Patent ID: 7867183

Claim:
A knee brace for supporting or protecting a wearer's knee, while also providing support to the wearer's patella comprising: a rigid brace frame including a rigid thigh cuff, a rigid calf cuff, and at least a first hinge pivotably securing the thigh cuff to the calf cuff; a patellar strap having a base portion and at least a first elongate arm extending from the base portion, wherein the base portion is operatively secured to the rigid brace frame along a medial side or a lateral side thereof, and the arm extends across an anterior portion of the rigid brace frame and is secured to the rigid brace frame along the medial side or the lateral side thereof, opposite the base portion, and wherein the base portion is operatively secured to the hinge; and a plate secured to the base portion, and wherein a space between the plate and the base portion receives a condyle shell of the hinge, thereby releasably securing the base portion to the hinge.