TRI-COMPARTMENT OFFLOADING
A NEW PARADIGM
in knee bracing
Total Joint
Offloading.
The Spring Loaded brace is the only knee brace capable of simultaneously offloading all three compartments of the knee during weight-bearing flexion 1– Budarick, A.R. et al. 2020. J. Biomech. Eng. 142.
– Bishop, E.L. et al. 2020. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 28 . Research has shown that Levitation can immediately reduce tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joint loads by up to 50%2– Budarick, A.R. et al. 2020. J. Biomech. Eng. 142.
– McGibbon, C.A. et al. 2020. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.604860 .
applying Treatment
Guidelines.
Treatment guidelines recommend reducing joint load through strategies such as weight loss3– Zhang et al. 2008. Osteo & Cartl 16
– Bannuru et al. 2019. Osteo & Cartl 27(11), which can be difficult to achieve for patients. The Spring Loaded knee brace can reduce knee joint load to a level achieved by losing 45 lbs of body weight4– Budarick, A.R. et al. 2020. J. Biomech. Eng. 142.
– McGibbon, C.A. et al. 2020. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.604860, reducing pain and allowing increased physical activity.
Clinically-Relevant
Improvements.
Research shows rapid improvements in pain, function, and quality of life with reduced dependence on pain medication. In fact, 100% of knee OA patients report reduced pain, 97.5% report improved lower-extremity function, 70% report increased physical activity, and 60% report reduced reliance on other treatments5– Budarick et al. 2021. Rehab. Res. Prac. doi:10.1155/2021/5923721.
PATIENT-CENTRED DESIGN EXEMPLIFIED.
DESIGNED FOR ALL KNEE OA PATIENTS
Standard offloader knee braces reduce joint loading in a single knee compartment by redistributing forces from one side of the knee to the other. Unlike anything before it, Spring Loaded knee braces supports body weight, simultaneously offloading all three compartments – a novel bracing solution for multicompartment or patellofemoral knee OA.
FOCUSED ON THE GREATEST IMPACT
The majority of symptomatic knee OA patients (50–94%) exhibit patterns of multi-compartment or patellofemoral OA 6– Hart et al. 2017 BJ Sport Med. 51(16)
– Duncan et al. 2006 Rheumatology 45 which cannot be effectively treated with traditional uni-compartment offloader knee braces. Only a small fraction of knee OA patients have arthritis restricted to a single tibiofemoral compartment 7– Hart et al. 2017. BJ Sport Med. 51(16)
– Duncan et al. 2006. Rheumatology 45
– Heekin et al. 2014. J. Knee Surgery 27.
INDICATIONS & KEY BENEFITS
- INDICATIONS
- Patellofemoral defects/OA
- Multicompartment defects/OA
- Pain that increases during weight-bearing flexion
- Quadriceps tendon deficiency
- Patellar tendon deficiency
- Quadriceps injury/weakness
- BENEFITS
- Combined tibiofemoral and patellofemoral offloading
- Reduced pain and improved function during activities of daily living
- Promotes increased activity (8) and muscle strengthening
%
of users with knee osteoarthritis report reduced pain since using a Spring Loaded knee brace
%
Up to 50% reduction in joint load across the whole knee (patellofemoral and tibiofemoral compartments)
%
of users with knee oa report clinically relevant improvements in lower-extremity function since using a Spring Loaded knee brace
Clinical Best Practice ACComplished.
Spring Loaded bracing reduces joint load equivalent to the loss of 45lb of bodyweight8Budarick, A.R., et al. 2020. J. Biomech. Eng. 142 . Joint load reduction alleviates pain and improves function, and is widely considered a clinical best practice in the conservative treatment of knee OA. Ultimately, reducing joint loads increases the frequency and duration that patients are able to stay active9– McAlindon TE, et al. 2014. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 22(3)
– Jevsevar DS 2013. 2nd edition. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 21(9).
SPRING LOADING SAFELY REDUCES PRESSURE IN ALL THREE KNEE COMPARTMENTS SIMULTANEOUSLY
Traditional OA braces are restricted to offloading one tibiofemoral compartment10– Budarick, A.R. et al. 2020. J. Biomech. Eng. 142.
– Bishop, E.L. et al. 2020. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 28
– McGibbon, C.A. et al. 2020. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.604860.
Is Spring Loaded right for your patient?
Spring Loaded bracing reduces joint loads, reduces pain, and improves function, including during activities of daily living such as:
SIT-TO-STAND
ASCENDING OR DESCENDING STAIRS
WALKING UPHILL
SQUATTING, CROUCHING & OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Knee extension assist amplified.
Spring Loaded knee bracing functions by assisting the knee extension moment normally generated by the quadriceps when the knee is in flexion. By assisting the quadriceps, the large tensile forces normally transmitted to the patellofemoral and tibiofemoral joints via the quadriceps and patellar tendons respectively are reduced11– Budarick, A.R. et al. 2020. J. Biomech. Eng. 142
– McGibbon, C.A. et al. 2020. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.604860.
JOINT OFFLOADING WHEN IT COUNTS
Unlike traditional knee OA braces, the Spring Loaded knee extension assist provides pain relief and joint offloading during knee flexion12– Budarick, A.R. et al. 2020. J. Biomech. Eng. 142
– Bishop, E.L. et al. 2020. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 28
– McGibbon, C.A. et al. 2020. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.604860. This is particularly useful for patients with patellofemoral defects or OA. Spring Loaded bracing directly assists quadriceps strength and mobility13– Bishop, E.L. et al. 2020. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 28
– McGibbon, C.A. et al. 2020. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.604860, allowing for neuromuscular retraining14– Cherian JJ. et al. 2015. J Arthroplasty 30(5).
UNPRECEDENTED ASSISTANCE
During physical testing of healthy individuals by the Canadian Military, Spring Loaded braces significantly increased physical stamina and endurance as follows:
- A 10% improvement in the maximum number of loaded squats
- A 26% improvement in the maximum number of loaded leg presses
- No change in heart rate when walking with versus without the TCU.
Is Spring Loaded right for your patient
Spring Loaded braces go beyond standard uni-compartment offloading to address disease and contact forces across the entire knee.
conservative care enhanced.
Spring Loaded provides a novel evidence-based modality to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction throughout the course of their care.
GUARANTEED LIFE CHANGING RESULTS
If a Spring Loaded knee brace doesn’t fundamentally change your patient’s life and offer clear clinical benefits within the first 30 days, we’ll send them a prepaid return shipping label and issue a full refund. There are no hidden fees or surprises *Some terms and conditions apply. We also offer full support and a comprehensive product warranty ensuring your patient’s are well taken care of, every step of the way.
WE OPTIMIZE PATIENT ACCESS
Our braces are covered by most insurance providers across Canada and the United States. Spring Loaded offers full support to help ensure positive coverage decisions. Contact a bracing specialist to inquire further about reimbursement eligibility.
research partners
Spring Loaded is committed to an evidence-based approach to product development and testing. Our research partners have provided invaluable insight to inform our design process, and are conducting independent testing and validation of our existing and future products for a wide range of different indications and use cases.
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