Other

John E Rooney

Daniel R Alexander

Terrence R Burns

A custom-made ankle/foot orthosis for the treatment of patients having plantar ulcers and foot deformities is disclosed, which comprises a rigid L-shaped support member and a rigid anterior support shell hingedly articulated to the L-shaped support member. The plantar portion of the L-shaped member further comprises at least one ulcer-protecting hollow spatially located for fitted placement in inferior adjacency to a user's plantar ulcer, thus allowing the user to transfer the user's weight away from the plantar ulcer and facilitating plantar ulcer treatment. The anterior support shell is designed for lateral hinged attachment to the L-shaped member to take advantage of medial tibial flare structure for enhancing the weight-bearing properties of the disclosed orthosis. Leg securement structure attaches the anterior support shell to the L-shaped member in fixed, weight-bearing relation about the proximal, anterior portion of the user's lower leg.

Method and apparatus for the treatment of plantar ulcers and foot deformities

A custom-made ankle/foot orthosis for the treatment of patients having plantar ulcers is disclosed, which comprises a rigid L-shaped support member and a rigid anterior support shell hingedly articulated to the L-shaped support member. The plantar portion of the L-shaped member further comprises at least one ulcer-protecting hollow spatially located for fitted placement in inferior adjacency to a user's plantar ulcer, thus allowing the user to transfer the user's weight away from the plantar ulcer and facilitating plantar ulcer treatment. The anterior support shell is designed for lateral hinged attachment to the L-shaped member to take advantage of medial tibial flare structure for enhancing the weight-bearing properties of the disclosed orthosis. A flexible, polyethylene hinge member hingedly attaches the anterior support shell to the L-shaped member and securing straps securely attach the anterior support shell in fixed, weight-bearing relation about the proximal, anterior portion of the user's lower leg.

An intramedullary device facilitates fixation after installing in a bone cavity by drilling a pilot opening from the interior of the device through the bone cortical to the exterior. The intramedullary device is equipped with an internal baffle system which is a stationary and can remain a permanent fixed element of the rod for unimpeded steering of a cutting tool from the interior of the device through the bone cortical to the bone exterior. The interior baffle may consist of a laterally inclined chute allowing a bone boring tool on an elongated power transmission cable to be guidedly advanced downwardly to the interior of the device to a pin opening for cutting the bone cortical from the inside and forming the all important initial pilot opening in the bone. The pilot opening can then be utilized to form a continuous channel by introducing a drill bit from the outside of the bone through the two predrilled openings in the device and then cutting through the opposite bone cortical. A pin is inserted to complete the fixation of the intramedullary device to the bone. Additional fixation pins may thereafter be installed as required. The improved system facilitates the otherwise difficult process of fixation of an intramedullary device, thereby shortening operating and anesthesia times, and decreasing the need for intraoperative x-rays.

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Oak Brook, IL, United States of America

John E Rooney