Abstract: An improved orthopedic casting slipper kit for custom molding of a foot casting, wherein the kit includes a low-cut casting slipper shaped to extend upwardly on a patient's foot from a plantar surface of the foot to an open end. and a quantity of curable resin for impregnation into the fabric of the casting slipper, the improvement comprising a sheer removal sock which is first placed on the patient's foot, prior to the casting slipper to facilitate removal of the hardened mold.

Abstract: Provided is a resin-impregnated rolled fabric sock with one or more opposed pairs of tails for ease of applying the sock to the limb, the sock being useful for preparing casts or forms on limbs. The sock is provided rolled upon itself down the outer side from the open end to the closed end and along the long axis of the sock. The tails are incorporated into the roll, however an exposed end of each tail remains external to the roll. In an embodiment, the resin-impregnated, rolled sock is provided in a sealed moisture impermeable container. Also provided are methods of use.

Abstract: An orthopedic casting slipper kit for custom molding of a foot impression including a low-cut impression slipper shaped to extend upwardly on a patient's foot from a plantar surface of the foot to an open end. The impression slipper is made from a fabric that is sufficiently resilient so as to enable the impression slipper to substantially conform to the patient's foot. A support element is coupled to the impression slipper and extends around at least a portion of the patient's foot for holding the impression slipper snug against the patient's foot. A quantity of curable resin is provided for impregnation into the fabric of the impression slipper and is sufficient to harden the impression slipper into a cast foot impression.

Abstract: An orthopedic casting slipper kit (21) including a resilient fabric impression slipper (23) formed to extend on a patient's foot (27) from a plantar aspect or surface (29) to about one-third of the way from the base of the toes to the dorsum of the foot. A longitudinally resiliently extensible band (37) is provided on the slipper (23) proximate the open end (33), and an arch strap (39) dimensioned to span transversely over the dorsum (30) of the foot (27) is used to pull the impression slipper (23) up into contact with the arch (35) of the foot to prevent bridging of the arch. A method of using the arch strap (39) to aid in conformance also is disclosed.

Abstract: Custom molded wrist area impression sleeve (21) having a configuration substantially covering the wrist area (WA) of a patient. The impression sleeve (21) is formed from a thin, resin-impregnated, resilient fabric sleeve (21) mounted over a thin, flexible, resin-impervious release layer (23), and preferably over a cushioning and thermally insulating foam sleeve (25). The hardenable sleeve (21) can include one, and preferably two, longitudinally extending weakened strips (30, 40) which facilitate severing and act as a hinge (40) for the resulting hardened wrist brace. In the present method, the wrist area impression sleeve (21) is hardened on the patient's wrist, cut off and then used as a removable brace or to form a custom orthosis in a fabrication laboratory.

Abstract: Custom molded wrist area impression sleeve (21) having a configuration substantially covering the wrist area (WA) of a patient. The impression sleeve (21) is formed from a thin, resin-impregnated, resilient fabric sleeve (21) mounted over a thin, flexible, resin-impervious release layer (23), and preferably over a cushioning and thermally insulating foam sleeve (25). The hardenable sleeve (21) can include one, and preferably two, longitudinally extending weakened strips (30, 40) which facilitate severing and act as a hinge (40) for the resulting hardened wrist brace. In the present method, the wrist area impression sleeve (21) is hardened on the patient's wrist, cut off and then used as a removable brace or to form a custom orthosis in a fabrication laboratory.

Abstract: Custom molded orthopedic impression shirt (27, 47) having a configuration substantially covering the torso of a patient. The impression shirt is formed from a thin, resin-impregnated elastic fabric shirt layer (27) mounted over a thin, flexible, resin-impervious release shirt layer (25), and preferably over a thin, elastic, thermally insulating fabric shirt layer (23). In the present method, the impression shirt is hardened on the patient's torso, cut off the patient's torso and then used to form a custom thoracic lumbar sacral orthosis in a fabrication laboratory.

Abstract: A method of providing prosthetic sockets (30) for a patient's residual limb (21). While the residual limb (21) is swollen with post-trauma edema (22-25), a resin-impregnated temporary shell forming sock (52) is placed onto the edema-swollen residual limb (21). The resin is activated to cause it to harden into a temporary prosthetic shell (30), but prior to hardening of the resin, the sock (52) is conformed to the patient's edema-swollen limb (21). After swelling of the residual limb (21) has substantially dissipated, a permanent prosthetic socket conforming to the patient's unswollen residual limb (22b-25c) is formed and the temporary prosthetic socket (30) is replaced with the permanent prosthetic socket. A temporary prosthetic socket (30) is also disclosed in which a resin-hardened temporary sock (52) is bonded to a socket liner (49) over a prosthetic attachment assembly (48) in a configuration substantially conforming to the patient's residual limb (21) when in an edema-swollen (22-25) condition.

Abstract: A kit for use in preparing a last, i.e., an anatomical model of the human foot for use in the contruction of custom footwear, as well as a method of preparing lasts, the lasts prepared by such a method, and the custom footwear constructed by the use of such lasts. The kit includes a hardenable, shell-forming fabric that can be conformed to the shape of the foot, hardened in its conformed shape, and removed from the foot in a manner that does not substantially destroy its conformed shape. The resultant shell, being sufficiently smooth and being of substantially the same size and shape as the foot, can be used directly as a positive model of the foot.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for forming customized footwear, such as shoes, boots or inner bladders for shoes or boots, and particularly an athletic shoe or boot, is disclosed in which an impression of the foot is used to make a positive mold, around which the shoe, boot or bladder is constructed. In the improved process a range-of-motion measuring apparatus is used to accurately determine the neutral position of the bone structure of the rearfoot complex of the foot. The foot is maintained in that position by means of the apparatus while the impression or casting of the foot is being made. The process provides a shoe, boot or inner liner or bladder therefor which will evenly support the foot in a neutral position. The range-of-motion measuring apparatus includes a beam generating laser that is directed toward a mirror mounted on the leg of the person being fitted.