ARTIFICIAL KNEE JOINT HAVING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING BRAKING FORCES INDEPENDENTLY UNDER FLEXION AND EXTENSION CONDITIONS Russian patent published in 2005 - IPC

FIELD: medical engineering.

SUBSTANCE: device has femur part and crural part connected to each other with restricted rotation mechanism having at least one axle and bearings, braking mechanism having overrunning clutch mounted on axle and enveloped with bushing having slit and screw for controlling overrunning clutch pressure on the part of the bushing. The knee joint additionally has an overrunning clutch identical with the above mentioned, bushing with slit, screw for controlling overrunning clutch pressure on the part of the bushing and lubrication unit as well. Both clutches are back-to-back mounted on axle along permissible direction and the bushings have length being less than clutches length. Each screw for controlling overrunning clutch pressure on the part of the bushing is mounted in a notch on its external surface in perpendicular to bushing axis and intersects slit, and the threaded openings for receiving the screws are produced in body of one of knee joint part. Elastic member is arranged between screw head and bushing. The member surrounds the screw and the lubrication unit envelopes the bushings and is engageable with external surfaces of the overrunning clutches.

EFFECT: improved comfort conditions; reduced patient power consumption when walking.

6 cl, 5 dwg