Knee brace providing dynamic tracking of the patello-femoral joint

A brace mountable about a knee having a patella to maintain proper tracking of the patella during movement of the knee, said brace comprising:

• an upper arm and a lower arm positionable about the knee;
• a hinge assembly positioned between said upper arm and said lower arm and positionable at the knee to one side of the patella, said hinge assembly having an upper pivot element, a lower pivot element, an upper tension strap lever including an upper tension strap connection point, and a lower tension strap connection point, wherein said upper arm is rotatable about said upper pivot element and said lower arm and said upper tension strap lever are rotatable about said lower pivot element to transition between a flexion position and an extension position;
• an upper tension strap connected to said upper tension strap lever at said upper tension strap connection point;
• a lower tension strap connected to said hinge assembly at said lower tension strap connection point;
• a compression member positionable on the opposite side of the patella from said hinge assembly, said upper and lower tension straps engaging said compression member to apply a tension force to said compression member, wherein said tension force increases when said upper tension strap lever rotationally transitions from said flexion position to said extension position and said tension force decreases when said upper tension strap lever rotationally transitions from said extension position to said flexion position;
• and
• means for applying a counter force to said compression member opposing said tension force.

An brace mountable about a knee having a patella to maintain proper tracking of the patella during movement of the knee, said brace comprising:

• an upper arm and a lower arm positionable about the knee;
• a hinge assembly positioned between said upper arm and said lower arm and positionable at the knee to one side of the patella, said hinge assembly having a hinge pivot and a tension strap lever including a tension strap connection point, wherein said upper arm, said lower arm and said tension strap lever are each rotatable about said hinge pivot to transition between a flexion position and an extension position;
• a tension strap connected to said tension strap lever at said tension strap connection point;
• a compression member positionable on the opposite side of the patella from said hinge assembly, said tension strap engaging said compression member to apply a tension force to said compression member, wherein said tension strap connection point is posteriorly displaced more distal from the patella when said tension strap lever rotationally transitions from said flexion position to said extension position and said tension strap connection point is anteriorly displaced more proximal to the patella when said tension strap lever rotationally transitions from said extension position to said flexion position;
• and
• means for applying a counter force to said compression member opposing said tension force.

A brace mountable about a knee having a patella to maintain proper tracking of the patella during movement of the knee, said brace comprising:

• an upper arm and a lower arm positionable about the knee;
• a hinge assembly positioned between said upper arm and said lower arm and positionable at the knee to one side of the patella, said hinge assembly comprising,
• a lower end of said upper arm,
• an upper end of said lower arm,
• an upper pivot element,
• a lower pivot element,
• a tension strap lever including a tension strap connection point, wherein said lower end of said upper arm is rotatable about said upper pivot element, said upper end of said lower arm is rotatable about said lower pivot element, and said tension strap lever is rotatable about said upper or lower pivot element in a first direction or a second direction, and
• a drive bushing connecting said upper or said lower arm with said tension strap lever, wherein said drive bushing displaces said tension strap lever in response to rotation of said upper and lower arms;
• a tension strap connected to said tension strap lever at said tension strap connection point;
• a compression member positionable on the opposite side of the patella from said hinge assembly, said tension strap engaging said compression member to apply a tension force to said compression member, wherein said tension force increases when said first direction is anterior and said second direction is posterior and said tension force decreases when said first direction is posterior and said second direction is anterior;
• and
• means for applying a counter force to said compression member opposing said tension force.

A method for maintaining proper patellar tracking during range of motion movement of a knee comprising:

• positioning a compression member to a first side of a patella of a knee, wherein said compression member is aligned with a desired dynamic patellar track;
• positioning a hinge assembly at said knee to a second side of said patella essentially opposite said first side, said hinge assembly providing rotation between an upper arm and a lower arm and said hinge assembly having a hinge pivot and a tension strap lever including a tension strap connection point, wherein said upper arm, said lower arm and said tension strap lever are each rotatable about said hinge pivot to transition between a flexion position and an extension position;
• engaging a tension strap with said compression member and said tension strap lever at said tension strap connection point;
• performing a range of motion movement on said knee by moving said knee from said flexion position to said extension position or from said extension position to said flexion position;
• posteriorly displacing said tension strap connection point away from said patella to tighten said tension strap and increase said tension force when said knee approaches said extension position;
• and
• anteriorly displacing said tension strap connection point toward said patella to slacken said tension strap and decrease said tension force when said knee approaches said flexion position.