Neuropathic foot protector

Abstract

A shoe for treating and preventing chronic foot wounds such as ulcerations in diabetes patients. A malleable shoe upper is attached to a sole and receives a custom-fitted orthosis produced by imprinting the patient's plantar aspect into heat-deformable foam or a hardening silicone. A heel of the shoe includes an internal spring to further dampen reactive forces.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A shoe adapted for the prevention or treatment of foot wounds in a patient, comprising: 
 a shoe upper;    a sole attached to the shoe upper, the sole including a heel with a spring therein; and    an orthotic footbed fitted into the shoe upper    
     
     
         2 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the orthotic footbed has an upper surface custom-fitted to the plantar aspect of the patient's foot.  
     
     
         3 . The shoe of  claim 2 , wherein said orthotic footbed is a heat-deformable foam material.  
     
     
         4 . The shoe of  claim 2 , wherein the orthotic footbed includes a compressible forefoot section and a less compressible rearfoot section, and a transition section of gradually changing compressibility.  
     
     
         5 . The shoe of  claim 2 , wherein said orthotic footbed includes a bladder filled with a hardened liquid material.  
     
     
         6 . The shoe of  claim 4 , wherein said hardened liquid material is silicone injected into the bladder in a liquid condition and hardened with a curing agent.  
     
     
         7 . The shoe of  claim 2 , wherein the upper is malleably deformed to accommodate irregularities in the patient's foot.  
     
     
         8 . The shoe of  claim 2 , wherein said spring is a coil spring having an upper end bearing against the sole and a lower end bearing against a bearing surface of the heel.  
     
     
         9 . The shoe of  claim 2 , wherein the sole includes a rigid plate over the heel end a compressible material at the forefoot.  
     
     
         10 . A method for treating or preventing foot ulcers in diabetic patients, comprising: custom fitting an orthotic footbed to the patient's foot; placing the orthotic footbed into a shoe having a spring-loaded heel; and allowing the patient to be ambulatory in the shoe, whereby shearing and impact forces on the patient's foot are partially absorbed by the orthotic footbed and the spring-loaded heel.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said custom-fitting step includes selecting a footbed of a size appropriate to the patient, the footbed being of a heat-deformable foam; heating the foam to a predetermined deforming temperature; and planting the patient's foot onto the foam to deform the foam surface to conform to the patient's foot.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said custom-fitting step includes selecting a footbed of a size appropriate to the patient, the footbed being a bladder with an inlet port; god injecting the bladder through the inlet port with a liquid material; planting the patient's foot onto the bladder to conform the bladder to the patient's foot; and allowing the liquid material to harden.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said liquid material includes silicone resin and a hardening agent.