Patent ID: 8784350

Claim:
A brace apparatus for at least partial unloading of an ankle joint of a leg of a person, wherein the ankle joint bears a compressive load during use, wherein the compressive load is substantially smaller when the ankle joint is at rest than when the ankle joint is active, comprising a collar positioned about the leg between an ankle and a knee of the person; an electronic sensor; a fixation bladder within the collar, responsive to input from the sensor, and configured to at least semi-automatically increase a fixation pressure of the collar about the leg; a brace structure configured to support a compressive load, and having (a) a proximal end attached to the collar, and (b) a distal end that is positioned to contact the ground beneath the ankle; and an unloading insole attached to the brace structure configured at least semi-automatically to transfer a portion of the compressive load from the joint to the brace structure when the joint bears the load.