Automatically releasing knee brace

Abstract From the Canadian patent

An orthosis for the leg which releases automatically upon a preselected dorsiflexion of the ankle followed by a preselected plantar flexion of the ankle is described. The orthosis has an upper member for securing to the upper part of the leg and a lower member for securing to the lower part of the leg the, upper and lower members interconnected by a pivoting means for placement at the knee. In a preferred embodiment, the orthosis is provided with a lock hinge which spans the pivoting means and locks the upper member and lower member when the leg approaches extension during a gait cycle, thereby providing stability when the foot of the braced leg strikes the ground. An automatically …