Cable Knee Brace System

Abstract

It is the object of the invention to provide a knee bracing system that bolsters the body's natural ligaments to reduce the knees proneness to injury or re-injury. The invention is a cable system that acts much like the body's natural ACL and MCL. The cables are routed around the knee joint in a way that resists the forces that cause excessive joint movement and injury to the ACL and or MCL. As the leg travels through the range of motion the cables provide external hyper extension, bending, and rotation support preventing the tibia bone from moving forward (hyper extending) or twisting (lateral rotation) and or laterally bending with respect to the femur.

1 . A device designed to prevent an individual's leg from hyper-extending or laterally bending and or rotating by applying a net differential resistive force between the tibia and femur to serve the function of protecting damage to the anterior cruciate ligament and or medial collateral ligament, said device comprising;
 a femoral plate;   a tibial plate;   a patellar plate;   a back plate;   a movement control mechanism crossing over the joint and including a pair of flexible cables which from the rear of the leg connects to the tibial plate and with the femoral plate, characterized in that a first flexible cable crosses the joint behind the leg at the back plate connecting one side of the tibial plate with the opposite side of the femoral plate and a second flexible cable crosses the joint behind the leg at the back plate connecting one side of the tibial plate with the opposite side of the femoral plate in order to prohibit the tibial plate from rotating and bias the back plate toward the joint and to the fore and to bias the tibial plate toward the joint and to the rear.   
     
     
         2 . The device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first and said second flexible cable is a flexible tension bearing substantially non-elastic metal, wire or polymeric cable. 
     
     
         3 . The device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the said first and said second flexible cable extends from a side face of the tibial plate, behind the leg above the joint to a opposite side face of the femoral plate. 
     
     
         4 . The device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said first and said second cables cross behind the leg above the joint at the back plate connecting one side of the tibial plate with the opposite side of the femoral plate. 
     
     
         5 . A device designed to prevent an individual's leg from hyper-extending or laterally bending and or rotating by applying a net differential resistive force between the tibia and femur to serve the function of protecting damage to the anterior cruciate ligament and or medial collateral ligament, said device comprising;
 a femoral plate;   a tibial plate;   a patellar plate;   a back plate;   a movement control mechanism crossing over the joint and including a flexible cable which connects the tibial plate with the femoral plate, characterized in that a flexible cable crosses the joint on the inside, or medial side of the leg, connecting the outside, or lateral side of the femoral plate in order to prohibit the tibial plate from laterally bending and or rotating and bias the tibial plate and femoral plate inward or medially.   
     
     
         6 . The device as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said flexible cable is a flexible tension bearing substantially non-elastic metal, wire or polymeric cable. 
     
     
         7 . The device as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the said flexible cable extends from an outside, or lateral side face of the tibial plate, around the inside or medial side of the leg to an outside or lateral side face of the femoral plate. 
     
     
         8 . The device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said first and said second cables cross behind the leg above the joint at the back plate connecting one side of the tibial plate with the opposite side of the femoral plate. 
     
     
         9 . The device as recited in  claim 2  wherein said first and said second cables cross behind the leg above the joint at the back plate connecting one side of the tibial plate with the opposite side of the femoral plate. 
     
     
         10 . The device as recited in  claim 3  wherein said first and said second cables cross behind the leg above the joint at the back plate connecting one side of the tibial plate with the opposite side of the femoral plate.