Abstract: An orthopedic walker is disclosed that improves comfort and shock absorption during use by incorporating a flexure zone that deflects to ease the forces caused by the heel strike portion of a patient's gait. The flexure zone is created by cutting around the heel on the bottom of the sole to allow for the heel portion to flex. The exterior shell of the walker is may be made of a formable resilient material that when combined with an attached tongue structure reduces a volume of encapsulation of the lower limb. The shell encloses a padding on the inner side that may take the form of air/bladders and/or foam, and tabs on each side selectively engage receiving tabs on the inside lateral and medial side of the base upright portions. A separate tongue structure is used to enclose the foot and is made adjustable using various methods such as slits and novel connectors.
Type:
Application
Filed:
September 15, 2023
Publication date:
March 21, 2024
Applicant:
Ortho Systems d/b/a Ovation Medical, Inc.
Inventors:
Kenji Watabe, Tracy E. Grim, Edwin Erwin, Zhaung Shao