Soft Knee Brace With Adjustable Load-Shifting Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing knee braces do not effectively address conditions like unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis by shifting biomechanical load from affected to healthy compartments, providing insufficient support and stability.
Innovation Solution
A knee brace with a flexible textile substrate and semi-rigid supports, featuring tightening mechanisms and a hinge system, that applies biomechanical forces to shift load from affected to healthy knee compartments, providing stability and pain relief.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing knee braces are used, then basic knee support is provided, but they fail to effectively shift biomechanical load from affected to healthy compartments
Solution Approach 1:
The knee brace is divided into distinct functional segments: a proximal portion for thigh support, a distal portion for calf support, and intermediate portions with specific supports positioned at predetermined locations. This segmentation allows each portion to independently contribute to load redistribution while maintaining overall structural integrity, effectively addressing unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The brace incorporates semi-rigid supports at specific locations (first support on lateral distal portion, second support on lateral proximal portion, third support on medial distal portion, fourth support on medial proximal portion) rather than uniform rigidity throughout. This local quality enhancement enables targeted biomechanical force application to shift load from affected to healthy compartments while maintaining comfort and flexibility in other areas.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible textile substrate is used, then comfort and adaptability are improved, but structural support and stability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The knee brace combines a flexible textile substrate with semi-rigid supports to create a composite structure. The textile substrate provides comfort, flexibility, and adaptability to the wearer's leg contours, while the semi-rigid supports embedded at specific locations provide the necessary structural strength and biomechanical stability. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between flexibility and structural support.
3Force
If tightening mechanisms are added, then biomechanical force application is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The knee brace incorporates adjustable tightening mechanisms that allow dynamic modification of biomechanical forces applied to the knee. These mechanisms enable the brace to adapt to different patient needs, activity levels, and stages of rehabilitation by adjusting tension on cables or straps connected to the semi-rigid supports, providing optimized force application without requiring complex fixed-structure 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 knee brace effectively redistributes load to healthy compartments, offering improved stability, support, and pain relief for conditions such as unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis and other knee ailments.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible textile substrate can be most elastic when tension is applied in a lateral direction
Implementation Method 2
The first cable can be coupled to the first support and the third support. A second tightening mechanism can be positioned on the knee brace and can include a second rotating dial and a second cable
Data Source
AI summary
A knee brace for relieving pressure on a portion of a knee includes a body with one or more supports arranged along the body. The one or more supports can be positioned on a medial section and lateral section of the body of the knee brace. The knee brace can have a first tightening mechanism and a second tightening mechanism which can be configured to incrementally tension the knee brace to apply biomechanical forces to a leg of the patient or wearer.