Patent · US Expired

Lower limb prosthesis with means for restricting dorsi-flexion

US5112356A · kind A · utility

177Cited by
6References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 25, 1991
Grant dateMay 12, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 25, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61F2220/0041
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a lower limb prosthesis an energy storing foot is combined with a resilient ankle joint which is arranged to allow planatar flexion but substantially to prevent dorsiflexion. The ankle joint comprises a ball and socket joint, the socket of which is extended downwardly on the anterior, medial and lateral sides to for a skirt positioned so as to compress a resilient ring encircling a ball member of the ball and socket joint. Metal plates are embedded in the anterior part of the ring to prevent significant dorsiflexion. The foot has a keel having a lower spring portion connected at its posterior end as a cantilever to an upper ankle mounting portion. These two portions may be formed as a single carbon fibre reinforced plastics moulding or individually as part of a two-piece keel with the ankle mounting portion rigid and the spring portion as simple fibre-reinforced strip. The resilience of the foot is adjustable by means of a displaceable resilient buffer element mounted ahead of the ankle centre as a coarse adjustment device and/or by means of a transversely extending support bar which can be moved longitudinally behind the ankle centre by rotating an adjusting screw. The screw pa…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.