Frame for an orthopedic brace including offset hinges

A frame for an orthopedic brace comprising:

• a medial frame assembly including a medial upper longitudinal support and a medial lower longitudinal support connected by a medial central joint, wherein said medial upper longitudinal support includes a first upper frame member and a second upper frame member connected by an upper offset hinge, said first and second upper frame members being less flexible than said upper offset hinge, and further wherein said medial lower longitudinal support includes a first lower frame member and a second frame lower member connected by a lower offset hinge, said first and second lower frame members being less flexible than said lower offset hinge;
• a lateral frame assembly including a lateral upper longitudinal support having a rigid unitary structure and a lateral lower longitudinal support having a rigid unitary structure connected by a lateral central joint, wherein said lateral frame assembly is more rigid than said medial frame assembly;
• an upper cuff connecting said medial upper longitudinal support and said lateral upper longitudinal support, wherein said lateral upper longitudinal support is rigidly connected to said upper cuff by rigid fixed attachment thereto and said medial upper longitudinal support is flexibly connected to said upper cuff;
• and
• a lower cuff connecting said medial lower longitudinal support and said lateral lower longitudinal support, wherein said lateral lower longitudinal support is rigidly connected to said lower cuff by rigid fixed attachment thereto and said medial lower longitudinal support is flexibly connected to said upper cuff.

A frame for an orthopedic brace comprising:

• a frame assembly including an upper longitudinal support and a lower longitudinal support rotatably connected by a rotational hinge essentially rigid in a mediolateral direction, said upper longitudinal support including a first upper frame member, a second upper frame member, a first upper offset hinge, and a second upper offset hinge, wherein said first upper offset hinge connects said first and second upper frame members and has a greater degree of flexibility than said first and second upper frame members in said mediolateral direction, and said lower longitudinal support including a first lower frame member, a second lower frame member, a first lower offset hinge, and a second lower offset hinge, wherein said first lower offset hinge connects said first and second lower frame members and has a greater degree of flexibility than said first and second lower frame members in said mediolateral direction;
• an opposing frame assembly including an upper opposing longitudinal support and a lower opposing longitudinal support rotatably connected by an opposing rotational hinge, wherein said upper longitudinal support has a greater degree of flexibility than said upper opposing longitudinal support and/or said lower longitudinal support has a greater degree of flexibility than said lower opposing longitudinal support;
• an upper frame assembly member connecting said upper longitudinal support and said upper opposing longitudinal support, wherein said second upper offset hinge connects said second upper frame member and said upper frame assembly member and has a greater degree of flexibility than said second upper frame member and said upper frame assembly member in said mediolateral direction;
• and
• a lower frame assembly member connecting said lower longitudinal support and said lower opposing longitudinal support, wherein said second lower offset hinge connects said second lower frame member and said lower frame assembly member and has a greater degree of flexibility than said second lower frame member and said lower frame assembly member in said mediolateral direction.

A method for precisely fitting a knee brace with a leg of a user comprising:

• providing a knee brace having a frame assembly, an opposing frame assembly, an upper cuff and a lower cuff, said frame assembly including an upper longitudinal support and a lower longitudinal support rotatably connected by a central joint, wherein said upper longitudinal support includes a first upper frame member and a second upper frame member flexibly connected by a first upper offset hinge, being less flexible than said first and second upper frame members, a first lower frame member and a second lower frame member flexibly connected by a first lower offset hinge being less flexible than said first and second lower frame members and said opposing frame assembly including an opposing upper longitudinal support and an opposing lower longitudinal support rotatably connected by an opposing lateral central joint, said opposing upper longitudinal support having a rigid unitary structure and rigidly connected to said upper cuff by rigid fixed attachment thereto and said opposing lower longitudinal support having a rigid unitary structure and rigidly connected to said lower cuff by rigid fixed attachment thereto, wherein said upper longitudinal support further includes a second upper offset hinge flexibly connecting said second upper frame member and said upper cuff, said upper second offset hinge having a greater decree of flexibility than said second upper frame member and said upper cuff, and said lower longitudinal support further includes a second lower offset hinge flexibly connecting said second lower frame member and said lower cuff, said second lower offset hinge having a greater degree of flexibility than said second lower frame member and said lower cuff,
• placing said knee brace on a leg having an upper leg, a lower leg and a knee, such that said upper longitudinal support and said opposing upper longitudinal support are adjacent said upper leg on essentially opposite sides of said upper leg, said lower longitudinal support and said opposing lower longitudinal support are adjacent said lower leg and on essentially opposite sides of said lower leg, and said medial central joint and opposing central joint are adjacent said knee and on opposite sides of said knee;
• and
• connecting at least one strap to said upper longitudinal support and said opposing upper longitudinal support and/or to said lower longitudinal support and said opposing lower longitudinal support with sufficient tension to bendably deform said upper longitudinal support and/or said lower longitudinal support at said first and second upper offset hinges and/or at said first and second lower offset hinges into close fitting conformance with said upper leg and/or said lower leg.