Support brace

A knee brace comprising:

• a flexible fabric substrate configured to encircle the knee of a wearer and to extend above and below the wearer's knee;
• and
• a first elastomeric member disposed entirely to one of a lateral or medial side of a patella of the wearer's knee and secured to a first surface of the flexible fabric substrate that is configured to face the wearer's knee, the first elastomeric member comprising:
• a first portion configured to extend substantially longitudinally along the lateral or medial side of the patella,
• a plurality of bars, each extending from a different respective position on the first portion that is proximal of the patella and each configured to extend laterally away from the patella, and
• an additional bar extending substantially diagonally and laterally away from the patella from a position on the first portion that is distal of the plurality of bars.

A method of utilizing a knee brace, the method comprising:

• donning the knee brace on a wearer's leg such that:
• a flexible fabric substrate of the knee brace extends above and below the wearer's knee and encircles the knee of a wearer;
• a first elastomeric member secured to a first surface of the flexible fabric substrate that faces the wearer's knee is disposed entirely to one of a lateral or medial side of a patella of the wearer's knee;
• a first portion of the first elastomeric member extends substantially longitudinally along the lateral or medial side of the patella;
• a plurality of bars of the first elastomeric member each extend laterally away from the patella from a different respective position on the first portion that is proximal of the patella;
• and
• an additional bar of the first elastomeric member extends substantially diagonally and laterally away from the patella from a position on the first portion that is distal of the plurality of bars.

A method of manufacturing a knee brace, the method comprising:

• providing a flexible fabric substrate configured to encircle the knee of a wearer and to extend above and below the wearer's knee;
• and
• securing a first elastomeric member to a first surface of the flexible fabric substrate that is configured to face the wearer's knee and disposed entirely to one of a lateral or medial side of a patella of the wearer's knee, the first elastomeric member comprising:
• a first portion configured to extend substantially longitudinally along the lateral or medial side of the patella;
• a plurality of bars, each extending from a different respective position on the first portion that is proximal of the patella and each configured to extend laterally away from the patella, and
• an additional bar extending substantially diagonally and laterally away from the patella from a position on the first portion that is distal of the plurality of bars