Low-cost knee brace prototype for rehabilitation after sports injury

Abstract

The knee brace is a very popular medical device commonly used for rehabilitation and injury prevention of knees. However, conventional knee braces can be very expensive for patients with limited financial resources. Previous study on low-cost knee braces conducted by Alexander Hendricks (2018) only consisted of braces design for Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) and Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) injuries. This paper aims to create a new low-cost knee brace design using 3D printing material that can be used for MCL, LCL and Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries. The proposed design was developed and tested using SolidWorks simulation features. The simulated materials were set similar to the materials of three dimensional (3D) printing filaments and the dimensions of the knee braces were based upon an actual patient. The results of this study showed that the new designs have been improved in term of Factor of Safety (FOS), due to its adjustable hinges, while the price is much cheaper than conventional knee braces. In conclusion, the aims for this study have been achieved to develop a low-cost knee brace that can be used for MCL, LCL and ACL injuries.