Ankle stabilizer

Abstract

An ankle brace is configured to provide lateral and/or medial support of an ankle joint between the leg and foot and broadly includes an upper brace anchor secured to the leg above malleoli of the ankle joint and a lower brace anchor secured below the foot. The anchors are interconnected by a stabilizing strap that is tensioned between the anchors and serves to restrict inversion and/or eversion of the foot. The anchors and strap are also dimensioned and configured to permit dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of the foot.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An ankle brace configured to provide support of the ankle joint between the leg and foot, said ankle brace comprising:
 a flexible and tubular sheath that presents an outer surface and proximal and distal ends, with the proximal end being positionable on the leg and the distal end positionable on the foot;   a heel plate positioned below the sheath and configured to be adjustably located below the heel to anchor the ankle brace below the malleoli,   said heel plate including a substantially flat base and upright lateral and medial walls that extend upwardly from the base,   said heel plate presenting an open longitudinal channel extending between the lateral and medial walls and operable to receive the foot,   said heel plate engaging the outer surface of the sheath between the ends, with the heel plate being exposed relative to the sheath; and   an elongated strap adjustably attached to the sheath and heel plate and extending exteriorly along at least one of the lateral and medial walls, with adjustable tensioning of the strap serving to flex the at least one of the lateral and medial walls relative to the base to conform the heel plate to the heel.   
     
     
         2 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 said heel plate being slidably attached to the strap and selectively positionable along the length thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 said strap presenting opposite strap ends attached to the sheath,   said strap extending continuously between the strap ends and extending below at least part of the heel plate and exteriorly along the lateral and medial walls to engage and flex the heel plate securely around the foot when adjustably tensioned.   
     
     
         4 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 3 ; and
 another elongated strap adjustably connecting the sheath and heel plate, with the straps at least partly overlying one another adjacent the heel plate.   
     
     
         5 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 said base presenting a slotted opening that slidably receives the strap.   
     
     
         6 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 said heel plate having anterior and posterior open channel ends so that the channel is devoid of an upright wall.   
     
     
         7 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 said strap including first and second strap sections,   said sheath presenting lateral and medial sides configured to engage the strap,   said first strap section being attached to the sheath at an attachment location, with the first strap section extending horizontally from the attachment location,   said second strap section being joined to the first strap section at a downward angle spaced from the attachment location so that the second strap section is configured and dimensioned to extend between the lateral and medial sides while permitting substantially unrestricted dorsiflexion of the foot.   
     
     
         8 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 said elongated strap dimensioned and configured to extend distally from the sheath to the heel plate,   said elongated strap including a flexible fabric strip that presents opposite faces,   said elongated strap including a high-friction coating applied to at least one of the faces and extending to the heel plate,   said faces exhibiting a strip self-coefficient of friction and said coating exhibiting a coating self-coefficient of friction greater than the strip self-coefficient of friction, with the coating thereby configured to secure the elongated strap at the heel plate and restrict strap movement relative to the foot.   
     
     
         9 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 8 ,
 said coating applied to both faces and being in frictional engagement with the heel plate to further restrict strap movement relative to the heel plate.   
     
     
         10 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 9 ,
 said coating being in frictional engagement with the sheath to further restrict strap movement relative to the sheath.   
     
     
         11 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 8 ; and
 another elongated strap adjustably connecting the sheath and heel plate, with the straps at least partly overlying one another adjacent the heel plate.   
     
     
         12 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 11 ,
 said another elongated strap dimensioned and configured to extend distally from the sheath to the heel plate,   said another elongated strap including a second flexible fabric strip that presents opposite second faces,   said another elongated strap including a second high-friction coating applied to at least one of the second faces and extending to the heel plate,   said second faces exhibiting a second strip self-coefficient of friction and said second high-friction coating exhibiting a second coating self-coefficient of friction greater than the second strip self-coefficient of friction, with the second coating thereby configured to secure the another elongated strap at the heel plate and restrict movement of the another elongated strap relative to the foot.   
     
     
         13 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 12 ,
 said coatings of the respective straps being in frictional engagement with one another adjacent the heel plate to further restrict relative movement between the straps.   
     
     
         14 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 12 ,
 said coatings applied to both faces of respective straps and being in frictional engagement with the heel plate to further restrict movement of the straps relative to the heel plate.   
     
     
         15 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 14 ,
 said coatings being in frictional engagement with the sheath to further restrict strap movement relative to the sheath.   
     
     
         16 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 8 ,
 said strap including first and second strap sections,   said sheath presenting lateral and medial sides configured to engage the strap,   said first strap section being attached to the sheath at an attachment location, with the first strap section extending horizontally from the attachment location,   said second strap section being joined to the first strap section at a downward angle spaced from the attachment location so that the second strap section is configured and dimensioned to extend between the lateral and medial sides while permitting substantially unrestricted dorsiflexion of the foot.   
     
     
         17 . An ankle brace configured to provide support of the ankle joint between the leg and foot, said ankle brace comprising:
 an upper brace structure configured to be attached to the leg and anchor the ankle brace above malleoli of the joint; and   an elongated strap including first and second strap sections,   said upper brace structure presenting lateral and medial sides configured to engage the strap,   said first strap section being attached to the upper brace structure at an attachment location, with the first strap section extending horizontally from the attachment location,   said second strap section being joined to the first strap section spaced from the attachment location,   said second strap section extending at a downward angle relative to the first strap section, such that the elongated strap is dimensioned and configured to extend horizontally relative to the upper brace structure and then downwardly adjacent the ankle joint between the lateral and medial sides to restrict lateral foot movement while permit substantially unrestricted dorsiflexion of the foot.   
     
     
         18 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 17 ,
 said attachment location being positioned along one of the lateral and medial sides, with the second strap section being configured and dimensioned to extend to the other one of the lateral and medial sides.   
     
     
         19 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 18 ,
 said second strap section extending continuously from the other one of the lateral and medial sides under the foot for adjustable attachment to said one of the lateral and medial sides.   
     
     
         20 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 18 ,
 said first and second strap sections presenting an obtuse angle therebetween.   
     
     
         21 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 18 ;
 a lower brace structure positioned below the upper brace structure and configured to be located below the heel to anchor the ankle brace below the malleoli; and   another elongated strap, with the straps adjustably connecting the upper and lower brace structures and at least partly overlying one another adjacent the lower brace structure.   
     
     
         22 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 21 ,
 said another elongated strap including third and fourth strap segments,   said third strap segment being attached to the upper brace structure at another attachment location along the other one of the lateral and medial sides, with the third strap section extending horizontally from the another attachment location,   said fourth strap section being joined to the third strap section at another downward angle spaced from the another attachment location so that the fourth strap section is configured and dimensioned to extend to the one of the lateral and medial sides to permit substantially unrestricted dorsiflexion of the foot.   
     
     
         23 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 17 ,
 said upper brace structure comprising a flexible and tubular sheath that presents proximal and distal ends, with the proximal end being positionable on the leg and the distal end positionable on the foot,   said strap being attached to the sheath between the ends.   
     
     
         24 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 17 ; and
 a lower brace structure positioned below the upper brace structure and configured to be located below the heel to anchor the ankle brace below the malleoli,   said lower brace structure comprising a heel plate that includes a substantially flat base and upright lateral and medial walls that extend upwardly from the base.   
     
     
         25 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 24 ,
 said first and second strap sections presenting a pair of opposite strap ends,   said opposite strap ends attached to the upper brace structure,   said strap extending continuously between the strap ends and extending below the heel plate to engage and flex the lateral and medial walls toward one another.   
     
     
         26 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 17 ,
 said upper brace structure including an arcuate unitary hard shell that presents proximal and distal open ends, a closed posterior portion extending between the ends, and lateral and medial sides projecting from the posterior portion and extending between the proximal and distal open ends,   said hard shell presenting an adjustable leg-receiving slot that extends between the open ends,   said hard shell extending continuously between the open ends to cover the malleoli and present integral proximal and distal shell segments, with the proximal shell segment dimensioned and configured to be attached above the malleoli and the distal shell segment dimensioned and configured to extend below the malleoli; and   a generally horizontal adjustably tensionable closure strip attached to sides of the proximal shell segment to selectively close the slot and constrict the proximal shell segment about the leg,   said elongated strap extending distally from the hard shell to a location below the foot.   
     
     
         27 . The ankle brace as claimed in  claim 17 ,
 said elongated strap extending to a location below the foot and including a flexible fabric strip that presents opposite faces,   said elongated strap including a high-friction coating applied to at least one of the faces and extending to the location,   said faces exhibiting a strip self-coefficient of friction and said coating exhibiting a coating self-coefficient of friction greater than the strip self-coefficient of friction, with the coating thereby configured to secure the elongated strap at the lower brace structure and restrict strap movement relative to the foot.