Lateral impact knee guard and medial collateral ligament knee brace

Abstract

A knee guard and brace with a single, laterally-worn side member having elongated thigh and calf support pads each of which is connected by a floating joint to one of two ribs. The ends of these ribs remote from the floating joints are interconnected by a centrally located mechanical joint structure. The floating joint connections between the elongated pads and the ribs are disposed generally in the middle of the pads and are sufficiently flexible to allow each pad to fit snugly, along its entire length, against a wearer's leg when the knee guard and brace is strapped to it. This closeness of fit is achieved without elaborate custom-fitting. Once the knee guard and brace is secured to a wearer's leg, movement of the section of each pad proximate the knee joint inwardly and away from the ribs can be prevented by adjusting the position of spacers rotatably attached to the ribs. Positioning the spacers to accommodate a particular user is readily accomplished by rotating each spacer until it barely touches a bracket mounted on the support pad next to the rib and then fixing the spacer in that configuration. With the spacers so fixed, straps attached to the ends of the support pads proximate the knee can be utilized with these pads to support a knee with a weakened medial collateral ligament against inwardly directed non-contact forces. Moreover, the ribs can deform inwardly essentially independently of the support pads, thereby protecting the knee against contact forces.