Cable Knee Brace Tension Routing for ACL and MCL Restraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional knee braces are ineffective in preventing excessive movement of the knee joint, leading to injuries such as ACL and MCL tears due to deformation of the flesh surrounding the bones and inadequate resistance to hyperextension or lateral rotation.
Innovation Solution
A cable system is integrated into the knee brace that mimics the natural ACL and MCL, providing differential resistive forces to prevent hyperextension and lateral rotation by routing cables around the knee joint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid plates and straps are used to prevent knee hyperextension, then structural support is improved, but the flesh surrounding the bones deforms allowing excessive movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid plates with flexible cable elements that can conform to the soft tissue anatomy. The cables are routed through the flesh surrounding the bones rather than requiring rigid external structures, allowing the bracing system to move with the soft tissue while maintaining restraint effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the traditional mechanical hinge-and-plate system with a cable-based tension system. Instead of using rigid mechanical components that deform the soft tissue, the invention uses flexible cables that create restraining forces through tension, better accommodating the soft tissue environment.
2Reliability
If straps are tightened to prevent lateral rotation, then resistance to excessive movement is improved, but comfort is reduced due to excessive tightness
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible cable system distributes restraining forces more evenly across the soft tissue compared to concentrated strap pressure points. This allows effective restraint of lateral rotation and hyperextension without requiring excessive tightness that would cause discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical parameter from compressive/strapping force to tensile cable force. This parameter change allows the system to achieve effective restraint with more comfortable force distribution, as cables can maintain tension without the localized pressure points that cause discomfort in strap-based systems.
3Stability of the object's composition
If rigid frames are used to resist hyperextension, then structural stability is improved, but the brace becomes impractical and uncomfortable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid frame mechanical system with a flexible cable tension system. The cables are anchored to the femur and tibia and routed through the soft tissue, creating a stable restraining mechanism that is flexible and comfortable rather than rigid and impractical.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible cable elements replace the rigid frame structure, allowing the bracing system to adapt to the contours of the leg and move with the soft tissue while maintaining structural stability through tension-based restraint mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cable system effectively prevents excessive joint movement, enhancing the protective capabilities of conventional braces by maintaining tension to resist hyperextension and lateral bending/rotation, thereby reducing the risk of ACL and MCL injuries.
Implementation Method 1
The cables are routed around the knee joint in a way that resists the forces that cause excessive joint movement and injury to the ACL and or MCL. As the leg travels through the range of motion the cables tighten preventing the tibia bone from moving forward (hyper extending) or twisting (lateral rotation) or bending laterally with respect to the femur.
Data Source
AI summary
It is the object of the invention to provide a knee bracing system that bolsters the body's natural ligaments to reduce the knees proneness to injury or re-injury. The invention is a cable system that acts much like the body's natural way that resists the forces that cause excessive joint movement and injury to the ACL and or MCL. As the leg travels through the range of motion the cables provide external hyper extension, bending, and rotation support preventing the tibia bone from moving forward (hyper extending) or twisting (lateral rotation) and or laterally bending with respect to the femur.