The DonJoy Brace Design
4-POINT-OF-LEVERAGE ™ How the DonJoy 4-Point Brace Protects the ACL Deficient Knee
ROTATION COMPONENT**
ANTEROLATERAL INSTABILITY
• Patients with an ACL deficient knee have an anterolateral instability. • A brace can help to stabilize the knee and prevent further injury but controlling rotation instability in a direct way is very difficult. • By avoiding an anterior tibial translation*, the subsequent rotation component (**) can be reduced or potentially completely avoided. • The DonJoy® biomechanical 4-point design is clinically proven to be the most effective way to prevent anterior translation of the tibia and will provide a high level of stability for the ACL deficient knee.
ANT.
ACL RUPTURE
ACL
PCL
MED.
LAT.
ANTERIOR COMPONENT*
POST.
The DONJOY 4-point-brace = the best brace to control rotation instability by limiting anterior tibia translation
The 4-Point-of-Leverage ™ Design Explained
2
Point of Leverage #1 The rigid calf cuff is secured at the bottom of the calf providing the distal anchor point to the leverage system. Point of Leverage #2 The rigid thigh cuff is secured at the top of the anterior thigh providing the proximal anchor point to the leverage system. Point of Leverage #3 The strap across the back of the lower thigh pushes the femur anteriorly. Point of Leverage #4 The strap placed on the anterior tibia applies an active constant load to prevent anterior tibial translation.
3
1
Loads the tibia
4
• The ground reaction forces (GRF) acting during functional activities play an important role in ACL loading. • The horizontal component of the GRF imposes an anterior translation on the tibia which causes strain to the ACL. • The DONJOY 4-Point braces with OPPOSING rigid cuffs are designed to reduce the ACL strain. • An anteriorly directed force on the femur (3) and a posteriorly directed force on the tibia (4), both close to the knee, are biomechanically the best system to control the anterior tibial translation. • In order to make these two dynamic forces work, two additional static anchor points are needed (1) (2). • The combination of these two dynamic “strap” forces and two static “rigid cuff” forces produce the ‘4-Point-of-Leverage system’. • The 4-Point-of-Leverage system requires a correct configuration of the straps and a brace design with opposing cuffs.
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting