ORTHOPEDIC SHOE

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a common condition - flexible pes planus (flatfoot). More particularly, the invention provides a new concept to an orthopedic shoe or boot for both normal and flat foot.

There is a need for such a shoe for preventing late damage to the foot at older age due to habitually subluxated joints around the talus and preventing further deterioration of the feet form, flexibility and pain caused by disability.

A pes planus (flatfoot) condition of the foot is common, and about 15% (It is supposed to be an inherited malformation) of the population has this condition. Adult Patients experience one or more of such symptoms as foot pain, arthrosis, ankle pain, and the development of bunions and calluses.

Conventional treatment for decreased plantar arch is to prescribe the insertion of shoe inserts, soft or hard, special or ready made, or to shape the shoe for support of the foot arch.

Study of this condition has revealed that the collapse of the arch found on the inner side of the healthy foot is caused by the loss of tension of some of the foot ligaments connecting the hindfoot bones. The use of inserts may relieve foot pain but does nothing to correct the main deformity nor prevent late joint damage.

The following review of prior art US patents provides a fair review of the state of the art.

In US Patent no. 4,314,412 Anderson et al. disclose a shoe having a shaped sole, a shaped foot support surface and an openable upper portion. No control of ankle position is included.

A shoe for post-operative use preventing flexure of the foot is disclosed by Morgan et al in US Patent no. 4,567,678. This complex shoe provides no control of ankle rotation.

Allea in US Patent 5,203,095 presents an orthopedic stabilizer attachment and shoe which is claimed as an improved arch support device. The device comprises two wedges in series which extend from the heel area to about 2/3 of the shoe length. Apparently the invention provides arch support but lacks means for correction of the deformity improving late articulation damage.

In US Patent no. 5,384,974 Massimo discloses an orthopedic shoe insert with a yielding heel. There is however no radial control about a longitudinal axis of the foot.

A removable orthopedic shoe sole insert is seen in US Patent 6,604,301 to Manoli, II et al. This insert is intended to reduce the height of an abnormally high arch.

Clough et al in Us Patent no. 6,874,258 discloses an apparatus for orthopedic treatment of the foot. The invention provides an insert or a foot shaped sole to conform to the desired shape of the foot bottom. No ankle angle control is seen.

Vannini in US Patent Application 2006/0032093 claiming an orthopedic shoe, which is in practice a boot, and which does provide angular control of the foot relative to the ankle and lower leg. The described boot is however limited to the treatment of "O" type feet (varus deformity), in contradistinction to the shoe described in the present invention, which is suitable for normal and "X" type (valgus deformity) status of the heel feet.

Flexible pes planus is medically described as "pes piano valgus". Closed observation from behind shows the heel bending to outside whereas both ankles are approaching each other and show a form of an X while weight bearing. A deformity of varus shows both heels tending inwards displaying the shape of an O.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to obviate the disadvantages of prior ail orthopedic footwear and to provide a shoe or boot which tensions the foot into normal straight position avoiding the X-form which stresses ligaments and preventing unwanted movements and stress to articular facets which were not intended to.

The main disadvantage of prior inventions to correct flat feet lies in the false understanding of the reasons causing the deformity. It was suggested to correct the fiat form of the foot by supporting it from below ¹ believing it will raise and correct it into an anatomical arch.

SUMMARY QF THE INVENTION

The present invention achieves the above object by providing an orthopedic shoe or boot for the prevention and control of pes planus which pushes the heel into its normal straight position. The foot needs no arch support since the way of correction through manipulation of shoe and its internal support rebuilds the anatomical arch.

In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a shoe or boot further provided with an upper portion arrange to radially locate the heel relative to the angle of the lower portion of the foot. Hence is the dropped or distorted arch moved (rotated) into its original location as in a normal foot.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a shoe or boot wherein the heel area of said shoe is provided with a shock-absorbing element.

In other preferred embodiments of the present invention some additional pads are introduced into the shoe.

It will thus be realized that the novel device of the present invention serves to rebuild the shape of the foot by control of the angle, measured in a vertical plane of the heel relative to the floor. Considering for example the left leg, viewed looking downwards on to the knee of a sitting patient. The upper leg is seen to be approximately in line with

the foot. Under non weight bearing behaves the foot as if its arch is not plain or distorted - it tends to be flat only while standing on it. While standing tiptoe the heel automatic goes into form of internal bending of the heel causing the longitudinal arch to correct itself into normal shape. The foot is turned a few degrees anti-clockwise, resulting in an improved raised arch. With regard to the right foot the needed turn direction of the foot is of course clockwise. Achieving this is the most important feature of the present invention. Prior art shoes and inserts provide only arch support, which often does alleviate foot pain but does nothing to improve the arch structure.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAlVINGS

The invention will now be described further with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent by example preferred embodiments of the invention. Structural details are shown only as far as necessary for a fundamental understanding thereof. The described examples, together with the drawings, will make apparent to those skilled in the art how further forms of the invention may be realized.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a rear view of a preferred embodiment of a pair of shoes according to the invention; FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a right shoe of the same embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the right boot in an embodiment having means to locate the ankle of the wearer; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a right shoe of an embodiment including a shock- absorbing pad in the heel area;

FULL DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

There is seen in FIGs. 1 and 2 a pair of orthopedic shoes or boots 10, 11 for the prevention and control of pes planus. The shoe tends to push the heel into its normal straight position. The shoe 10 has a built-in arch support 16 on the inner side of the shoe but without any functional meaning. Thus the right and left arch support directly face

each, other when a pair of shoes are worn. The heel support slope 14 is clearly seen in the figure.

The desu-ed inner shape 17 which is under downward pressure when in use, is a composite of the side slope 14, arch support 16 and a substantially horizontal portion 19 in the forward part of the shoe In FIG.l there is seen from the rear the right hand shoe 10 according to the invention. The heel area 12 of the shoe includes a rear support slope 14, which when hi use tends to push the heel of the wearer (the calcaneus) therein in a vertical direction, due to the angle of the support slope 14. Slope 14 is about 10° - 30° degrees from the horizontal plane.

The embodiment of the right shoe 10 is again seen in FIG.2. The and in combination with the heel support slope 14 referred to in FIG.l. The shoe 10 has a built-in arch support 16 on the inner side thereof. Thus the rear two-thirds of the desired inner shape 17 comprises slope 14 + arch support 16.

With reference to the rest of the figures, similar reference numerals have been used to identify similar parts.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is seen than upper portion 20 of a right boot 18 further provided with an arrangement to radially locate the ankle of the wearer relative to the angle of the lower portion of the foot. On the inner face 22 of the outer wall 24 of the shoe a substantially circular hollow 28 is provided. The hollow 28 locates the projection of anterior to the lower ankle joint (about the same level of the navicular bone). The forward portion 29 of the boot (19 in FIG.2) when worn determines the angle of the foot looking downwards at a vertical axis. Normal friction between the upper part of the boot and the ankle of the wearer is helpful to maintain the desired rotational relationship between the hollow 28 and the forward portion 29. Undesired rotation on a vertical axis of the foot relative to the lower leg of the wearer is thus prevented or at least restricted while in a normal foot it does not make an}' difference at all.

Seen in FIG. 4 is a right shoe 30 wherein the heel area 12 of the shoe is provided with a shock-absorbing element 32. The element 32 is protected from wear by a leather cover 34 and is connected to hollow 28, inflating it under weight bearing progressively. The scope of the described invention is intended to include all embodiments coming within the meaning of the following claims. The foregoing examples illustrate useful forms of the invention, but are not to be considered as limiting its scope, as those skilled in the art will be aware that additional variants and modifications of the invention can readily be formulated without departing from the meaning of the following claims.