Soft orthopedic knee brace for treatment of osteoarthritis
Inventors
Oaks, Serena N. • Mah, Stefanie L.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9931233-B2
Publication Date
2018-04-03
Expiration Date
Abstract
An orthopedic knee brace is provided having a sleeve, a longitudinal support assembly and a strapping system. The sleeve is positionable over a knee with the longitudinal support assembly engaging the sleeve. The longitudinal support assembly includes an upper support member, a lower support member and a hinge positionable in engagement with the knee. The strapping system includes a strap extending in a helical path across a lower point on the upper support member proximal to the hinge to an upper point on the upper support member or in a helical path across an upper point on the lower support member proximal to the hinge to a lower point on the lower support member.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a soft knee brace adapted to treat osteoarthritis by wearing the soft knee brace on a leg having anterior, posterior, lateral and medial sides. The brace includes an upper leg, a lower leg and a knee with a patella positioned on the anterior side of the leg at the knee, and knee condyles positioned at the lateral and medial sides of the leg at the knee.
A pliant compression sleeve is provided having a pliant outer body and a pliant inner flap with an inoperative configuration and an operative configuration. In the operative configuration, the pliant outer body wraps around and encircles the knee, the upper leg and the lower leg while engaging the anterior side, the posterior side, the lateral side and the medial side, with the body inner face facing an inward direction toward the knee and the body outer face facing an outward direction away from the knee.
The inner flap extends from an attachment union positioned on the lateral or medial side of the patella, with a flap inner face in engagement with the knee condyle and a flap outer face in engagement with the body inner face, extending past the first vertical body edge to an opposite side of the patella from the attachment union. This arrangement is used to focus an enhanced radial compression force against the knee condyle in a direction toward the opposite side of the patella.
In the disclosed embodiments, the brace also includes a rigid or semi-rigid longitudinal support assembly with an upper support member, a lower support member and a hinge rotatably connecting them, positioned along a medial or lateral support member side, and upper and/or lower straps adapted to follow helical operative paths. The helical strap routing applies an upper biasing force and/or a lower biasing force to the support member side of the leg in a direction of the opposite side, and the invention specifies no additional strap providing a counter force that would cancel the biasing force.
Claims Coverage
The partial content includes multiple independent claims covering a soft knee brace for osteoarthritis with a pliant compression sleeve and, in some versions, a hinged longitudinal support assembly and strap biasing features. The inventive features for each independent claim are summarized below.
Patella- and condyle-positioned pliant compression sleeve with inoperative/operative configuration
A pliant compression sleeve having a pliant outer body and a pliant inner flap with an inoperative configuration and an operative configuration, where in the operative configuration the pliant outer body wraps around and encircles the knee, engages the anterior side, the posterior side, the lateral side and the medial side, and the attachment union on the lateral or medial side of the patella positions the inner flap to engage the knee condyle and focus enhanced radial compression toward an opposite side of the patella.
Hinged longitudinal support assembly on a medial or lateral support-member side
A rigid or semi-rigid longitudinal support assembly including an upper support member, a lower support member and a hinge rotatably connecting the upper support member and the lower support member, arranged so the longitudinal support assembly engages the pliant outer body and extends in a longitudinal position along the medial or lateral side of the leg, with the upper support member positioned above the hinge adjacent the upper leg, the lower support member positioned below the hinge adjacent the lower leg, and the hinge positioned adjacent the knee on the support member side.
Helical strap operative path with biasing force without counter-force strap
An upper strap and a lower strap arranged so the strap longitudinal axis follows a helical operative path from an engagement point to a connection point on the upper support member and lower support member, maintaining a continuous line of contact with the pliant outer body, where the helical operative path applies an upper biasing force and/or a lower biasing force to the support member side of the leg in a direction of the opposite side, and wherein no additional upper strap and no additional lower strap are provided to apply counter forces that would cancel the respective biasing forces, thereby enabling unloading of a compartment of the knee on the opposite side of the leg.
Upper strap on helical operative path engaging and connecting to upper support member
An upper strap adapted to extend around the upper leg and engage the pliant outer body when the pliant compression sleeve is in the operative configuration, where an upper strap longitudinal axis follows a helical operative path and extends to an upper connection point on an upper support member, maintaining continuous line contact with the pliant outer body where it engages the anterior side, the posterior side, and the opposite side of the leg on the upper leg, and the helical operative path applies an upper biasing force to the support member side of the leg on the upper leg without providing an additional upper strap to apply an upper counter force.
Lower strap on helical operative path engaging and connecting to lower support member
A lower strap adapted to extend around the lower leg and engage the pliant outer body when the pliant compression sleeve is in the operative configuration, where a lower strap longitudinal axis follows a helical operative path and extends to a lower connection point on a lower support member, maintaining continuous line contact with the pliant outer body where it engages the anterior side, the posterior side, and the opposite side of the leg on the lower leg, and the helical operative path applies a lower biasing force to the support member side of the leg on the lower leg without providing an additional lower strap to apply a lower counter force.
Across the independent claims in the partial content, the core coverage centers on a patella- and condyle-positioned pliant compression sleeve that focuses enhanced radial compression toward an opposite side of the patella, combined in some claims with a rigid or semi-rigid longitudinal support assembly having a rotatable hinge positioned adjacent the knee and with upper and/or lower straps that follow helical operative paths to apply biasing forces without counter-force cancellation, enabling unloading of a knee compartment on the opposite side.
Stated Advantages
By focusing an enhanced radial compression force against the knee condyle toward the opposite side of the patella.
Applying an upper biasing force and a lower biasing force without additional counter force to unload a compartment of the knee on the opposite side of the leg.
Documented Applications
Treatment of osteoarthritis by wearing the disclosed soft knee brace on a leg.
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