A brace worn by a user has side shell portions disposed in or on the lateral and medial sides portions of the brace to support the medial and lateral sides of the user's ankle. The shell may include a connecting center portion that extends under the foot of the user and couples the medial and lateral side shell portions. In certain embodiments, the connecting portion includes a plurality of flexible fingers oriented substantially towards the user's toes for yielding to the movement of the user's foot while maintaining the stability and orientation of the lateral and medial supports with respect to the user's ankle.
1. A brace for supporting a user's ankle comprising:
a boot assembly having:
a medial side boot portion extending along a medial side of the user's ankle;
a lateral side boot portion extending along a lateral side of the user's ankle;
and a base boot portion connecting said side boot portions; and
a shell having:
at least one side support disposed in or on at least one of said medial and lateral side boot portions for providing support to at least one of the medial and lateral sides of the user's ankle, wherein the at least one side support is inserted in a pocket formed in or on said at least of said medial and lateral side boot portions; and
a center shell portion coupled to said at least one side support and positioned under the user's forefoot and having a plurality of fingers oriented substantially towards the user's toes, wherein said fingers yield to movement of the user's forefoot.
2. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said at least one side support being positioned at an angle between 50° and 80° in a rearward direction with reference to a ground support.
3. The brace of claim 2 , wherein said angle is 60°.
4. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said shell comprises a unitary piece.
5. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said fingers yield to movement of the user's forefoot while the remainder of said center shell portion maintains the orientation of said at least one side support with respect to the user's ankle.
6. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said shell comprises materials of different densities.
7. The brace of claim 1 , wherein the material of said center shell portion has a greater flexibility than the material of said at least one side support.
8. The brace of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of said at least one side support is greater than a thickness of said center shell portion.
9. The brace of claim 8 , wherein said thickness of said at least one side support is non-uniform at different points on said brace.
10. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said shell comprises plastic.
11. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said shell comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, metal, and composite.
12. The brace of claim 11 further comprising a padding layer disposed over an inner surface of said at least one side support.
13. The brace of claim 12 , wherein said padding layer comprises at least one inflatable air cell for providing therapeutic pressure to at least one of the medial and lateral sides of the user's ankle.
14. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said at least one side support being injection molded into said at least one of said medial and lateral side boot portions.
15. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said base boot portion connects said side boot portions under the user's foot.
16. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said boot assembly comprises a unitary piece.
17. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said boot assembly further comprises a front boot portion extending along a front side of the user's leg and adapted to connect upper portions of said medial and lateral side boot portions for providing support to the front side of the user's leg.
18. The brace of claim 17 , wherein said front boot portion connects said upper portions of said medial and lateral side boot portions with hooks and loops.
19. The brace of claim 17 , wherein said front boot portion connects said upper portions of said medial and lateral side boot portions with lace apertures and laces.
20. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said boot assembly comprises a material selected from the group consisting of nylon, neoprene, nylon-coated neoprene, cotton, plastic, foam, canvas, rubber, and spandex.
21. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said boot assembly comprises a flexible material.
22. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said boot assembly comprises a material that is selected from the group consisting of elastic material, non-elastic material, and a combination of elastic material and non-elastic material.
23. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said boot assembly further comprises a strap extending from said medial side boot portion at a location proximal to the top of the user's forefoot, wherein said strap is adapted to be wound about and up said user's leg for holding said boot assembly in its desired firm supporting relationship with the user's ankle.
24. The brace of claim 1 , wherein said boot assembly further comprises a vertical strap extending from said base boot portion at a location under the user's forefoot, wherein said vertical strap is adapted to be pulled up the medial side of the user's leg and foot for holding said boot assembly in its desired firm supporting relationship with the user's ankle.
25. A method of forming a brace for supporting a user's ankle comprising:
forming a shell having at least one side support and having a center shell portion coupled to said at least one side support, said center shell portion having at least one finger capable of flexing in a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of said shell;
providing a flexible material having a pocket formed therein or thereon for retaining said shell;
inserting said shell in said pocket and shaping said flexible material into a boot assembly, said at least one side supporting at least one of the medial and lateral sides of the user's ankle, said center shell portion being positioned under the user's forefoot and said at least one finger being oriented substantially towards the user's toes.
26. A method of claim 25 , wherein the shell comprises materials of different densities.
27. A method of claim 25 , wherein the material of said center shell portion has a greater flexibility than the material of said at least one side support.
28. A method of claim 25 , wherein said boot assembly is comprised of a flexible material further comprising a strap extending from said medial side boot portion at a location proximal to the top of the user's forefoot, wherein said strap is adapted to be wound about and up said user's leg for holding said boot assembly in its desired firm supporting relationship with the user's ankle.