Assistive movement devices and methods therefor are provided that are capable of redirecting loads from an individual's foot to hip when an individual is recovering from an injury at or below the knee. The devices include a frame assembly comprising an upper member, a lower member, and a joint therebetween. An upper attachment is secured to the upper member and is configured to be secured to the thigh of the individual's leg, and a lower attachment is secured to the lower member or the base and is configured to be secured to a portion of the leg below a knee thereof. A base is secured to the lower member and is configured to support a foot of the leg, and the device adjustably redirects at least a portion of a load resulting from the individual standing and walking from the base to the upper attachment.

An orthopedic device for supporting a lower back of a user includes a mechanical energy store, a pelvic element, an upper body element with a first force transmission element and an upper leg element with a second force transmission element. The upper leg element is arranged on the pelvic element such that it can be swivelled about a first swivel axis, the upper body element is movably arranged relative to the pelvic element, the first force transmission element can be engaged and disengaged with the second force transmission element by moving the upper body element relative to the pelvic element, and the mechanical energy store can be charged and discharged by swivelling the upper leg element relative to the upper body element when the first force transmission element is engaged with the second force transmission element.

Rate-dependent, elastically-deformable devices according to various embodiments can be stretched and recovered at low elongation rates. Yet they become stiff and resistive to stretching at high elongation rates. These device can be utilized in orthotics, braces, and circulation-enhancing compression garments for the prevention of injury, promotion of personal health, and/or enhancement in human performance. The rate-responsive properties of the devices are critical performance enablers, as they allow the devices to provide a unique balance of comfort and performance that cannot be achieved with conventional, passive straps, braces, and compression garments.

Orthopedic devices may include rigid members for coupling to portions of a limb that includes a joint, and a cable that couples to the rigid members and extends up to a powered element. The orthopedic devices are configured to produce beneficial forces using the rigid member and the cable, which beneficial forces are translated to the wearer. The orthopedic devices include control systems that generate control signals for controlling the powered element.

An apparatus that includes a composite fuselage and motion control system designed to protect the human leg from knee pain and muscular fatigue created by repetitive vertical movement or extended periods of squatting. Fuselage panels and frame encapsulate the leg and functionally integrate with hard shell boots to create a rigid exoskeleton structure that resists radial displacement of the knee or ankle. The fuselage open clamshell leg harness utilizes wide composite body panels that disperse pressure across a large surface area, allowing the harness to provide body mass support and device securement without restriction of the body's circulatory system.

Cervical collars, components thereof, and methods of using them overcome issues with conventional cervical collars.

A hamstring support system comprising a waist strap, a heel cup and an elongated biasing element assembly elastically extending between the waist strap the heel cup. The waist strap is secured to a waistline of a patient having an injured or recovering hamstring injury. The heel cup is secured to a heel of an injured leg of the patient. A length of the biasing element assembly is adjusted to a neutral or slight biasing force when the injured leg is bent, thus providing a supporting force when the injured leg is extended. A pliant material can be placed between the heel cup and the heel. A shoe is preferably worn over the heel cup.

An upper torso orthotic device having multiple adjustment mechanisms configured to enable adaptation to a wide variety of body shapes, sizes and augmentation needs. The upper torso orthotic device including a body worn support frame member configured to dynamically distribute a weight of the upper torso orthotic device across the chest, shoulder and back of a user, and a limb augmentation member configured to augment a native strength of an arm of the user by overcoming the effects of gravity, the limb augmentation member including an adjustable shoulder assembly including at least one of a leveling mechanism, a clavicle retraction/protraction angle adjustment mechanism, a shoulder abduction angle adjustment mechanism, and a shoulder width adjustment mechanism.

Various embodiments that pertain to a joint-based spring configuration. The joint-based spring configuration can be employed during a gait cycle. A gait cycle can comprise a driven phase and a resetting phase. The driven phase can be when a foot is on the ground and the resetting phase can be when the foot is off the ground and moving to the next time the foot is on the ground. While the foot is on the ground a spring can be engaged such that it winds and unwinds. Conversely, when the foot is off the ground, the spring can be disengaged to allow a more natural movement for a wearer. The effects and timing of the winding/unwinding and disengagement of the spring combine to reduce a wear's energy expenditure over a gait cycle, reducing metabolic rate and fatigue.

A brace for augmenting movement of a user's limb about a joint includes an upper arm having an engaging portion for engaging against the user's limb above the joint, and an attachment portion, a lower arm having an engaging portion for engaging against the user's limb below the joint, and an attachment portion, the lower arm being pivotable relative to the upper arm, at least one compression element disposed in fixed relation to at least one of the upper and lower arms, and a substantially inelastic tensioning element affixed to the other of the upper and lower arms over at least one tensioning element tensioning member such that a user applies a force to move the brace to a loaded position in which the at least one compression element is loaded and upon removal of the applied force the at least one compression element applies a restoring force to urge the brace out of the loaded position, the at least one compression element comprising a hydraulic tension spring disposed in fixed relation to at least the other of the upper and lower arms, comprising a pair of cylinders mounted within a frame, each cylinder having a sealed portion defining a liquid containment space, for each of the pair of cylinders, a piston comprising a piston rod, the piston rod comprising a compressing portion having a smaller diameter than the cylinder and extending axially through a hydraulic seal into the liquid containment space, and an external portion accessible from outside the liquid containment space, one of the cylinder and the piston being fixed relative to the frame and the other of the cylinder and the piston being movable axially relative to the frame, a guide for maintaining the movable one of the cylinder and the piston oriented axially relative to the frame, and a compression element tensioning member bearing against the movable one of the at least one cylinder and the piston, for compressing the at least one cylinder relative to the piston, whereby when the frame is fixed in place and tension is applied to the tensioning element tensioning member, the compressing portions of the piston rods intrude further into the liquid containment space, compressing the hydraulic fluid and loading the spring.