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US 5,857,988 AGranted
Laterally adjustable knee brace
AssigneeTagg Industries, L.L.C.
InventorTerry L. Shirley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a cable-based external knee ligament system, tensioned cables are disposed in a zig-zag pattern on each side of the femoral, patellar and tibial areas, and the load on selected ligaments can be varied by laterally moving cable guides above and below the knee which form the zig-zag pattern.
Claims8
A laterally adjustable knee brace, comprising:
- a) an elongated sheet of flexible material having sides and a top and bottom and having, in its longitudinal direction, a femoral portion, a knee portion, and a tibial portion;
- b) fastening means arranged to secure said sides of said sheet together when said sheet is wrapped around a user's leg to form a sheath, with said sheet's femoral, knee and tibial portions surrounding, respectively, the femoral area, the knee, and the tibial area of the leg;
- c) first and second pressure pads disposed on the front, respectively, of said femoral and tibial portions;
- each of said pressure pads having first and second cable guides movably mounted thereon;
- d) a first cable arranged to extend, respectively, from a first side of the leg in said femoral portion around said first cable guide of said first pressure pad, to the first side of the leg in the knee portion, thence to said first cable guide of said second pressure pad and back to the first side in said tibial portion;
- e) a second cable arranged to extend, respectively, from a second side of the leg in said femoral portion around said second cable guide of said first pressure pad, to the second side of the leg in the knee portion, thence to said second cable guide of said second pressure pad and back to the second side in said tibial portion;
- and
- f) at least one tensioning strap engaging at least one of said cables on said brace arranged to selectively tension said cables.
5 more elements
An external ligament system for bracing a leg comprising:
- a) a brace having a femoral area, a patellar area and a tibial area;
- b) a first cable extending from a first point on a first side of said femoral area, to a first direction-changing means on the front of the leg in said femoral area and on to said first side of the patellar area, thence to a second direction-changing means on the front of the leg in said tibial area and on to a second point on said first side of said tibial area;
- c) a second cable extending from a third point on a second side of said femoral area, to a third direction-changing means on the front of the leg in said femoral area and on to said second side of the patellar area, thence to a fourth direction-changing means on the front of the leg in said tibial area and on to a fourth point on said second side of said tibial area;
- d) retaining means on each side of said patellar area for impeding lateral movement of said cables at the sides of said patellar area;
- e) tensioning means for tensioning said cables;
- and
- f) means for securing said tensioning means to the leg and for securing said cables to the leg at said points;
- and
- g) said first, second, third and fourth direction changing means being cable guides mounted for selective lateral movement.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.