Orthopedic rehabilitation knee brace

A knee brace for the adjustable restraint of a knee comprising in combination a thigh strut for attachment to the thigh above the knee;

• a calf-strut for attachment to the calf above the knee;
• wing means for attachment to said thigh and thigh strut whereby said thigh strut is constrained for movement with the thigh of a wearer;
• wing means for attachment to said calf whereby said calf-strut is confined to said calf for movement with the leg of said wearer;
• said thigh-strut and calfstrut adjustable with respect to said thigh means and calf means for coinciding respective ends of said strut at the knee of the leg of a wearer;
• a hinge for disposition adjacent the knee of a wearer, said hinge including:
• a first hinge member for attachment to said thigh strut for rotation with said thigh strut;
• a second hinge member for attachment to said calf strut for rotation with said calf strut;
• said first and second hinge members configured for relative rotating engagement one with respect to another to permit said knee brace to flex between a flexion and extension limits of knee movement while reinforcing a braced knee through said thigh strut and thigh wings and said calf strut and calf wings;
• one of said hinge members defining an annular cam with respective extension limits and flexion limits for enabling said hinge to be restricted in relative rotation in flexion and extension by stops interior of said cam engaging said respective cam limits;
• a plurality of individual radially aligned stops, said stops each having a manipulation portion;
• the other of said hinge members defining radially aligned stop ways for permitting toggling movement of said stops with respect to said annular cam between a radially engaged position with respect to said cam limits and a radially disengaged position with respect to said cam limits;
• spring means acting between said hinge members and stops for permitting toggling movement and maintaining position of said stops radially of said hinge between positions engaged to said cam and positions disengaged from said cam;
• and
• locking means acting on said stops for locking said stops with respect to said hinge members to maintain the position of said stop with respect to said hinge member whereby movement of said hinge is restricted.

A process for the adjustable restraint of a knee brace at a hinge, said hinge having a thigh strut for attachment to the thigh of the leg of a wearer and a calf strut for attachment to the calf of the leg of a wearer, said hinge being positioned coincident to the knee of a wearer;

• providing a first hinge member attached to said thigh strut for rotation overlying the knee joint of said patient;
• providing a second hinge member for attachment to the calf strut for relative movement with respect to said thigh strut;
• providing a hinge coincident to the knee of the wearer, said provided hinge including a cam having a flexion stop and an extension stop on one member of said hinge and a plurality of radially aligned stops affixed to the other member of said hinge;
• moving said radially aligned stops into positions of engagement with said cam to limit respective flexion and extension of said knee;
• locking said stop members to said said hinge in flexion and extension.