Elastic Strap Foot Support for Toe Curl Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients with spinal cord injuries and other medical conditions often experience uncontrollable toe curling due to muscle spasticity or tendon tightening, leading to deformities like claw-toe or hammer-toe, which can cause pain, poor circulation, infection, and mental anguish, and existing treatments are either invasive or expensive.
Innovation Solution
A foot support device comprising a pad, a leg band, and an elastic strap that applies a flexion force to prevent toe curling, including a foot sleeve and a heel cushion for additional support and pressure relief.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical techniques are used to cut ligaments and relieve tension, then toe curl deformation is treated, but the treatment becomes invasive and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The device applies continuous flexion force to the foot to prevent toe curl deformation before it occurs or progresses. By maintaining the foot in a flexed position, the device prevents the tendons and muscles from tightening and deforming the toes, thereby avoiding the need for invasive surgical intervention later.
Solution Approach 2:
The foot support device acts as an intermediary mechanism between the leg muscles and the toes. It provides mechanical assistance to counteract the spasticity and tendon tightening that cause toe curl, offering a non-invasive alternative to surgery by mediating the force distribution across the foot.
2Ease of operation
If no preventive device is used, then the foot structure remains natural and unrestricted, but toe curl deformation occurs over time due to spasticity and non-use
Solution Approach 1:
The device applies a flexion force to the foot in advance to counteract the extensor spasticity and tendon tightening that would otherwise cause toe curl. By pre-applying this counteracting force, the device prevents the harmful deformation before it can occur, while still allowing the foot to maintain its natural structure.
3Device complexity
If the strap is made non-resilient, then the flexion force application is simple and direct, but the device cannot accommodate leg movement and provides continuous adaptive support
Solution Approach 1:
The strap is made of resilient material that can dynamically adjust to the movement of the leg and foot. This elasticity allows the strap to maintain effective tension and flexion force application throughout the range of motion, providing continuous adaptive support as the patient moves without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device effectively prevents toe curling by applying a flexion force to the foot, reducing the risk of deformity and associated complications, and can be used both as a preventative measure and a treatment to alleviate existing conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The strap includes a resilient material. The strap spans the distance between the leg band and the pad when the strap distal end is secured to the foot.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and associated methods for preventing and treating toe curl, a condition where the toes of a patient curl toward the bottom of the foot, are provided. The apparatus provides a pad operable for engaging the bottom of the foot, and a strap that surrounds the foot and pad for applying a flexion force against the foot. The pad engages and supports at least one toe and prevents the toe or toes from curling toward the bottom of the foot. The device can be worn by a patient at night or during the day to treat or prevent toe curl. Additionally, the strap can include an elastic material for providing a tension force required for flexion stretching, and the strap can be attachable at one end to a removable leg band that can be securely and releasably positioned about the leg.