Lockable Knee Brace

The brace is effective because it mimics natural motion in the humanknee. Stand up for a minute. Now look down at your knee. When you'restanding, your knee is in a "locked" mode for balance and stability.Now take a few steps. When you walk, your knee has two modes: freemotion and automatic stance control. If you needed to use a moretraditional brace for an injury, it would support your knee but alsolimit its movement.

Here's where space technology kicks in. When a patient wears thelockable knee brace, the knee has support AND freedom of movement.While walking, the brace lets the knee swing naturally. Each time theheel strikes the ground, the brace locks to provide stability, justlike a healthy knee. When the heel lifts to take another step, thebrace automatically unlocks and lets the knee return to free motion.

Depending on a patient's needs, the brace can be adjusted to betriggered by weight bearing or joint motion. This smooth, automaticaction allows a normal walking gait and stability when standing. Notonly does this speed up a person's ability to get around, but it alsohelps speed up healing.

Source: nasa.govAdded: 18 December 2008