Cable Knee Brace Tensioning for ACL and MCL Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional knee braces are limited in their effectiveness in preventing excessive knee joint movement that can lead to ACL and MCL injuries due to deformation of the flesh surrounding the bones and inadequate resistance to hyperextension and lateral rotation.
Innovation Solution
A cable system is integrated into the knee brace that mimics the natural ACL and MCL, providing differential resistive forces through routed cables to prevent hyperextension and lateral rotation of the tibia relative to the femur, using adjustable plates and tensioning mechanisms for customized fit and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid plates and straps are used to prevent hyperextension, then structural support is improved, but the flesh and straps deform allowing excessive movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid straps with flexible cable elements that maintain tension without deforming under load. The cables are routed through guide structures and pulleys to create a tensioning system that adapts to knee movement while maintaining constant resistive force, preventing the deformation issues inherent in rigid strap systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the mechanical parameters of the bracing system by using high-tensile cable elements with specific routing geometries. The cables are tensioned to specific forces and routed through guide structures that convert knee movement into cable tension, creating a dynamic resistance system that adapts to the knee's range of motion while maintaining reliable prevention of excessive movement.
2Force
If straps are tightened to prevent deformation, then resistance to hyperextension is improved, but comfort and practicality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cable-based system provides high resistive force through tensioned cable elements rather than compressed straps. The cables maintain their tension without deforming the surrounding flesh, distributing forces through guide structures and pulleys that redirect loads away from sensitive areas, thereby maintaining both high resistance tohyperextension and user comfort.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid frame is used to resist lateral rotation, then stability is improved, but the system becomes complex and impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible cable elements routed through guide structures and pulleys to resist lateral rotation. The cables are arranged to create opposing tension forces that counteract rotational moments on the knee. This flexible cable arrangement provides the necessary stability against lateral rotation while avoiding the complexity of rigid multi-component frames.
Data Source
AI summary
It is the object of the invention to provide a knee bracing system that bolsters the body's natural ligaments, and accommodates user's with different natural Q-angles, 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.