Hinge assembly for an orthopedic knee brace and knee brace incorporating the hinge assembly

An orthopedic knee brace, comprising:

• an upper leg cuff mountable above the knee of a wearer;
• a lower leg cuff mountable below the knee of the wearer;
• an upper support arm extending from the upper leg cuff;
• a lower support arm extending from the lower leg cuff;
• a hinge assembly connected to both the upper and lower support arms;
• and
• means for allowing at least one of the upper and lower support arms to articulate relative to the hinge assembly in at least two perpendicular planes without generating stress in the hinge assembly.

A gear adapted for use in a hinge of an orthopedic brace, comprising:

• a flat portion;
• a raised portion having an arcuate edge that defines a boundary of the flat portion, ends of the raised portion defining shoulders;
• gear teeth extending radially outwardly from the raised portion;
• and
• a sloped portion adjacent the flat portion and extending away from the flat portion.