A parametric design evaluation of lateral prophylactic knee braces

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Orthopedic Engineering
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Single-upright lateral prophylactic knee braces are used to prevent valgus knee injuries.
• The effectiveness of current brace designs in providing substantial valgus load protection is not fully understood.
• Optimizing brace geometry is crucial for enhancing knee injury prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally investigate the impact of six mechanical design variables on the performance of single-upright lateral prophylactic knee braces.
• To determine if geometric modifications can significantly improve brace effectiveness in reducing valgus knee strain and increasing load at failure.

Main Methods:

• A generic modular brace (GMB) was tested on a surrogate leg model with realistic bone and ligament analogs.
• Impulsive valgus loading tests were conducted to simulate knee injury scenarios.
• Measurements included load at failure of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) analog, gross knee stiffness, and MCL relative strain relief for various brace design permutations.

Main Results:

• Bracing significantly increased valgus load uptake at failure and MCL strain relief compared to the unbraced condition.
• Increasing dimensions of brace components did not yield statistically significant performance improvements.
• Decreasing component dimensions generally compromised brace performance.

Conclusions:

• Geometric modifications to current single-upright lateral knee brace designs are unlikely to substantially enhance valgus load protection.
• The current brace designs offer only modest protection against valgus-induced injuries.
• Further research may be needed to explore alternative designs or mechanisms for improved prophylactic knee bracing.