Dynamic Knee Brace for PCL Injury Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current knee braces for PCL injuries provide static support, which is inadequate for maintaining stability throughout the full range of knee flexion, potentially leading to further damage and prolonged recovery times.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic knee brace with a coupling element that applies an anterior force nonlinearly related to the flexion angle, replicating the forces of a healthy PCL through a variable-resistance mechanism, allowing the knee to maintain stability and facilitate healing by distributing and adjusting the force based on the user's activity and healing progress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a static knee brace is used to support the knee following PCL injury, then the brace structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the brace cannot maintain stability throughout the full range of knee flexion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing static support structures with dynamic components that adapt to changing knee flexion angles. The coupling element incorporates a variable-resistance mechanism that automatically adjusts the anterior force based on the instantaneous flexion angle, enabling the brace to maintain optimal stability throughout the full range of motion without requiring complex manual adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by designing the coupling element to vary the resistance parameter as a function of flexion angle. The variable-resistance mechanism changes the mechanical parameters (force magnitude and direction) dynamically, allowing the brace to replicate the natural PCL force profile across different knee positions, thereby resolving the contradiction between simplicity and stability.
2Reliability
If a static knee brace provides constant support force, then the brace structure is simple, but it cannot replicate the natural forces of a healthy PCL which vary with flexion angle
Solution Approach 1:
The variable-resistance mechanism in the coupling element dynamically adjusts the anterior force magnitude and direction based on the instantaneous flexion angle, accurately replicating the natural PCL force profile. This dynamic adaptation ensures high reliability in force replication without requiring complex electronic sensors or actuators.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling element's variable-resistance mechanism is designed to automatically adjust the support force based on the knee's position, eliminating the need for external control systems or manual intervention. The mechanism self-regulates the force output to match the natural PCL behavior, achieving high reliability through self-service operation.
3Reliability
If a knee brace waits for the knee to regain range of motion and muscle strength before surgery, then the knee can heal naturally, but substantial time passes allowing the injury to become chronic and more difficult to repair
Solution Approach 1:
The brace provides preliminary stabilization and support to the knee joint in the weeks leading up to surgery, enabling the patient to safely engage in rehabilitation activities that restore range of motion and muscle strength. This preliminary action prevents the injury from becoming chronic while preparing the knee for optimal surgical outcomes, effectively resolving the time-outcome contradiction.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a knee brace provides strong anterior force to stabilize the knee, then stability is improved, but the force may be excessive and cause discomfort or restrict necessary motion
Solution Approach 1:
The variable-resistance mechanism dynamically modulates the anterior force based on the instantaneous flexion angle, providing strong stabilization when needed (at extreme positions) while allowing greater freedom of motion during the functional range. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between stability and motion freedom by adapting the force level to the specific knee position and activity requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for a knee brace providing a dynamic resistance or anterior force to a shank of a leg in order to replicate PCL forces of a healthy PCL. A dynamic force dependent upon knee flexion angle provides faster and safer PCL injury healing since the dynamic force better replicates the forces that a healthy PCL would exert on the tibia and femur.