Instructions for KNEO
1. Purpose
The knee brace is intended for medical use only at the knee joint and
solely for contact with intact skin.
Note
The brace is only intended for use on one patient. Do not reuse.
2. Indication and operation
Use in:
- Osteoarthritis of the knee, especially with bow legs or knock-knee deformity
- Injuries to the knee joint, in which the meniscus needs to be relieved
- After surgery on ligaments and meniscus to protect the surgical outcome
- After collateral ligament injuries of the knee, especially when instability is present
The indication is provided by the physician.
The knee brace works by shifting the load line passing through the knee joint medially or laterally as needed. The other compartment is correspondingly relieved. The forces needed to relieve the stress on the meniscus are generated by standing with an outstretched leg.
3. Selection of the brace size
The brace is available in five sizes. These differ in ankle height with the matching side rail length. The total height of the brace should be at least 1 cm shorter than the height of the fibula head measured from the floor (Fig. 19, measure X).
| Identification / REF | Total height of the brace |
| 2031001-1 L/R | 30 cm |
| 2031001-2 L/R | 34 cm |
| 2031001-3 L/R | 38,5 cm |
| 2031001-4 L/R | 43 cm |
| 2031001-5 L/R | 47,5 cm |
| L = for the left side of the leg, R = for the right side of the leg. | |
4. Design description
The knee brace consists of a foot piece and a side rail forming a joint in the ankle area. Attached to the end of the side rail there is a movable pad that is equipped with a fleece cushion and is fastened to the lower leg with a hook-and-loop fastener.
5. Adapting the knee brace to the patient
Adapting the brace to the patient´s shoe, the foot plate of the brace is cut to fit (Figs. 2 – 5). The ankle position (Fig. 3) must be taken into account. The size markings on the foot plate are to serve as a guide only. The foot plate can be positioned under the insole (Fig. 5). The shoe is an integral part of the knee brace, which provides the position and function.
Note
Using a solid soled, lace-up shoe is recommended.
The lower leg bar must match the contour of the lower leg (Fig.6).
- For medial osteoarthritis it is necessary to apply lateral pressure below the knee.
- For lateral osteoarthritis it is necessary to apply medial pressure below the knee.
The required preload (Fig. 7) is generated via the contour of the ankle and lower leg bar. Ensure that the pressure generated on the leg meets the patient’s requirements.
Note
Checking the effect of orthotic correction is recommended.
The hook-and-loop fastener is shortened as required (Fig.8). Alternatively, there is the possibility of incorporating an elastic strap (Figs.15 -18).
To use the elastic hook-and-loop fastener fasten it through the rear eyelet of the pad (Figs.15+16) and put it together with the main hook-and-loop fastener to fit the lower leg (Figs.17+18).
To apply the heat shrinking tube the fleece cushion must be removed (Fig. 9). Remove the rail stop from the pad (Fig.10) and take it from the side rail.
The caps on the joint are removed (Fig.11) and the heat shrinking tube is heated until a snug fit over the joint is obtained (Fig.12). The outer end is cut to the required length of about 57 mm (Fig.13).
The foot pad is to be positioned on the lower leg bar on the micro Velcro (Fig.14)
6. Operating and Maintenance
- Examine the brace device before each use.
- If a part of the brace has significant wear, for example excessive play in the joint, the brace is no longer usable. Request replacement parts from CHW-Technik GmbH.
- The fleece cushion and the straps are removable and can be cleaned with a mild soap and air dried.
- If required, it can be treated with a commercial spray disinfectant.