| 摘要 |
A tendon and ligament support for a limb joint, such as an ankle joint, and in particular to an animal joint such as a horse's fetlock joint, is provided. Tendon and ligament strain during exercise or rest may be limited by limiting the degree of joint movement to a safe level. The level of support (118) may be adjusted. A first collar (1,112) is adapted to embrace the limb above the joint and a second collar (3,113) is adapted to embrace the limb below the joint. A connecting means (4) provides articulation between and separation of the two collars, and is adapted to provide limited elongation of the ligaments and/or tendons under load, and includes means arranged so as to exert a resistance (21,61,71,114,115) to joint movement over a predetermined range of joint rotation. The connecting means may be a hinge (11) or a stiff bendable connecting piece. The resistance-exerting means may be a connector of high tensile strength and limited elasticity (61,71,115) connected to one or more points on each of the collars, preferably adapted so as to mimic an artificial tendon or ligament arrangement.
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