Orthopedic brace
Orthopedic braces are worn on the body of a user to stabilize a skeletal joint that has been weakened by injury or other infirmity. Orthopedic braces are generally categorized as precision medical appliances, designed to be assistive devices for disabled people. Many types of braces exist for different applications. Orthotic braces stabilize and protect joints, such as the knee. Orthopedic knee braces are commonly worn by patients after surgery for treatment of an injury to the knee joint. Knee brace devices are designed to provide control over movement of the human knee following injury, during recuperation from injury, and to provide protection of the knee to prevent, treat, or aid in the healing of, knee injury or disease. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that results in chronic pain in an affected joint when the joint is statically or dynamically loaded. Orthopedic knee braces are commonly applied to the leg to treat osteoarthritis in the knee. Such braces typically include an upper support portion for securing to the upper leg of the wearer, a lower support portion for securing to the lower leg, and one or more hinge assemblies pivotally interconnecting the upper and lower support portions. In a two-sided knee brace, a hinge assembly is located at each side of the knee when the brace is worn. A condyle pad is typically located between each hinge assembly and side of the knee. Orthopedic braces may be characterized as either soft or rigid. Soft orthopedic braces are composed essentially in their entirety of soft components, i.e., relatively flexible components, such as cloth and flexible foams. The structural components of the rigid brace are dynamically linked together by one or more hinges enabling controlled pivotal movement of the joint during rehabilitative therapy or user activity. The rigid brace is positioned on the body such that the hinges traverse the joint being stabilized, while the rigid components are secured to the body at a plurality of engagement faces above and below the joint.
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