Patent ID: 6325773
Filing Date: 2001-12-04
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A knee hinge appliance to be worn on the leg of a user to supplement the natural resistance of the knee joint to excessive movement and prevent injury to the knee joint, comprising:first and second pairs of first and second juxtaposed disk members adapted to lie on opposite sides of the wearer's knee joint, each of said first and second disk members secured together to rotate relative to one another about a transverse axis extending through the wearer's knee joint during use;an upper arm extending generally vertically from each said first disk member to move therewith adapted to lie on opposite sides of the wearer's thigh;a lower arm extending generally vertically from each said second disk member to move therewith adapted to lie on opposite sides of the wearer's calf;an upper band associated with each said upper arm for encircling the wearer's thigh to secure and hold said upper arms thereon;a lower band associated with each said lower arm for encircling the wearer's calf to secure and hold said lower arms thereon;each said first disk member having a circular channel radially spaced from said transverse axis with stop member disposed therein, and each said second disk member having a cam element slidably received in said channel;said cam element sliding freely in an arcuate path in said circular channel during normal flexion and extension of the wearer's leg while preventing excessive relative lateral movement between the wearer's thigh and calf, and said cam engaging said stop member to prevent rotation when the knee is subjected to a blow from the front and means for visually indicating relative movement between the wearer's thigh and calf exceeding a predetermined amount, said means for indicating relative movement contained between said first and second juxtaposed disk members.