There is a requirement to support joints in the human body when sprained or damaged. Furthermore in any sport it is desirable to attempt to pre-empt ankle injuries by using some form of support.

When an ankle is sprained the lateral ligaments about the malleolus are stretched and sometimes partially torn. Supporting the lateral ligaments helps prevent this type of "going over on the ankle" or inversion type injury. A sprained ankle may take several weeks or even months to heal and ligaments to recoil. Furthermore, a sprained ankle leaves the ankle weak and prone to further injury, a problem to keen amateur sportsmen and possibly detrimental to the career of a professional sportsman. It will of course be appreciated that a sprained ankle is not only prevalent in sportsmen but also in the general public and these people also require support.

Previously a simple crepe or elasticated bandage or stocking has been used to provide a sprained ankle with additional support. Sportsmen have also worn these crepe

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bandages and support hosiery in order to protect their ankle and, hopefully, prevent a sprain. The crepe or support bandage provides relatively little additional support and in some respects can be detrimental by restricting circulation etc. Furthermore, a support bandage does not provide support specifically to the lateral ligaments of the ankle but rather acts as a constriction all about it. Elasticated supports tend to weaken the ankle by restricting a certain amount of movement with the consequence that continued use is necessary if the probability of ankle sprain is not to be increased when no elasticated support is used. A further problem with a sprained ankle is that what is termed "proproception" is lost, that is to say the ability to know where the ankle is, as the ankle is desensitised.

Elasticated and existing supports do not improve a user's proproceptio .

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a support that substantially obviates or mitigates the above mentioned problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a support for an ankle joint, comprising a fabric wrapping member adapted for removable fixing around the ankle joint and including a pair of shaped support

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elements whose rigidity is greater than that of the fabric incorporated in the fabric member and positioned so that, in use, they lie to the rear of and below the malleolus to provide support for the joint.

Preferably each support element is substantially flat and is formed from polypropylene.

Preferably each support element comprises a first and a second finger portion angled with respect to each other in the range 140-160°. Preferably the angle between the first finger and the second finger is selected from 143°, 148°, 150°, 152° and 155°.

Preferably the two support elements in the fabric member are arranged such that a distance between the corresponding rear edges of each element lies within the range 30mm to 65mm. Preferably the distance between support elements is chosen from 32, 38, 44, 51 and 57mm.

Preferably a back support element is provided intermediate said support elements.

Preferably each support element and back panel support are cushioned.

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Preferably the support incorporates an integral sock with the support on the exterior.

Preferably the fabric wrapping has a front opening extending over its full length and fixing means comprising straps held either with fleece and hook fastenings or buckles extending across said opening.

Preferably the wrapping has a pair of opposed openings formed therein positioned to fit around the malleolus. Preferably the openings have a radius within the range 25mm to 41mm.

Preferably the wrapping has a further opening positioned in use to accommodate the ball of the wearer's heel. Preferably the top of the f rther opening is spaced, in use, by a distance in the range 64 - 104mm above the base. It will be appreciated in accordance with the present invention that the shape, dimensions and angle of the support element is important to the function of the support.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

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Fig. 1 illustrates a side elevation of a support;

Fig. 2 illustrates the other side elevation of a support;

Fig. 3 illustrates, in exploded perspective, the composition of a support element incorporated in the support; and

Fig. 4 illustrates in a rear view the support in an open position.

A sleeve 1 as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is adapted to fit about an ankle joint and is fabricated from any suitable material such as canvas. The edges 2 are covered by binding which is stuck or sewn thereto to prevent fraying and to increase durability which is an essential requirement when the support is subjected to heavy use by a sportsman. Three straps 3 and fastenings 5 are attached to the sleeve 1 to secure the support over the top of the foot and around the lower leg. The shaping of the sleeve is critical to ensure a wearer's comfort and prevent any significant "riding" or movement of the sleeve about the ankle. The sleeve is provided on each side with a shaped cut out portion 7 arranged to accommodate the lateral and medial malleolus. The cut

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outs 7 are each generally circular with forwardly and upwardly extending extensions cut tangentially to the circle. Typical circle diameters are; petit 25mm, small 30mm, medium 32.5mm, large 39mm, extra large 41mm. The cut outs 7 allow normal flexion and extension, promote comfort and accurate fittings and obviate movement of the sleeve.

Although a simple canvas sleeve will provide some support at the ankle in the desired direction, to prevent lateral ligament strain it is important that a suitable reinforcing support element is attached to the sleeve 1. Normally a support element 9 is applied either side of the sleeve 1 each element 9 being similar and thus providing balanced support. It is envisaged that, in certain circumstances, it may be desirable to provide differing degrees of support and thus resistance to movement on either side of the ankle so that the wearer is not limited in the necessities required for his or her sport. The support elements 9 are made from strong resilient polypropylene material and individually shaped in accordance with the requirements of the user. It has been found that the element shapes illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 are appropriate but it will be appreciated that shaping is dependent upon the size of joint, the size of user and the degree of movement required. Of paramount

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importance with elements 9 is the angle between a first finger 11 and a second finger 15. It has been found that angles in the range 140-160° are suitable and that in accordance with support size the following specific support element angles are advantageous namely, 143°,

148°, 150°, 152° and 155° for petit, small, medium, large and extra large sizes respectively.

In order to protect the achilles tendon a further support element 10, which although shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as being straight, is normally curved to the heel of a user's foot in use.

In Fig. 3 a support element assembly is illustrated in exploded projection. The support element 9 is arranged to form the outer layer of a sandwich comprising the element 9, a foam layer 17 and a canvas cover 19, the complete sandwich effectively cushioning the support element from the user whereby he feels no discomfort. Furthermore, it is usual also to cushion any back support element 10 used to protect the achilles tendon.

In order to facilitate and ensure accurate positioning of the support elements it is necessary to accurately determine the spacing of support elements by sewing them in position. It has been found that a

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spacing of 31 to 64mm between back edges 30 of each support element 9 is appropriate. The desirable predetermined spacings are, petit 31mm; small 38mm; medium 44mm, large 51mm and extra large 57mm. It will be appreciated however that a support could be tailor-made for a particular individual in which case this spacing is adaptable. In Fig. 4 a heel opening 21 is illustrated, the size and location of this opening 21 is again determined by a user's dimensions. The opening 21 is designed to fit just before the ball of the heel where there is a natural occurring recess so that the user cannot identify the edge of the support and thus comfort is enhanced. The top to bottom dimension of the opening 2 are, for the standard range, petit 64mm, small 89mm, medium 94mm, large 99mm, extra large 104mm.

In use, the support is strapped around the forefoot thus giving added strength to this area and contributing to their positioning of the rigid insert. It is most convenient to use a fleece and hook style securing means as an alternative to conventional belt and buckle arrangements as this allows the support to be used with normal training shoes etc. The strapping to the lower leg above the ankle is similarly achieved. Usually an overlap of sleeve material is ensured to provide extra cushioning for both straps and buckles used in securing

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the support .

It is anticipated that the section of support below the foot should be continuous to add strength to the support. Alternatively the sleeve 1 could be fabricated using a mesh type material to allow ease of perspiration.

It is intended that the support either be worn on top of a sock or with a sock integral with the support to provide additional cushioning for the user.

The support is best worn with a shoe or boot and the reaction of the shoe or boot with the stiffeners 9 enhances the support provided to the user by the stiffeners.

It will be appreciated that the present support provides support substantially only in relation to the lateral ligaments of the ankle and thus there is no significant weakening of the ankle with prolonged use consequently it is envisaged that the support will be used regularly by sportsmen and women as a pre-emptive measure.

As indicated previously, proproception is a significant problem once an ankle has been sprained with

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the end result that an already weakened ankle can be more readily twisted through uncertainty as to its position. It will be appreciated that the support as now defined will abut skin surfaces of the user which will allow proproception, that is to say the onset of turning the ankle and thus it may be possible to recover the situation prior to damage.

It is envisaged that the support will be fabricated from a material that allows easy washing.

The supports described above with reference to the drawings are intended for use on adults. The angles and dimensions set out are given by way of example and relate to a usual range of adult sizes from petit through extra large. It will be readily apparent that the specific angles and dimensions recited above are not critical and small and larger dimensions and angles can be chosen for, for example children and for adults with large feet. The dimensions and angles can be varied infinitely so that a support can be precisely tailored to each of a particular wearer's feet.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the invention as claimed. For example the heel and malleolus cut outs can be omitted or can be filled with a

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different material. The straps could be substituted by other fastening means, for example laces, fleece and hook flaps, adhesive strips. The back support strip could be omitted or even reinforced dependant upon the wearer's needs.

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