ORTHOTIC WITH DYNAMICALLY SELF-ADJUSTING STABILISER FOR FOOTWEAR

摘要

The orthotic is formed of a monolithic semi-rigid resilient shell for engagement inside a footwear and for conformingly fitting against the planta r portion of a patient's foot. The orthotic includes a rear heel cup portion that may have inner and outer rearwardly-extending resiliently deformable arms defini ng at their rear ends a rearwardly-opened notch therebetween. A number of first grooves may be made along the outer or inner flange of the heel cup portion, on the exposed top or bottom surface thereof. The orthotic further comprises a front end portion for engaging the metatarsal plantar region of the foot, having a sinuous front edge which includes five frontwardly-facing arcuate concavities each for registering wedging engagement therein by a corresponding one of the five metatarsal anterior portions of that person's foot. A number of second grooves may be made on th e exposed top or bottom surface of the front end portion, and at least one of each second groove open into a corresponding arcuate concavity. The front and rea r grooves provide dynamic stabilization of the patient's foot and resistance against cyclical load-induced torque during gait. No separate add-on crutch stabiliz er is necessary at a raised portion of the orthotic.