Osteoarthritis knee orthosis

Abstract

A polycentric hinge is positioned on one side of the patient's knee and a unicentric hinge is positioned on a second side of the knee. A lower portion of the polycentric and unicentric hinge is attached to a knee cuff about a lower leg of the patient. An upper arm of the polycentric and unicentric hinge is attached to a thigh cuff, the upper arm of the unicentric hinge being longer than the upper arm of the polycentric hinge. The upper arm of the unicentric hinge has a 15° to 20° set back angle when the patient's leg is straight. The polycentric hinge has a slotted central plate with star gears engaging a back portion and multiple movable blocks mounted in screw holes on a front edge of the slotted plate supporting an elastic band having a fulcrum point on the polycentric hinge at a lower and upper end.

1 . In a knee orthosis device having a double upright strut design attached to upper and lower cuff members of said knee orthosis for securing said knee orthosis to a knee joint area of a patient, a dynamic gait swing assist mechanism comprising an adjustable dynamic fulcrum having an upper and lower fulcrum point, each of the upper and lower points attaching opposing ends of an elastic band, the elastic band stretching over at least one fulcrum setting block of the dynamic gait swing assist mechanism. 
   
   
       2 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic band is interchangeable with various elastic bands having a plurality of elastic properties. 
   
   
       3 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one fulcrum setting block includes four setting blocks. 
   
   
       4 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 3 , wherein the four setting blocks are interchangeable to provide a multitude of various setting tensions, and the four blocks including first setting block, second setting block, third setting block and fourth setting block. 
   
   
       5 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 4 , wherein the four setting blocks can be employed in various combinations to include, the first, second, third and fourth setting blocks, the first, second and third setting blocks, the first, second and fourth setting blocks, the first, second and third setting blocks, the first and second setting blocks, the first and third setting blocks, the first and fourth setting blocks, the second, third and fourth setting blocks, the second and fourth setting blocks, the third and fourth setting blocks, just the fourth setting block, just the third setting block, just the second setting block, and just the first setting block. 
   
   
       6 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the knee orthosis is used to treat osteoarthritis of the knee joint. 
   
   
       7 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 6 , wherein the osteoarthritis of the knee joint is chosen from the group consisting of medial compartmental osteoarthritis, lateral compartmental osteoarthritis and patella compartmental osteoarthritis. 
   
   
       8 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable dynamic fulcrum is mounted either on the medial or lateral side of the knee joint area. 
   
   
       9 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 1 , further comprising the knee orthosis having a polycentric hinge and a uni-centric hinge intermediately employed along one each of the two upright struts. 
   
   
       10 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 9 , wherein the adjustable dynamic fulcrum is mounted along the knee orthosis polycentric hinge. 
   
   
       11 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable dynamic fulcrum assists in controlling the alignment and movement of the knee joint from 20° of flexion to full extension. 
   
   
       12 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the double upright struts of the knee orthosis are off-set. 
   
   
       13 . In a knee orthosis device having a double upright strut design attached to upper and lower cuff members of said knee orthosis for securing said knee orthosis to a knee joint area of a patient, a dynamic gait swing assist mechanism comprising means for improving knee joint extension during gait. 
   
   
       14 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 13 , wherein the means for improving knee joint extension during gait is an adjustable dynamic fulcrum having an elastic band stretched over at least one setting block along a hinge element of the knee orthosis. 
   
   
       15 . In a knee orthosis device having a double upright strut design attached to upper and lower cuff members of said knee orthosis for securing said knee orthosis to a knee joint area of a patient, a dynamic gait swing assist mechanism comprising means for maintaining joint space balance within the knee joint area during gait. 
   
   
       16 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 15 , wherein the means for maintaining joint space balance within the knee joint area alignment during gait is an adjustable dynamic fulcrum having an elastic band stretched over at least one setting block along a hinge element of the knee orthosis. 
   
   
       17 . In a knee orthosis device having a double upright strut design attached to upper and lower cuff members of said knee orthosis for securing said knee orthosis to a knee joint area of a patient, a dynamic gait swing assist mechanism comprising means for providing a dynamic tension force at the knee joint area during gait. 
   
   
       18 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 17 , wherein the means for providing a dynamic tension force at the knee joint area during gait is an adjustable dynamic fulcrum having an elastic band stretched over at least one setting block along a hinge element of the knee orthosis. 
   
   
       19 . In a knee orthosis device having a double upright strut design attached to upper and lower cuff members of said knee orthosis for securing said knee orthosis to a knee joint area of a patient, a dynamic gait swing assist mechanism comprising means for preventing reverse screw home mechanism or for controlling rotation of the knee joint as it goes from flexion to extension. 
   
   
       20 . The dynamic gait swing assist mechanism of  claim 19 , wherein the means for preventing reverse screw home mechanism or for controlling rotation of the knee joint as it goes from flexion to extension is an adjustable dynamic fulcrum having an elastic band stretched over at least one setting block along a hinge element of the knee orthosis.