An inventive ankle-foot orthosis which transfers a portion of a wearer's weight normally applied to a wearer's foot and ankle to a wearer's calf thereby removing weight bearing stress from the wearer's foot and ankle.

An orthosis comprises a first portion which comprises a polymer reinforced with a plurality of first fibres, and a second portion which is disposed around at least a section of a peripheral edge of the orthosis which comprises a polymer reinforced with a plurality of second fibres. The first portion has a higher tensile strength and is harder than the second portion.

An ankle/foot orthosis with a foot part, which has a sole for receiving a foot, and with a shin part which, when fitted in place, bears on the frontal aspect of a shin and is connected to the foot part via a medially extending spring, wherein the spring, behind an ankle area, forms a hinge area that allows a movement of the shin part relative to the foot part in the anterior-posterior direction.

In at least some aspects, the present concepts include a method for configuring an assistive flexible suit including the acts of outfitting a person with an assistive flexible suit, monitoring an output of at least one sensor of the assistive flexible suit as the person moves in a first controlled movement environment, identifying at least one predefined gait event using the output of the at least one sensor, adjusting an actuation profile of the at least one actuator and continuing to perform the acts of monitoring, identifying and adjusting until an actuation profile of the at least one actuator generates a beneficial moment about the at least one joint to promote an improvement in gait. The at least one controller is then set to implement the actuation profile.

A foot and ankle support system using one or more pressure-flexed support bars made of resilient material, each of which can be adjustably positioned and removably attached to selected positions along the medial, lateral, or posterior heel sides of an article of footwear. One end of the support bar is affixed to the base portion of the article of footwear and the other end is affixed to the collar or ankle portion causing the resilient support bar to flex into a bow-like position. Each support bar stores energy and returns resistance when engaged by various directional movements of the foot during walking, running, sports activities or rehabilitation. A plurality of pressure-flexed support bars work in tandem to provide additional support and control of foot inversion and eversion, pronation and supination. An alternative embodiment uses a pressure-flexed bladder type support bar filled with air, gas, liquid gel or other material.

An assistive ankle foot orthosis is described. The AFO has a tubular vertical member arranged laterally to a user's limb. The member carries a rotational bearing and a rotational element such as a pulley. The pulley is connected to a footplate. The footplate provides joint movement assistance or resistance to the user upon rotation of the pulley. The pulley is coupled to one or more springs that provide counter-rotational resistance to pulley movement, thereby storing, and then returning, rotational force during certain foot movements. The spring can include a leaf spring arranged inside the member, the stiffness of which can be manually, automatically or dynamically adjusted by movement of the device.

An apparatus includes a brace assembly and a force-application assembly. The brace assembly includes a muscle-origin portion configured to connect proximate to a muscle origin of a muscle. The brace assembly also includes a muscle-insertion portion configured to connect proximate to a muscle insertion of the muscle. The force-application assembly is configured to connect to the muscle-origin portion and the muscle-insertion portion. The force-application assembly is also configured to extend between the muscle-origin portion and the muscle-insertion portion once coupled to do just so.

A moldable rigid ankle brace is disclosed. The rigid stabilizing ankle brace includes a heat-moldable multi-layer housing having an opening for receiving a user's ankle, a footplate attached to the housing, and a closure mechanism. The multi-layer housing includes a middle layer, which is substantially stiff at a temperature below about 130° F. and moldable at temperatures between about 130° F. and 275° F. A method of stabilizing an ankle is also disclosed. The method may include providing a rigid stabilizing ankle brace, having a heat-moldable multi-layer housing having an opening for receiving a user's ankle, and a footplate removably attached to said housing, heating the ankle brace to between about 130° F. to about 275° F., and applying said heated ankle brace to the ankle of a patient in need thereof.

An external ankle brace for restricting movement of an ankle in a first direction and permitting movement of the ankle in a second direction includes a rigid heel enclosure having a rear portion and a forward portion. A lateral upright extension is perpendicular to the rigid heel enclosure and is attached to the lateral sidewall. A medial upright extension is perpendicular to the rigid heel enclosure and is attached to the medial sidewall. At least a chosen one of the lateral and medial upright extensions is selectively pivotally attached to a corresponding lateral or medial sidewall and includes a pivot prevention feature configured to selectively prevent pivoting of the chosen one of the lateral and medial upright extensions with respect to the corresponding lateral or medial sidewall.

An orthotic device comprising a plurality of posterior dynamic struts and a posterior multiple strut engager, wherein the plurality of posterior dynamic struts comprises a first posterior dynamic strut and one or more additional posterior dynamic struts, and wherein the posterior multiple strut engager is affixed to the first posterior dynamic strut and is adapted to restrain the movement of said one or more additional posterior dynamic struts, and wherein the posterior multiple strut engager may be adjusted to engage said one or more additional posterior dynamic struts in combination with the first posterior dynamic strut, thereby forming a single posterior dynamic strut assembly of greater rigidity than the first posterior dynamic strut alone.