An anatomical brace for dynamically stabilizing the
elbow during
elbow articulation, the anatomical brace comprising: a brace body comprising a
distal portion for fitting over the
forearm of a user and a proximal portion for fitting over the upper arm of a user; a hinge mechanism comprising a
distal segment, a proximal segment and a pivot for pivotally connecting the
distal segment and the proximal segment, the
distal segment of the hinge mechanism being mounted to the
distal portion of the brace body and the proximal segment of the hinge mechanism being mounted to the proximal portion of the brace body; a pivot cable guide mounted to the anterior portion of the pivot; an upper arm cable guide mounted to at least one of the proximal segment of the hinge mechanism and the proximal portion of the brace body, the upper arm cable guide being configured to change the direction of a cable extending through the upper arm cable guide; an ulnar collateral
ligament (UCL) cable guide mounted to the brace body and configured to direct a cable extending through the ulnar collateral
ligament (UCL) cable guide over the ulnar collateral
ligament (UCL) and toward the
distal portion of the brace body; and a cable having a first end and a second end; the first end of the cable being mounted to the distal segment of the hinge mechanism, the second end of the cable being mounted to the distal portion of the brace body, and the cable being routed proximally along the distal segment of the hinge mechanism, through the pivot cable guide, proximally along the proximal segment of the hinge mechanism, through the upper arm cable guide, and through the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) cable guide; wherein, when the anatomical brace is mounted to the arm of a user so that the distal portion of the brace body is secured to the
forearm of the user, and the proximal portion of the brace body is secured to the upper arm of the user, and when the
elbow thereafter moves to
full extension, the cable is tensioned, whereby to apply a force to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the user, and when the elbow thereafter moves to full flexion, the cable is relaxed, so that the force applied to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is released.