摘要 |
A knee brace having an anterior tibial shell and an anterior femoral shell which are closely configured to the shape of the lower leg and thigh respectively and which are joined by a frame in the form of a pair of polycentric hinge joints. Each one of the joints includes an upper bar and a lower bar, the two bars being pivotally interconnected. The anterior tibial shell and the anterior femural shell are both pivotally mounted on the upper bars of the polycentric hinge joints, the anterior femoral shell being mounted above the anterior tibial shell. Because the anterior tibial shell is mounted on the upper bars of the two joints when the knee brace is mounted on the leg of a person and the knee is bent the anterior tibial shell will move downward and inward against the tibia so as to counteract forward directed forces applied to the tibia and thereby provide additional support for the knee. The knee brace also includes a pair of derotation cuffs removably mounted on the femoral and tibial shells for internally rotating the femur and externally rotating the tibia, respectively.
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