what makes the unloader so unique? the 3-point leverage

what makes the unloader so unique?
The Unloader® pioneered osteoarthritis knee bracing. In 1986,
the inventors of a single upright ligament brace noticed that an
increasing number of male patients in their orthopaedic clinic had
medial meniscectomies and associated pain and/or instabilities.
After numerous discussions with Orthopaedic Surgeons, they
looked closely at adapting their ligament brace to unload the
medial compartment of the knee.
The Adjustable Dynamic Joint®. In the early ‘90s, it became evident
that if the hinge was adjustable, treatment could be - ne-tuned. The
Adjustable Dynamic Joint® was created and Its use in a custom-made
brace that could be hinged medially or laterally received world-wide
attention. By the mid-‘90s, the new Unloader ADJ brace was being
used around the globe and the name Unloader became synonymous
with OA knee bracing.
The 3-Point Leverage System is born. The theory was that, by
adding a valgus bend to a single, medial upright, the upper and
lower shells of the brace frame would act as leverage arms when
the counter force of a diagonal Dynamic Force Strap® was applied.
This would unload weight from the medial compartment of the
knee, relieving pain.
Improving on a classic. The last decade has witnessed the rapid
expansion of The Unloader product line. New models (both custom
and off-the-shelf) and a variety of product improvements, both
small and large, have been added to improve patient comfort and
compliance. Today, there is an Unloader brace for every conceivable
activity level and body type.
Testing the theory. This new application was proposed to a patient
who had medial pain but wished to continue skiing. The idea to alter
the mechanical forces with a valgus hinge bend applied to the medial
side worked! The patient felt immediate pain relief.
The latest technology: Unloader One. Unloader One is the most
sign-cant re-design of the Unloader concept since its inception.
Available in both custom and OTS models, Unloader One offers
a unique twist on the traditional 3-Point Leverage System. Instead
of an Adjustable Dynamic Joint and Dynamic Force Strap, Unloader
One features a streamlined, exible upright combined with two
Dynamic Force Straps. Add a racheting Dynamic Force Control System
and padding that features Ossur Sensil® Silicone Technology and
Unloader One offers superior unloading power in a product that
won’t migrate.
The - rst study. After further consultation with the medical community,
a groundbreaking scienti-c study examining the ef-cacy of lateral
and medial hinge placement for treating medial OA was conducted.
This study ultimately concluded that medial valgus bracing resulted
in signi-cant reduction of pain.
With a scienti-cally proven method and patents in place, these
new custom knee braces were launched. Quickly, this viable option
for treating unicompartmental osteoarthritis of the knee gathered
momentum. Eventually, lateral hinge placement was used to treat
lateral compartment symptoms.
the most studied oa brace
nine published, peer-reviewed studies have
demonstrated that the unloader provides
pain relief, delays surgical interventions and
improves quality of life.
for more information, call 1-800-222-4284,
visit www.ossur.com/unloader, or ask your
ossur representative.
the 3-point leverage system
the fundamental component of every unloader osteoarthritis knee brace is
the 3-point leverage system, which consists of a single upright plus one or
more diagonal dynamic force straps™. nine published, peer-reviewed studies
have demonstrated the ef-cacy of this technology .
original system
unloader one system
The - rst Unloaders employed a medial upright with a valgus bend
Unloader One offers a new twist on the traditional 3-Point Leverage
plus an opposing Dynamic Force Strap™ to generate a 3-Point
System. By replacing the Adjustable Dynamic Joint™ with a exible
Leverage System that unloaded the medial compartment of the
upright and incorporating Dual Dynamic Force Straps to disperse
knee. Over time, the original Unloader hinge was replaced with
the counter force across two points of contact, we streamlined the
an Adjustable Dynamic Joint™ that enabled - ne-tuned treatment.
Unloader to a sleek 16 ounces (half of its former weight) while
To this day, most Unloaders feature this same combination of an
increasing the unloading power by up to 50% and improving
Adjustable Dynamic Joint™ and a Dynamic Force Strap™.
comfort and compliance.