Adjustable Load-Bearing Leg Brace

A fully adjustable load bearing leg brace was designed and fabricated to target lower ankle and foot injuries. There is a need for a more comfortable alternative to crutches that improves recovery time for forefoot and midfoot injuries and foot surgeries. By allowing for controlled movement in the ankle during the healing process, the risk of atrophy will be reduced. As the injury heals, the load distributed to the foot can be adjusted through the use of air cylinders. Initially, while walking, the user will feel no load in the lower leg because the full amount of impact force will be absorbed by the shocks. The pressure in the shock absorbers will be decreased as the healing process occurs, thus increasing the load felt by the lower leg. The flexion in the ankle can be increased in increments using a dial system with varying slot sizes. A proof of concept was constructed that contains both modes of adjustability