Patent ID: 7918812
Filing Date: 2011-04-05
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. In a knee brace of the type having a pair of depending opposed femoral links connected by a rigid cross brace, each of said femoral links terminating in a lower end portion, a pair of opposed upwardly extending tibial links connected by a rigid cross brace, each of said tibial links terminating in an upper end portion, a mechanical joint connecting the upper end of one of the tibial links to the lower end of a respective one of the femoral links at each of medial and lateral sides of the knee brace, at least one strap for fixing the brace on a thigh of a leg of a wearer and at least one strap for fixing the brace on the calf of the leg of the wearer, the improvement comprising: a semi-pliable insert affixed to an inner side of each of the femoral links at two points of fixation with a bottom portion of the semi-pliable insert affixed to one or both of the femoral links being left free to move inward toward a facing side of the leg, the free bottom portion extending downward along the femoral link toward the knee, and at least one strap that is tightenable by the wearer, the at least one strap being attached to one of the semi pliable inserts in a manner enabling pulling on the strap to cause the free bottom portion of the insert to dynamically move inward and compress against the thigh so as to diffuse and transfer pressure away from a relatively boney side of the knee of the wearer to a softer thigh area of the wearer.