Unloader knee braces are prescribed for patients with unicompartmental osteoarthritis of the knee. These braces aim to reduce pain in patients by applying a coronal moment to the knee to unload the symptomatic knee compartment. However, existing unloading mechanisms use straps that go directly behind the knee joint, to apply the needed moment. This can impinge on the popliteal artery and peroneal nerves thereby causing discomfort to the patient. Hence, these braces cannot be worn for prolonged periods of time. This research focused on developing a new knee brace to improve comfort while unloading the osteoarthritic knee. A new knee brace was developed that uses a four-point bending approach to unload the knee. In this brace, unloading can be adjusted, and the unloading mechanism is away from the joint. The new brace was tested on a cadaver specimen to quantify its capability to unload the knee compartment. The brace was also worn by a patient with osteoarthritis who subjectively compared it to his existing unloader brace. During cadaver testing, the new brace design could reduce the force exerted on the medial condyle by 25%. Radiographic images of the patient's knee confirmed that the brace unloaded the medial condyle successfully. The patient reported that the new brace reduced pain, was significantly comfortable to wear and could be used for a longer duration in comparison to his existing brace.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
March 2018
Design Innovation Paper
New Adjustable Unloader Knee Brace and Its Effectiveness
Gajendra Hangalur,
Gajendra Hangalur
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering,
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2 L 3G1, Canada
e-mail: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2 L 3G1, Canada
e-mail: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca
Search for other works by this author on:
Ryan Bakker,
Ryan Bakker
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering,
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2 L 3G1, Canada
e-mail: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2 L 3G1, Canada
e-mail: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca
Search for other works by this author on:
Sebastian Tomescu,
Sebastian Tomescu
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre,
University of Toronto,
43 Wellesley Street East,
Toronto, ON M4Y 1H1, Canada
University of Toronto,
43 Wellesley Street East,
Toronto, ON M4Y 1H1, Canada
Search for other works by this author on:
Naveen Chandrashekar
Naveen Chandrashekar
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering,
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2 L 3G1, Canada
e-mail: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2 L 3G1, Canada
e-mail: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca
Search for other works by this author on:
Gajendra Hangalur
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering,
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2 L 3G1, Canada
e-mail: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2 L 3G1, Canada
e-mail: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca
Ryan Bakker
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering,
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2 L 3G1, Canada
e-mail: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2 L 3G1, Canada
e-mail: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca
Sebastian Tomescu
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre,
University of Toronto,
43 Wellesley Street East,
Toronto, ON M4Y 1H1, Canada
University of Toronto,
43 Wellesley Street East,
Toronto, ON M4Y 1H1, Canada
Naveen Chandrashekar
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering,
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2 L 3G1, Canada
e-mail: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2 L 3G1, Canada
e-mail: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca
Manuscript received November 8, 2016; final manuscript received October 16, 2017; published online November 22, 2017. Assoc. Editor: Elizabeth Hsiao-Wecksler.
J. Med. Devices. Mar 2018, 12(1): 015001 (5 pages)
Published Online: November 22, 2017
Article history
Received:
November 8, 2016
Revised:
October 16, 2017
Citation
Hangalur, G., Bakker, R., Tomescu, S., and Chandrashekar, N. (November 22, 2017). "New Adjustable Unloader Knee Brace and Its Effectiveness." ASME. J. Med. Devices. March 2018; 12(1): 015001. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4038439
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
Related Articles
Patient-Specific Guides for Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Paired Acetabular and Femoral Implantation Approach
J. Med. Devices (March,2015)
Design of Reverse Materials Resurfacing Implants for Mild–Moderate Medial Osteoarthritis of the Knee
J. Med. Devices (March,2017)
Thrombogenicity Testing of Medical Devices in a Minimally Heparinized Ovine Blood Loop
J. Med. Devices (June,2017)
Children and Adults With Rare Diseases Need Innovative Medical Devices
J. Med. Devices (September,2018)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
On the Exact Analysis of Non-Coherent Fault Trees: The ASTRA Package (PSAM-0285)
Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment & Management (PSAM)
Design and Application of Prestress Drill-Grouted Diaphragm Wall in the Foundation Pit Bracing
Geological Engineering: Proceedings of the 1 st International Conference (ICGE 2007)
QRAS Approach to Phased Mission Analysis (PSAM-0444)
Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment & Management (PSAM)