Abstract:
An orthopedic brace having a pair of arm assemblies secured to a human body. A self-aligning polycentric joint interconnecting the arms allow for bending of the knee joint while selectively imparting stress to the joint or angular inclination in a linear fashion. The use of spherical bearings at the joint access combined with selective linear adjustment to the arm assemblies imparts varus/valgus range of angular inclination while allowing the normal extension and flexation of the anatomical joint.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to orthopedic braces and supports specifically for the anatomical joints. Such braces address variations in human joints and hold the joint in varying alignments to eliminate discomfort while allowing for use and mobility of the patient. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different joint support braces and the like to impart stability and allow for joint flexation. Many such prior art orthopedic braces have been developed that use hinges between pairs of upright support arms secured to the wearers upper leg above the knee joint and the lower leg below the knee joint. These devices are used to control flexation and extension range of motion of the joint itself. Others are concerned with the ability to adjust the angle of inclination between the uprights. Such knee braces utilize a single pair of support joint arms can be seen U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,169 wherein a post operative knee brace is disclosed utilizing a pair of arms interconnected by a pivotal joint. Registering bearing plates have slots and engagement bolts to allow for movement therebetween. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,097 a protection and support joint for a knee can be seen wherein a pair of leg engagement cuffs are interconnected by a ball and socket joint that allows for controlled flexation of the knee joint. 
     A flexible leg brace can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,873 wherein a threaded rod adjustably interconnects upper and lower support elements. 
     An angular compensation device for a joint brace can be seen in U.S. Pa. No. 5,766,140 wherein a joint which has a hinge positioned with a hinge pin and two hinge levers rotate relatively to one another around the pin, with an arch bar and support pins. Movement of the hinge leaves will impart an angular adjustability to the brace in spaced relation to the hinge having interengaging upper and lower rotational gear segments. 
     An example of a dual upright support arm assembly with an adjustable varus/valgus is seen in the OA Adjuster by dj Orthopedic, LLC of Vista, Calif. for the treatment of unicompartamental osteoarthritis (see Exhibit 1 brochure attached). This device is designed to stress the anatomical knee joint by allowing lateral input to the joint configuration. This arrangement requires that the angular compensation having been made will move away from the joint head. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an orthopedic brace for anatomical joints. The brace having pairs of support arms secured bilaterally to a wearers body. The support arms are pivotally connected to one another by a self-alignment polycentric joints having multiple spherical bearings. The angle of inclination of the support arms to one another can be adjusted by linearly foreshortening or lengthening the proximal or distal end of the support arms in each pair. The support arms have an inner meshing, interconnected contoured geared surface at their respective distal ends to define the normal bending range of the anatomical joint on which the brace is positioned. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of the orthopedic brace of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view of a bi-pivotal brace joint with portions removed for clarity; 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the joint portion of the brace illustrating maximum angular inclination of the respective support arms to one another in the joint; 
     FIG. 3A is a front elevational view of the joint shown in FIG. 3 illustrating opposite maximum angular inclination of the support arms exaggerated for clarity; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a polycentric joint within each of the respective support arms; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged side-elevational view of the polycentric joint component insert removed from the respective support arms; 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a linear adjustable support arm of the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the linear adjustment assembly of each support arm; 
     FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of an alternate support arm having a fixed non-adjustable configuration; and 
     FIG. 9 is a front view of an alternate support arm as seen in FIG. 9 of the drawings. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a knee brace  10  of the invention can be seen in which ancillary straps and fittings used to attach the brace  10  to the patient&#39;s leg  11 , shown in broken lines, are not illustrated for clarity purposes. 
     The brace  10  has a contoured thigh upper engagement cuff  12  and a corresponding lower calf engagement cuff  13 . In this example, chosen for illustration, a pair of bi-lateral support arm assemblies  14  and  15  extend from the thigh cuff  12  to the calf cuff  13 . The support arm assemblies  14  and  15  are secured to the respective cuffs  14  and  15  by engagement within molded support pockets  14 A &amp;  14 B and  15 A &amp;  15 B formed on the exterior surfaces of the respective cuffs  12  and  13  as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. 
     Each of the support arm assemblies  14  and  15  have an upper support arm  17  and a lower support arm  18  interconnected by a pivotal joint  19  that allows for bending of an anatomical knee  20  of the wearers leg  11 , shown in broken lines. 
     The pivotal joint  19  is defined as a self-aligning polycentric joint that will allow stress to be imparted to the anatomical knee  20  into various valgus or varus positions as is required for therapeutic treatment within the art. The upper support arms  17  are formed with an apertured geared end portion  22 , best seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings. The lower support arms  18  correspondingly have an apertured geared end engagement portion  23  that upon joint rotation about a pivot point  24  meshes with the hereinbefore described geared end portion  22  as illustrated in broken lines. Each of the respective gear end portions  22  and  23  have a flat “stop” surface at  24 A that upon rotation engagement limits the respective arm rotation as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. 
     A polycentric joint assembly  25  has a joint insert  25 A that is secured within the apertures of the respective upper and lower support arms  17  and  18 . The polycentric joint insert  25 A as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings has a synthetic retaining bushing  26  with an annular concave seat  27  within. An apertured spherical bearing element  28  is freely rotatable within the seat  27 . A pair of apertured joining plates  29  and  30  interconnect the respective upper and lower support arms  17  and  18  with threaded fasteners  31  and  32  that extend through respective longitudinally spaced apertures at  29 A and  29 B in the plate  29  and threaded apertures  30 A and  30 B in the plate  30 . It will be apparent that retaining bushing  26  can also be made of non-synthetic material. 
     The fasteners  31  and  32  extends through the respective bearing elements  28  as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 3A of the drawings and are threadably secured to the respective threaded apertures  30 A and  30 B. It will be evident from the above description that the polycentric joint inserts  25 A will allow for angular inclination between the upper and lower arms  17  and  18  to be imparted thereto within the transverse limitation imposed by the respective space between the plates  29  and  30  as illustrated graphically. 
     It will also be seen that even at the maximum imparted angular inclination of the arms  17  and  18  illustrated within the joint assembly  25  of the invention will still maintain a non-binding engagement between the geared end portions  22  and  23  during extension and flexation of the anatomical knee joint  20 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings, the support arm  17  is shown having a linear length adjustment portion  35  adjustably secured to the proximal end of the arm  17 . The support arm  17  and adjustment portion  35  have elongated arcuate slots at  36  and  37  respectively within and bores  38  and  39  axially extending within respectively. An elongated adjustment screw  40  extends through the bore  38  and rotatably retained by its head  41  between a pair of synthetic retaining bushings  42  and  43  and an enlarged area  44  of the bore  38  in the support arm  17  as best seen in FIG. 7 of the drawings. The screw  40  is threadably engaged through the bore  39 . Accordingly, the overall affected length of the support arms  14  and  15  can be adjusted by rotation of the screw  40  via the slot  36  advancing or retracting the arm portion  17  with respect to the linear length adjustment portion  35  which is secured to the cuff  12  by anchor notches  45  in its free ends. By selectively adjusting the length of the respective arms, the angle of inclination is imparted to the brace  10 . The pivot joint inserts  25 A which are in spaced relation to the engagement of the respective geared end portions  22  and  23  allow for angular inclination relative one another, best seen in FIGS. 3 and 3A of the drawings. 
     It will be apparent that the arms  18  may also be “linearly” adjusted by identical adjustment portions  35  so that a variety of input angular inclinations may be achieved by different adjustment position selection of arm incremental sections. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings, a fixed support arm element  46  can be seen without any linear adjustment feature to be used with the pivot joint assembly  25  as hereinbefore described. This support arm  46  can be used to oppose the linear adjustable support arm joints to create a fulcrum which when it is needed in selected brace configuration venues while maintaining normal flexation of the anatomical joint. Mounting apertures  47  and  48  allow the support arm elements  46  to be directly mounted to the surface of the leg engagement cuffs  12  and  13  that are so modified to be without the hereinbefore described pockets  14 A and  15 A. Alternately, the fixed support arms  46  with the pivot joint assembly  25  when used as both medial and lateral joints on a knee orthosis, it will provide anterior/posterior and medial/lateral stability for the applied anatomical joint while still providing a non-binding smooth anatomical joint motion with optimal support. 
     Referring back to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the arm engagement pockets  15 A and  15 B and  14 A and  14 B are shown in this illustrated application so as to support and confine the ends of the respective arms  17  and  18  within the confines of the pockets. In the linearly adjustable application set forth here and above, the adjustment portion  35  is secured by molding or bonding within the respective pocket portion so as to be fixed allowing the respective arm portion  17  to be slideably adjustable by advancement of the hereinbefore described adjustment screw  40  thus imparting the linear adjustability to the respective arm assemblies as noted. 
     It will therefore be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, therefore.