Anatomical brace for dynamically stabilizing the elbow
An anatomical brace for dynamically stabilizing the elbow during elbow articulation, the anatomical brace comprising a brace body; a hinge mechanism comprising a pivot; a pivot cable guide mounted to the pivot; an upper arm cable guide mounted to the hinge mechanism and the brace body; an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) cable guide mounted to the brace body; and a cable, the cable being routed along the hinge mechanism, through the pivot cable guide, along the hinge mechanism, through the upper arm cable guide, and through the UCL cable guide; wherein, when the anatomical brace is secured to the arm of the user, and when the elbow moves to full extension, the cable is tensioned, whereby to apply a force to the UCL of the user, and when the elbow thereafter moves to full flexion, the cable is relaxed, so that the force applied to the UCL is released.
1 . An anatomical brace configured for dynamically stabilizing an elbow during elbow articulation, said anatomical brace comprising:
a sleeve having an upper arm portion and a lower arm portion;
an upper arm cable guide mounted to the upper arm portion of the sleeve;
an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) cable guide mounted to the upper arm portion of the sleeve;
a cable having a first end, a second end, and a body of the cable extending between the first end and the second end, wherein the first end of the cable is mounted to the lower arm portion of the sleeve, wherein the second end of the cable is mounted to the lower arm portion of the sleeve, and further wherein the body of the cable passes proximally from the lower arm portion of the sleeve through the upper arm cable guide, laterally across the upper arm portion, through said ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) cable guide, and distally down a medial side of the sleeve, wherein the cable is configured to overlay a region of an arm where an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is located.
2 . The anatomical brace according to claim 1 , wherein the anatomical brace further comprises a hinge mechanism disposed between the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion.
3 . The anatomical brace according to claim 2 , wherein the hinge mechanism comprises an offset cam configured for increasing a tension of the cable during an extension movement of the elbow and unloading the tension during a flexion movement of the elbow.
4 . The anatomical brace according to claim 2 , wherein the hinge mechanism comprises an off-center pivot point configured for increasing a tension of the cable during an extension movement of the elbow and unloading the tension during a flexion movement of the elbow.
5 . The anatomical brace according to claim 1 , wherein the cable comprises a non-elastic first segment and an elastic second segment.
6 . The anatomical brace according to claim 5 , wherein the non-elastic first segment is mounted to the lower arm portion of the sleeve, and the elastic second segment is mounted to the upper arm portion of the sleeve.
7 . The anatomical brace according to claim 1 , further comprising a tension sensor for detecting a tension on the cable.
8 . The anatomical brace according to claim 7 , wherein the tension sensor is configured to communicate the tension detected to a device.
9 . The anatomical brace according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is formed out of a flexible material selected from a group consisting of a woven fabric and a synthetic rubber.
10 . A method for dynamically stabilizing an elbow during elbow articulation, the method comprising:
providing an anatomical brace, the anatomical brace comprising:
a sleeve having an upper arm portion and a lower arm portion;
an upper arm cable guide mounted to the upper arm portion of the sleeve;
an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) cable guide mounted to the upper arm portion of the sleeve; and
a cable having a first end, a second end, and a body of the cable extending between the first end and the second end;
fitting the upper arm portion of the sleeve over an upper arm of a user and the lower arm portion of the sleeve over a forearm of the user;
mounting the first end of the cable to the lower arm portion of the sleeve;
mounting the second end of the cable to the lower arm portion of the sleeve, with the body of the cable passing proximally from the lower arm portion of the sleeve through the upper arm cable guide, laterally across the upper arm portion, through said ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) cable guide, and distally down a medial side of the sleeve, wherein the cable is configured to overlay a region of the sleeve where an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is located; and
articulating the elbow, whereby when the elbow moves to full extension, the cable is tensioned to apply a force to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the user, and when the elbow thereafter moves to full flexion, the cable is relaxed so that the force applied to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is released.