0092] In the embodiment shown, the cuff connector 46 is adapted to allow adjustability of the leg holder 12 relative to the leg strut 42. The beams 44a, 44b, may axially engage the respective cuff connector passages 74 at a desired axial position relative to the cuff 14 within a range of possible positions. Stated otherwise, the cuff connector 46 is configured to engage with the beams 44a, 44b and displaceable between an extended position and a retracted position. In the extended position, the orthotic foot brace 10 may be lengthened to allow securing the leg holder 12 at a higher position along the lower leg 16 of a user, or to adjust the leg holder 12 to a user having longer lower legs. In the retracted position, the leg holder 12 may extend at a lower position along the lower leg 16 of the user. Stated differently, a distance between the leg holder 12 and the foot strut 22 may be adjusted between the extended position and the retracted position. Such distance may be smaller when the leg holder 12 is in the retracted position, and greater when the leg holder 12 is in the extended position. Once a desired position of the leg holder 12 of the orthotic foot brace 10 relative the user’s lower leg is obtained, by displacing the leg holder 12 along the user’s lower leg and relative to the beams 44a, 44b engaged with the cuff connector 46, the leg holder 12 may then be secured on the beams 44a, 44b to lock the relative displacement between them at any intermediary position between the extended position and the retracted position. The height adjustability of the leg holder 12 and the lengthwise adjustability of the instep strut assembly 38 (described above) are independent. While it may be advantageous to have both adjustment capabilities on the orthotic foot brace 10, in some variants, only one of the heightwise or lengthwise adjustability can be present.

[0093] As seen in Fig. 4C, the foot strut connectors 50a, 50b which receive the opposite end of the beams 44a, 44b may have a similar structure and mode of operation in this embodiment.

[0094] It will be understood that the cuff connector 46 and the foot strut connectors 50a, 50b can be configured differently. For instance, the cross-sectional shape of the beams 44a, 44b may have only a single planar surface. In such an alternate embodiment, the cuff connector 46 and foot strut connector 50a, 50b would be adapted to the beam.

[0095] Referring to Figs. 5A-5C, the junctions 28a, 28b of the foot strut 22 each have an opening 84 capable of receiving a corresponding arm 38a of the instep strut assembly 38. The instep strut assembly 38 of the orthotic foot brace 10 is configured to be adjustable along the length of the footwear 24. This is provided by the displacement of the transverse member 39 along the arms 38a, 38b of the instep strut assembly 38. The arms 38a, 38b of the instep strut assembly 38 can be held firmly in place via the use of an arm fastener 86 which can be secured in a corresponding fastener aperture formed in the junctions 28a, 28b. The arm fastener 86 can be loosened to permit the removal of the instep strut arms 38a, 38b from the junctions 28a, 28b. The arms 38a, 38b may be integral with the foot strut 22 in variants.

[0096] Fig. 5B show the instep strut assembly 38 with the transverse member 39 positioned along the arms 38a, 38b. In order to displace the transverse member 39 along the arms 38a, 38b, one may grab the central portion 39c and apply a force that is generally aligned with a longitudinal extent of the arms 38a, 38b, e.g., by pulling or pushing on the central portion 39c. Such force may induce a displacement of the transverse member 39 along the arms 38a, 38b. Minimizing a distance between the location where the force is applied on the movable part - here the transverse member 39 - of the instep strut assembly 38 and the interface between such part and the fixed part relative to which the movable part may displace may reduce (or minimize) the “sticky drawer effect” between such movable part and fixed part. For example, by pulling or pushing with only one hand onto the central portion 39c, a user (or orthotist) may slide the transverse member 39 along the arms 38a, 38b substantially without (or with limited) tilting of the transverse member 39, hence the guide portions 39a, 39b, relative to the two arms 28a, 28b. Stated otherwise, by maintaining the transverse member 39 substantially normal to the arms 38a, 38b as it is displaced therealong, the parallelism betweenthe guide portions 39a, 39b, may be better controlled manually by having the sliding interface in close proximity with the hand actuating such motion. In addition, such configuration of the guide system with guide portions 39a, 39b displaceable along the arms 38a, 38b may provide a greater span of adjustability for a given arm length. The guide portions 39a, 39b may displace along the entire length of the arms 38a, 38b projecting from the respective junctions 28a, 28b. For example, for arms 38a, 38b having a length L between the junctions 28a, 28b and their respective free ends, the guide portions 39a, 39b may be displaced along the arms 38a, 38b over a majority of the length L, and even over an entirety of the length L in at least some embodiments. This may thus result in a maximized adjustment capacity of the instep strut assembly 38.

[0097] In Fig. 5C, the aperture 39d of the guide portion 39a (same goes for 39b) have a shape that is complementary to the shape of the arm 38a (same goes for 38b). As shown, in an embodiment, the arms 38a, 38b have a generally oval or egg-like shape. Other shapes could be contemplated.

[0098] The displacement of the transverse member 39 along the arms 38a, 38b may be impeded via the use of a guide fastener 87 which can be secured in a corresponding fastener aperture formed in the guide portions 39a, 39b of the transverse member 39. The guide fastener 87 may be tightened so as to firmly engage with a respective arm 38a, 38b, in a way for the guide fastener 87 to engage with adjustment depressions provided on the instep strut arms 38a, 38b, if such adjustment depressions are present. When the guide fasteners 87 is tightened, they engage with a respective arm 38a, 38b, locking the respective guide portion 39a, 39b of the strut assembly 38 along the respective arm 38a, 38b in the desired position.

[0099] Fig. 6 shows a flow chart identifying steps for assembling an example orthotic foot brace 10. The different elements of the orthotic foot brace 10 discussed above can be provided separately to save space during transportation and / or storage, and can be assembled to provide the orthotic foot brace 10 via the following steps, as one possibility.

[0100] At step AA, a beam 44a, 44b is to be engaged with either one of the cuff 12 and foot strut 22 by inserting a beam end into the passage of one of the cuff connectors and foot strut connectors. Once the beam 44a, 44b is snuggly received within the given passage, it isto be locked in place via a fastener. At step BB, the fastener corresponding to the passage having received the beam end is fastened until it abuts with the beam 44a, 44b, locking it in place. In embodiments where the orthotic foot brace 10 includes two beams 44a, 44b, steps AA and BB are repeated with the first end of another one of the beams 44a, 44b.

[0101] At step CC the second beam end of each one of the beams 44a, 44b is inserted into the complementary one of the cuff connectors 46 and foot strut connectors 50a, 50b passages and subsequently locked in place via the corresponding fasteners at step DD.

[0102] In some embodiments, it may be desirable for the instep strut assembly 38 to arrive as a kit disassembled from the foot strut 22. In such embodiments, the arms 38a, 38b of the instep strut assembly 38 are to be received within the openings 84 found at the junctions 28a, 28b of the foot strut 22 and fastened in place via the instep arm fasteners 86 at steps EE and FF, respectively. The transverse member 39 may be slidingly engaged via its guide portions 39a, 39b to the respective arms 38a, 38b (step GG). The transverse member 39 may be locked in place along the arms 38a, 38b by engagement of the guide fasteners 87 in the guide portions 39a, 39b of the transverse member 39 with the respective arms 38a, 38b (step HH).

[0103] Fig. 7 shows a partial side view of an example orthotic foot brace 10 being loaded uniformly on the lateral and medial sides and deflecting under load. Fig. 8 is a partial front view of the orthotic foot brace 10 being loaded on the lateral side.

[0104] During use, the orthotic foot brace 10 transfers loads from / to the footwear on the patient’s foot suffering from foot drop to the rest of the brace 10. In order to offer an increased efficiency, it is desirable to minimize the amount of unpredictable and undesirable deflection which may occur via certain elements of the orthotic foot brace 10. This is particularly the case for the instep strut assembly 38 which is the primary point of force transfer between the footwear 24 and the orthotic foot brace 10.

[0105] For clarity purposes, Figs. 7 and 8 demonstrate loading scenarios which are applied in theoretically perfect planes and applied as point loads on the orthotic foot brace 10, solely for the purpose of demonstration. In both these scenarios, it is understood that the beams 44a, 44b are held static and are capable of providing any necessary reaction forces tothe foot strut 22 in orderto exemplify the deflection of the instep strut assembly 38, such as is the case when the user wears the orthotic foot brace 10. Further, for the purposes of identifying different lateral side elements, the orthotic foot brace in these figures is expected to be of use with the right foot of a user. As such, the arm 38a will be referred to as a lateral arm of the instep strut assembly 38 that is found on the left-hand side of Fig. 8, while the arm 38b will be referred to as a medial arm of the instep strut assembly 38 that is found on the right-hand side of Fig. 8.

[0106] In Fig. 7, a load is applied downwardly in the x-z plane at the distal portion 88 of the instep strut assembly 38. It is applied in such a way that the bending is perfectly distributed between both the lateral arm 38a and the medial arm 38b of the instep strut assembly 38. Given the mirrored structure of the orthotic foot brace 10 along the plane formed by axes C & B, perhaps best seen in Fig. 3A, the instep strut assembly 38 exhibits equal deflection along both of its lateral sides. In Fig. 8, a load is applied downwardly in the y-z plane at the contact point between the lateral arm 38a of the instep strut assembly 38 and the foot strut 22. This load mimics a scenario where the instep strut assembly 38 is subject to a moment M along the y-z plane which may be brought upon by the rotation of the user’s foot.

[0107] When a patient lifts his / her foot, the instep strut assembly 38 engaged with the dorsal section of the footwear is subject to a downwards load provided by the user’s inability to raise his or her foot at the ankle. It is desirable for the transverse member 39 of the instep strut assembly 38 to be engaged with the foot far enough to create a large moment arm from a pivot point, however, as the moment arm created by the instep strut assembly 38 is increased so is the deflection of the material when loaded. For efficiency purposes, it is desirable for the instep strut assembly 38 to transfer as much of the load to the foot strut 22, so as to permit the hinge members 26a, 26b to deflect in a predictable and desirable fashion, providing a deflection angle p between the resting instep strut arms 38a , 38b along axis B and the loaded instep strut arms 38a , 38b along the axis B’. The deflection angle p as shown is provided by the deflection of the foot strut 22 via the transfer of loads from the instep strut assembly 38.

[0108] The instep strut assembly 38 and the foot strut 22 are made of different materials. The instep strut assembly 38 may be made of a fiber reinforced polymer, preferably a glassreinforced long chain polyamide resin. It will be understood that any other type of reinforced polymer could be used. For instance, said reinforced polymer can have fibers of different materials therein, such as glass, carbon, aramid or basalt. The foot strut 22, on the other hand, may be made of a thermoplastic elastomer, preferably a thermoplastic polyester elastomer. It will be understood that other types of thermoplastic elastomers can be used without departing from the present disclosure. For instance, thermoplastic polyolefinelastomers, thermoplastic vulcanizates, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic copolyester, thermoplastic polyamides or even not classified thermoplastic elastomers can be used.

[0109] In most embodiments, the material of the instep strut assembly 38, e.g., the arms 38a, 38b and / or the transverse member 39, may have an elasticity modulus which is at least 2 times larger than that of the material of the foot strut 22, preferably at least 5 times larger and even more preferably at least 12 times larger. The material of the arms 38a, 38b and / or transverse member 39 of the instep strut assembly 38 may have an elasticity modulus of at least 14 GPa, and the material of the foot strut 22 may have an elasticity modulus of no more than 1 .5 GPa. It is understood that the mechanical properties of the materials are to be taken at room temperature, and that the elasticity modulus of interest for these elements is the flexural modulus. In a particular embodiment, the material of the arms 38a, 38b and / or the transverse member 39 of the instep strut assembly 38 may be a glass reinforced long chain polyamide resin having a flexural elasticity modulus of approximately 14.4 GPa at 23°C, whereas the material of the foot strut 22 may be a thermoplastic polyester elastomer having a flexural elasticity modulus of approximately 1.12 GPa at 23°C.

[0110] Still referring to Fig. 7 and for the sake of completeness, an example angular deflection of the instep strut assembly 38 when subject to a load is provided. In an embodiment, when the load applied to the distal portion 88 of the instep strut assembly 38 corresponds to a 2.75 Kg weight (i.e., the force applied corresponds approximately to 27 Newtons), the instep strut assembly 38 angularly deflects from its original resting position along axis B, to a loaded position along axis B’. In this example, the angular deflection p of the instep strut assembly is of no more than 12°.

[0111] Attention is now brought to Fig. 8. During use, the user’s foot may be subject to rotations, typically called medio-lateral rotations, which are equally as important to support asthe dorsiflexion (Fig. 7) of the foot. For efficiency purposes, it is desirable for the instep strut assembly 38 to transfer as much as the load to the foot strut 22, such as to permit the hinge member 26a, 26b to deflect in a desirable fashion, providing a lateral angular deflection y between the axis D, crossing corresponding portions of the lateral and medial arms 38a, 38b of the instep strut assembly 38 when resting (unloaded), and the axis D’ of the instep strut assembly 38 when laterally loaded. The orthotic foot brace 10 may have corresponding material and elasticity moduli as those having been described above.

[0112] Still referring to Fig. 8, an example lateral angular deflection of the instep strut assembly 38 when subject to a lateral load is provided. In an embodiment, when the load applied at the contact point of the lateral arm 38a with the foot strut 22 corresponds to a 2.75 Kg weight (i.e., the force applied correspond approximately to 27 Newtons), the lateral arm 38a angularly deflects from its original resting position forming the axis D which traverses the lateral and the medial arm of the instep strut assembly 38, to a loaded position forming the axis D’. In this example, the lateral angular deflection y of the instep strut assembly 38 is of no more than 14°.

[0113] While Figs. 7-8 shows two possible loading conditions, it is understood that the orthotic foot brace 10 may be subject to complex, multidirectional loading conditions during use. However, the present embodiment may permit the loads from the instep strut assembly 38 to be efficiently transferred to the foot strut 22, which is the body providing the majority of the deflection. In some examples, when the instep strut assembly 38 is subject to a load, at least 80% of the deflection encountered between the lower leg (ie. Axis A, parallel to the axis C during use) and the instep strut assembly 38 (i.e., pivot of axis B about an axis parallel to axis D) is provided by the hinge members 26a, 26b of the foot strut 22, preferably at least 80% of the deflection is provided by the hinge members 26a, 26b, more preferably at least 85% of the deflection is provided by the hinge members 26a, 26b, more preferably at least 90% of the deflection is provided by the hinge members 26a, 26b, even more preferably at least 95% of the deflection is provided by the hinge members 26a, 26b and even more preferably at least 99% of the deflection is provided by the hinge members 26a, 26b.

[0114] Similarly, in some examples, when the instep strut assembly 38 is subject to a load, at least 80% of the deflection encountered between the lateral arm and the medial arm of theinstep strut assembly 38 (i.e., pivot of axis D about an axis parallel to axis B) is provided by the hinge members 26a, 26b of the foot strut 22, preferably at least 80% of the deflection is provided by the hinge members 26a, 26b, more preferably at least 85% of the deflection is provided by the hinge members 26a, 26b, more preferably at least 90% of the deflection is provided by the hinge members 26a, 26b, even more preferably at least 95% of the deflection is provided by the hinge members 26a, 26b and even more preferably at least 99% of the deflection is provided by the hinge members 26a, 26b.

[0115] It is understood that corresponding material and elasticity moduli as those having been described above can be used for the leg strut 12 of the orthotic foot brace 10, to provide corresponding mechanical advantages.

[0116] Referring to Figs. 9-11 , a variant of the orthotic foot brace 10 will now be described as orthotic foot brace 100. Like features will not be described again for brevity, but it should be understood that the aspects of the foot strut 22 and instep strut assembly 38 described herein with respect to various embodiments also similarly apply to the variant of orthotic foot brace 100 shown in Figs. 9-1 1 . The orthotic foot brace 100 is adapted to engage the posterior portion of the lower leg 16 of the user and wrapped posteriorly about the lower leg 16.

[0117] The orthotic foot brace 100 has as a leg strut 1 12 connected to an instep strut assembly 138, as the instep strut assembly 38 discussed herein, by a foot strut 122. A leg holder includes a cuff 114 which may have a pad. The cuff 114 is coupled to an upper end of the leg strut 1 12. The cuff 114 and the leg strut 112 may be integral so as to form a single piece. A band may extend from side-to-side of the lower leg 16 such that the cuff 114 and the band may together wrap the lower leg 16 of the user to secure the leg holder onto the lower leg 16 of the user. As discussed above with respect to other embodiments, the band may have a hook and loop fastening interface, though other fastening types could be contemplated, such as a buckle or clip type connection, as shown. The cuff 1 14 is designed to be engaged against the front of the lower leg 16. The leg strut 112 also has two leg arm portions 112a, 1 12b, each extending downwardly from the cuff 114 on a corresponding side of the lower leg 16 and each being connected to the foot strut 122. The two leg arm portions 112a, 1 12b are spaced-apart from one another by a spacing 127 adapted to receive the lower leg 16 of the user. The foot strut 122 includes two hinge members 126a, 126b which are spaced-apart from one anotherby a foot spacing 128, forming a foot engagement / disengagement path leading rearwardly and upwardly from the footwear 24 between the two hinge members 126a, 126b. As shown, the two hinge members 126a, 126b have a generally C-shape and are adapted to extend on opposite sides of the lower leg 16, and down to the opposite sides of the footwear 24 of the user. The hinge members 126a, 126b are designed to elastically flex in a manner as described with respect to the hinge members 26a, 26b and therefore will also not be repeated. The leg arm portions 112a 112b, each extends downwardly from the cuff 114 on a corresponding side of the lower leg 16 and each being connected to a corresponding one of the hinge members 126a, 126b of the foot strut 122. The orthotic foot brace 100 may allow a heightwise adjustment of the cuff 114 relative to the foot strut 122. In an embodiment, the leg arm portions 112a, 112b are received in corresponding foot strut connectors 150a, 150b. The foot strut connectors 150a, 150b may define respective passages adapted to engage with an end of respective ones of the leg arm portions 112a, 1 12b. The ends of the leg arm portions may be slidably received in the respective passages so as to be displaceable between an extended position and a retracted position, as similarly described above with respect to the leg strut 22 and cuff connector 46. As such, a distance between the cuff 114 and the foot strut 122 may be adjusted. In the retracted position, the ends of the leg arm portions 112a, 112b may extend further into the passages of the foot strut connectors 150a, 150b than in the extended position. As shown in Fig. 11 , the foot strut connectors 150a, 150b may include fastener apertures 176 adapted to receive corresponding fasteners 178 therein. The fasteners 178 may communicate with the passages of the foot strut connectors 150a, 150b. As such, when the fasteners 178 are received within the fastener apertures 176, the tip of the fasteners 178 can abut against the ends of the leg arm portions 112a, 1 12b and force them against an opposing face of the passages. An axial displacement of the leg arm portions 112a 112b relative to the foot strut connectors 150a, 150b may be locked by the fasteners 178 upon engagement of the fasteners 178 with the respective ends of the leg arm portions 112a, 1 12b.

[0118] The spacing 127 between the two leg arm portions 112a, 112b is continuous with the spacing 128 between the hinge members 126a, 126b, and contributes to the foot engagement / disengagement path. The two hinge members 126a, 126b extend from their respective junction with the leg arm portions 112a, 112b, and downwardly and forwardly until each one ultimately reaches a junction 128a, 128b. The junctions 128a, 128b form aconnection with a heel member 130, which extends downwardly from the junction 128a, 128b and rearwardly under the hinge members 126a, 126b, back in the direction of the heel portion 32 of the footwear 24 (as shown in Fig. 10). Two proximal portions 134 of the heel member 130 extend from each one of the junctions 128a, 128b and merge at a distal portion 136, forming a loop between the two junctions 128a, 128b. The junctions 128a, 128b have an opening so as to receive portions of an instep strut assembly 138 therein. The instep strut assembly 138 includes the same aspects as those described above with respect to the instep strut assembly 38 and will therefore not be repeated.

[0119] The examples described above and illustrated are intended to be exemplary only. Many further features and combinations thereof concerning the present improvements will appear to those skilled in the art. The scope is indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . An orthotic foot brace for a person wearing a footwear, the orthotic foot brace comprising: a leg holder having a cuff securable to a lower leg of the person for use; a foot strut having a hinge member, and a heel member below the hinge member, the heel member adapted to engage a heel portion of the footwear; a leg strut extending between the cuff and the foot strut; and an instep strut assembly securable to an instep portion of the footwear, the instep strut assembly including a guide extending from the foot strut and a movable member engaged with the guide and displaceable along the guide between an extended position and a retracted position.

2. The orthotic foot brace of claim 1 , wherein the guide includes a pair of arms extending anteriorly from the foot strut.

3. The orthotic foot brace of claim 1 , wherein the guide is removably securable to the foot strut.

4. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 2 and 3, wherein the arms of the pair of arms are spaced by a foot spacing, the foot spacing adapted to receive the footwear when the orthotic foot brace is worn by the person.

5. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the arms of the pair of arms have a length, the movable member displaceable along a majority of the length.

6. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the arms of the pair of arms have a generally oval cross-section.

7. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the guide is fastenable to the foot strut.

8. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the movable member includes a transverse member having a central portion extending transversely with respect to theguide, and a pair of guide portions at opposite ends of the central portion, the guide portions of the pair of guide portions are slidably engaged to the guide.

9. The orthotic foot brace of claim 8, wherein the guide portions each have an aperture receiving the guide.

10. The orthotic foot brace of claim 8, wherein the guide portions define female portions and the pair of arms define male portions engageable with the female portions.1 1. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the transverse member forms a crescent between the pair of arms thereby bridging the pair of arms to one another.

12. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the leg strut includes a plurality of beams extending parallel to one another and laterally offset from one another.

13. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the foot strut has a junction at a lateral side of the footwear receiving the guide of the instep strut assembly.

14. The orthotic foot brace of claim 13, wherein the heel member has a proximal portion extending below the hinge member, from the junction, towards a heel portion of the footwear.

15. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the cuff has a cuff connector engageable with the leg strut, the cuff connector configured to engage with the leg strut and displaceable between an extended position and a retracted position relative thereto.

16. The orthotic foot brace of claim 15, wherein in the extended position, a distance between the cuff and the foot strut is greater than when in the retracted position.

17. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 15 and 16, wherein the cuff connector includes at least one cuff connector passage for receiving the leg strut, the leg strut displaceable within the at least one cuff connector passage between the extended position and the retracted position.

18. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the leg strut is securable to the cuff connector to lock a relative displacement of the leg strut and the leg holder at a desired axial position within a range of possible positions between the extended position and the retracted position.

19. The orthotic foot brace of claim 18, wherein the cuff connector has at least one fastener aperture configured to receive a fastener therein, the fastener engageable with the leg strut to axially lock the leg strut with the leg holder in the desired axial position.

20. An orthotic foot brace for a person wearing a footwear, the orthotic foot brace comprising: a leg holder having a cuff securable to a lower leg of the person for use, the cuff having a cuff connector; a foot strut having a hinge member, and a heel member below the hinge member, the heel member adapted to engage a heel portion of the footwear; a leg strut extending between the cuff and the foot strut, the leg strut engageable with the cuff connector and configured to displace relative to the cuff connector between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein in the extended position a distance between the cuff and the foot strut is greater than when in the retracted position; and an instep strut assembly securable to an instep portion of the footwear.21 . The orthotic foot brace of claim 20, wherein the cuff connector includes at least one cuff connector passage for receiving the leg strut, the leg strut displaceable within the at least one cuff connector passage between the extended position and the retracted position.

22. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 20 and 21 , wherein the leg strut is securable to the cuff connector to lock a relative displacement of the leg strut and the leg holder at a desired axial position within a range of possible positions between the extended position and the retracted position.

23. The orthotic foot brace of claim 22, wherein the cuff connector has at least one fastener aperture configured to receive a fastener therein, the fastener engageable with the leg strut to axially lock the leg strut with the leg holder in the desired axial position.

24. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein the instep strut assembly includes a guide extending from the foot strut and a movable member engaged with theguide and displaceable along the guide between an extended position and a retracted position.

25. The orthotic foot brace of claim 24, wherein the guide includes a pair of arms extending anteriorly from the foot strut.

26. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 24 and 25, wherein the guide is removably securable to the foot strut.

27. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 25 and 26, wherein the pair of arms are spaced by a foot spacing, the foot spacing adapted to receive the footwear when the orthotic foot brace is worn by the person.

28. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein the pair of arms have a length, the movable member displaceable along a majority of the length.

29. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 25 to 28, wherein the pair of arms have a generally oval cross-section.

30. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 25 to 29, wherein the guide is fastenable to the foot strut.

31. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 25 to 30, wherein the movable member includes a transverse member having a central portion extending transversely with respect to the guide, and a pair of guide portions at opposite ends of the central portion, the guide portions of the pair of guide portions are slidable engaged to the guide.

32. The orthotic foot brace of claim 31 , wherein the guide portions each have an aperture receiving the guide.

33. The orthotic foot brace of claim 31 , wherein the guide portions define female portions and the pair of arms define male portions engageable with the female portions.

34. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 31 to 33, wherein the transverse member forms a crescent between the pair of arms thereby bridging the pair of arms to one another.

35. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 20 to 34, wherein the leg strut includes a plurality of beams extending parallel to one another and laterally offset from one another, the beams axially engageable with respective passages of the cuff connector.

36. The orthotic foot brace of any one of claims 20 to 35, wherein the foot strut has a junction at a lateral side of the footwear receiving the guide of the instep strut assembly.

37. The orthotic foot brace of claim 36, wherein the heel member has a proximal portion extending below the hinge member, from the junction, towards a heel portion of the footwear.