US 2015/0032040 A1 · Garment-Based System, Construction, and Method for Controllably Bracing a Knee

Abstract

A garment-based system, construction and method controls knee brace displacement relative to a brace-outfitted lower extremity. The garment-based system includes or is cooperable with a knee brace, a waist-encircling anchor structure, an anchor-to-brace tether structure, and certain tether-to-brace attachment structures. The waist-encircling anchor structure is receivable about a user's waist and fixable in a transverse anchor plane. The inelastic anchor-to-brace tether structure is fastened to the waist-encircling anchor structure and extends in a first direction orthogonal to the transverse anchor plane. The tether-to-brace attachment structure(s) fasten the knee brace to the anchor-to-brace tether structure, and are immovable in the first direction. The anchor structure, the tether structure, and the attachment structure together function to control knee brace displacement relative to the lower extremity for maintaining the a brace-based pivot axis in proper anatomical alignment with the variable knee axis.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A garment-based system for controlling knee brace displacement relative to a brace-outfitted lower extremity, the lower extremity having a knee-based variable flexion-extension axis, the garment-based system comprising, in combination:

a knee brace, the knee brace comprising a thigh-engaging upper brace assembly, a calf-engaging lower brace assembly, and means for pivotally attaching the upper brace assembly to the lower brace assembly, said means comprising at least one brace-based pivot axis;
a waist-encircling anchor structure, the waist-encircling anchor structure being receivable about a user's waist and fixable in a transverse anchor plane;
an anchor-to-brace tether structure, the anchor-to-brace tether structure being fastened to the waist-encircling anchor structure and extending in a first direction, the first direction being substantially orthogonal to the transverse anchor plane and parallel to a lower extremity axis, the anchor-to-brace tether structure being inelastic in the first direction;
and
tether-to-brace attachment means, the tether-to-brace attachment means for fastening the upper brace assembly to the anchor-to-brace tether structure, the tether-to-brace attachment means being immovable in the first direction, the waist-encircling anchor structure, the anchor-to-brace tether structure, and the tether-to-brace attachment means thus for controlling knee brace displacement relative to the lower extremity for maintaining the at least one brace-based pivot axis in proper anatomical alignment with the variable flexion-extension axis.

2 more elements

A garment construction for controlling knee brace displacement relative to a brace-outfitted lower extremity, the garment construction comprising:

a waist-encircling anchor structure, the waist-encircling anchor structure being receivable about a user's waist and fixable in a transverse anchor plane;
an anchor-to-brace tether structure, the anchor-to-brace tether structure being fastened to the waist-encircling anchor structure and extending in a first direction, the anchor-to-brace tether structure being inelastic in the first direction;
and
tether-to-brace attachment means, the tether-to-brace attachment means for fastening an extremity-outfitted knee brace to the anchor-to-brace tether structure, the tether-to-brace attachment means being immovable in the first direction, the waist-encircling anchor structure, the anchor-to-brace tether structure, and the tether-to-brace attachment means thus for controlling knee brace displacement relative to a brace-outfitted lower extremity.

1 more element

A garment-implemented knee bracing method for controlling knee brace displacement relative to a brace-outfitted lower extremity, the garment-implemented knee bracing method comprising the steps of:

providing a garment construction, the garment construction comprising an anchor structure, an anchor-to-brace tether structure, and tether-to-brace attachment means;
fixing the anchor structure in a transverse anchor plane;
outfitting a knee brace upon a user's lower extremity, thereby forming an extremity-outfitted knee brace, the knee brace having a knee brace axis;
tethering the knee brace to the anchor structure via the anchor-to-brace tether structure and tether-to-brace attachment means;
and
controlling knee brace displacement of the extremity-outfitted knee brace relative to the user's lower extremity via the anchor structure, the anchor-to-brace tether structure, and the tether-to-brace attachment means.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Garment-Based System, Construction, and Method for Controllably Bracing a Knee

Life of this patent

Garment-Based System, Construction, and Method for Controllably Bracing a Knee

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20