摘要 |
A medical brace is disclosed that is arranged to transfer weight bearing forces during walking past the patient's knee to the patient's thigh and pelvic infrastructure. The brace can include a strut assembly that permits bending of the knee while biasing the knee toward extension. The strut assembly can also be equipped with a strap for relieving pressure from an affected compartment of the knee and transferring the pressure through the strut assembly to the thigh. The strut assembly also transfers force from a shoe and heel bridge assembly past the knee to a thigh cuff that is equipped with inflatable bladder to control relative weight distribution in the above knee region. The shoe and heel bridge assembly can also provide a spring plate to supply lifting bias to the heel, thereby aiding on the transition from the heel strike to the toe-off phase of walking.
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