KNEE BRACE

Abstract

The invention relates to a knee orthosis with a proximal frame and a distal frame which are connected via a lateral joint and/or a medial join joint such that they can be swiveled, wherein the knee orthosis comprises a proximal pressure element that is arranged exclusively laterally or exclusively medially on the proximal frame by means of a proximal support arm, and a distal pressure element that is arranged exclusively laterally or exclusively medially on the distal frame by means of a distal support arm.

Claims

1. A knee orthosis with a. a proximal frame and b. a distal frame, which are connected via a lateral joint and/or a medial joint such that they can be swiveled, wherein the knee orthosis comprises a proximal pressure element, which is arranged exclusively laterally or exclusively medially on the proximal frame by means of a proximal support arm, and a distal pressure element, which is arranged exclusively laterally or exclusively medially on the distal frame by means of a distal support arm.

2. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the proximal support arm and the distal support arm are arranged on the same side on the respective frame.

3. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein an angle at which the proximal support arm and/or the distal support arm is arranged on the respective frame can each be adjusted using an adjustment device.

4. The knee orthosis according to claim 3, wherein the angle of the proximal support arm and the angle of the distal support arm can be adjusted independently of each other.

5. The knee orthosis according to claim 3, wherein the adjustment devices can be locked.

6. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the lateral joint and the medial joint allow a swivel movement of the proximal frame relative to the distal frame exclusively in a plane which essentially corresponds to a sagittal plane when the knee orthosis is in the mounted state.

7. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the proximal support arm and/or the distal support arm are arranged on the respective frame such that they can be detached.

8. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the proximal pressure element and the distal pressure element are arranged in such a way that they both lie medially or they both lie laterally on a leg of the wearer when the knee orthosis is in the mounted state.

9. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the pressure elements are arranged on the support arms such that they can be swiveled.

10. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the pressure elements are arranged on the support arms such that they can be detached.

11. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the knee orthosis features a coupling element which is arranged with a first end on the proximal support arm and with a second end on the distal frame , or with the first end on the distal support arm and with the second end on the proximal frame.

12. The knee orthosis according to claim 11, wherein the coupling element is arranged in such a way that a force applied by the proximal pressure element to the upper leg or by the distal pressure element to the lower leg when the knee orthosis is in the mounted state is varied by the coupling element when the knee is bent.

13. The knee orthosis according to claim 12, wherein the force reaches its maximum at a swivel angle that is greater than 10°, preferably greater than 15°, particularly preferably greater than 17° and less than 30°, preferably less than 25°, particularly preferably less than 22°.

14. The knee orthosis according to claim 13, wherein the swivel angle is 20°.

15. The knee orthosis according to claim 11, wherein a length of the coupling element can be changed and fixed.

16. The knee orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the proximal pressure element is located on the side on which the proximal support arm is arranged on the proximal frame and/or that the distal element is located on the side on which the distal support arm is arranged on the proximal frame.

17. A knee orthosis comprising: a proximal frame and a distal frame which are connected via a lateral joint and/or a medial joint such that they can be swiveled; a proximal pressure element which is arranged exclusively laterally or exclusively medially on the proximal frame at an angle by means of a proximal support arm; and a distal pressure element which is arranged exclusively laterally or exclusively medially on the distal frame at an angle by means of a distal support arm; wherein the proximal support arm and the distal support arm are arranged on the same sides of the proximal or distal frame to which they are mounted, and wherein the angle at which they are arranged can be independently adjusted using an adjustment device.

18. The knee orthosis of claim 17, wherein the adjustment devices can be locked.

19. The knee orthosis according to claim 18 wherein the lateral joint and the medial joint allow a swivel movement of the proximal frame relative to the distal frame exclusively in a plane which essentially corresponds to a sagittal plane when the knee orthosis is in a mounted state.

20. A knee orthosis comprising: a proximal frame and a distal frame which are connected via a lateral joint and/or a medial joint such that they can be swiveled; a proximal pressure element which is arranged exclusively laterally or exclusively medially on the proximal frame at an angle by means of a detachably-mounted proximal support arm; and a distal pressure element which is arranged exclusively laterally or exclusively medially on the distal frame at an angle by means of a detachably-mounted distal support arm; wherein the proximal support arm and the distal support arm are arranged on the same sides of the proximal or distal frame to which they are mounted, and wherein the angle at which they are arranged can be independently adjusted using a lockable adjustment device.

Description

[0032] In the following, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be explained by way of the attached figures: They show:

[0033] FIGS. 1 and 2—schematic three-dimensional views of an orthosis according to a first example of an embodiment of the present invention,

[0034] FIGS. 3 and 4—two frontal views of the orthosis depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2,

[0035] FIG. 5—a side view of the depicted orthosis,

[0036] FIG. 6—an orthosis according to a further example of an embodiment of the present invention during flexion,

[0037] FIG. 7—an orthosis according to a further example of an embodiment of the present invention during extension,

[0038] FIG. 8—the schematic view of a unilateral knee orthosis and

[0039] FIG. 9—the schematic view of a further knee orthosis.

[0040] FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a knee orthosis 1 according to an example of an embodiment of the present invention. They feature a proximal frame 2 and a distal frame 4. The proximal frame 2 and the distal frame 4 are connected to each other by a lateral joint 6 and a medial joint 8 such that they can be swivelled. The lateral joint 6 and the medial joint 8 each allow a movement along a sagittal plane. The flexion and extension of a knee is thus not impeded.

[0041] The proximal frame 2 and the distal frame 4 both feature fastening clips 10, which may be fixed to a belt, in order to fix the knee orthosis 1 to the leg of the wearer.

[0042] The knee orthosis 1 also has a proximal support arm 12, on which a proximal pressure element 14 is situated. The proximal support arm 12 is arranged laterally on the proximal frame 2 via an adjustment device 16.

[0043] A distal support arm 18 is arranged on the distal frame 4 via a second adjustment device 16, wherein a distal pressure element 20 is located on said support arm.

[0044] The proximal pressure element 14 and the distal pressure element 20 are cushions or pressure pads that rest on the leg of the wearer.

[0045] FIGS. 3 and 4 show a frontal view of the knee orthosis 1 from FIGS. 1 and 2. The proximal frame 2 is connected to the distal frame 4 via the lateral joint 6 and the medial joint 8. FIGS. 3 and 4 depict two different angular settings of the adjustment device 16. While the proximal support arm 12 and the distal support arm 18 in FIG. 3 extend horizontally, they exhibit a relatively strong incline in FIG. 4. This results in the proximal pressure element 14 and the distal pressure element 20 in FIG. 4 being displaced laterally, i.e. to the left in the view depicted, in comparison to FIG. 3. A considerably stronger force is exerted in the lateral direction on a leg that is in the knee orthosis 1 in FIG. 4 than in FIG. 3. Of course, it is also possible to select a proximal support arm 12 and a distal support arm 18 that are designed in such a way that the proximal pressure element 14 and the distal pressure element 20 are located on the medial side. In the example of an embodiment shown, a third pressure element 22 is located on the side of the lateral joint 6 that faces the knee.

[0046] FIG. 5 depicts a lateral side view of the knee orthosis 1. The adjustment devices 16 can be seen, by means of which the proximal support arm 12 with the proximal pressure element 14 located on it and the distal support arm 18 with the distal pressure element 20 located on it are arranged on the respective proximal frame 2 and the distal frame 4.

[0047] FIG. 6 depicts the knee orthosis 1 in which, unlike the knee orthoses shown thus far, a coupling element 24 is arranged between the distal frame 4 and the proximal support arm 12. In the example of an embodiment shown, the coupling element 24 is a length-adjustable rod that features a length adjustment device 26. By way of this length adjustment device 26, it is possible to change the length of the coupling device 24 and set the desired dimension, and to fix the length again after adjustment so that the main task of the coupling element, namely to transmit tensile or compressive forces, can be fulfilled.

[0048] A first end 28 of the coupling element 24 is arranged on the proximal support arm 12. A second end 30 opposite the first end 28 is positioned on the distal frame 4. This may occur in various positions. In the example of an embodiment shown, the distal frame 4 features four holes 32 for this purpose, in which the second end 30 of the coupling element 24 can be fixed.

[0049] FIG. 6 depicts the effect of the coupling element 24 during a flexion, i.e. a bending of the knee. This is shown by the first arrow 34. The swivel movement of the distal frame 4 relative to the proximal frame 2 results in the second end 30 and thus the coupling element 24 in FIG. 6 being moved downwards, which is shown via the second arrow 36. This tensile force, which is transmitted to the proximal support arm 12 via the coupling element 24, causes the proximal pressure element 14 to move away from the wearer's leg, or at least reduces the force exerted by the proximal pressure element 14. This is shown by the third arrow 38.

[0050] FIG. 7 depicts the orthosis from FIG. 6 during the extension movement. In this case, the coupling element 24 is also arranged on the proximal support arm 12 and the distal frame 4. The extension is shown by the first arrow 34. Due to this swivel movement, the coupling element 24 is moved upwards in accordance with the second arrow 36, which causes a compressive force to be transmitted to the proximal support arm. This causes the proximal pressure element 14 to move towards the leg, or at least increases the applied force. This is shown by the third arrow 38.

[0051] The force path can be influenced by selecting an articulation point of the first end 28 and/or the second end 30 of the coupling element 24. If the second end 30 of the coupling element 24 is inserted into or fixed to the right-hand hole of the holes 32, for example, the coupling element 24 does not extend in front of the swivel axis of the lateral joint 6 and the medial joint 8, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7; rather, it extends behind the corresponding swivel axis. As a result, it is possible, for example, for a compressive force rather than a tensile force to be transmitted through the coupling element 24 to the proximal support arm 12 when the joint is flexed, as shown in FIG. 6. By carefully selecting an articulation point, such as the position of one of the holes 32, the force path can be adjusted almost arbitrarily. In particular, it can be ensured that the force applied by the proximal pressure element 14, for example during a flexion of the knee joint, initially increases and then decreases again when a maximum swivel angle at which the force reaches its maximum is exceeded.

[0052] The same applies for a knee orthosis 1 in which the coupling element 24 is fixed to the proximal frame 2 and the distal support arm 18. In this case, the force applied by the distal pressure element 20 when the knee is flexed or extended is varied.

[0053] FIG. 8 depicts a knee orthosis 1 that only features a lateral joint 6 and no medial joint 8. The proximal frame 2 and the distal frame 4 still extend from the medial side to the lateral side of the knee orthosis 1 and in the mounted state, not depicted in FIG. 8, also from the medial side to the lateral side of the leg and therefore the knee. The proximal support arm 12, on which the proximal pressure element 14 is located, is arranged on the lateral side of the proximal frame 2. In the same way, the distal support arm 18, on which the distal support element 20 is located, is also arranged on the lateral side of the distal frame 4.

[0054] FIG. 9 depicts a further embodiment of a knee orthosis 1 in which the proximal support arm 12 and the distal support arm 18 are arranged on the same side, for example laterally, on the proximal frame 2 or the distal frame 4. The proximal pressure element 14 and the distal pressure element 20 are found on the same side, i.e. also laterally in the example shown.

Reference list

[0055] 1 knee orthosis

[0056] 2 proximal frame

[0057] 4 distal frame

[0058] 6 lateral joint

[0059] 8 medial joint

[0060] 10 fastening clip

[0061] 12 proximal support arm

[0062] 14 proximal pressure element

[0063] 16 adjustment device

[0064] 18 distal support arm

[0065] 20 distal pressure element

[0066] 22 third pressure element

[0067] 24 coupling element

[0068] 26 length adjustment device

[0069] 28 first end

[0070] 30 second end

[0071] 32 hole

[0072] 34 first arrow

[0073] 36 second arrow

[0074] 38 third arrow