Patent ID: 7753862

Claim:
An apparatus for evaluating the performance of the knee of a patient's leg in multiple degrees of freedom, said patient having a femur, a knee, a tibia, an ankle and a foot, said apparatus comprising: A) a frame; B) a device for securing said femur of said patient relative to said frame; C) an ankle-foot orthosis configured to detachably receive at least a portion of the foot and a portion of the ankle of a user; D) a multi-axis pivoting assembly attached intermediate said ankle-foot orthosis and said frame, said multi-axis pivoting assembly configured to facilitate multi-axis pivoting of said ankle-foot orthosis relative to said frame and said multi-axis pivoting assembly itself comprising: 1) a first pivot subassembly configured to transfer a first torque to said tibia causing movement of said tibia relative to said femur in a first degree of freedom, wherein said first pivot subassembly includes first and second portions having a pivotable connection therebetween along a first pivot axis; and 2) a second pivot subassembly configured to transfer a second torque to said tibia causing movement of said tibia relative to said femur in a second degree of freedom, wherein said second pivot subassembly includes first and second portions having a pivotable connection therebetween along a second pivot axis, wherein said second pivot axis is substantially perpendicular to said first pivot axis and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tibia of said patient in use; E) a first angle measuring device configured to measure angular displacement of said first pivot subassembly in response to said first torque; F) a second angle measuring device configured to measure angular displacement of said second pivot subassembly in response to said second torque; and G) an elongate lifting bar having a distal end attached relative to said second pivot subassembly and a proximal end configured to be selectively attached to said patient's leg at a location separate from said ankle-foot orthosis, said lifting bar attached relative to said second pivot subassembly such that when said first pivot subassembly pivots, said lifting bar likewise pivots about said first axis, providing a torque relative to said femur separate from torque supplied relative to said femur by said ankle-foot orthosis.