Tech Stuff: Breg Brace
I chose an unusual piece of technology to highlight today — an immobilizer T-Scope leg brace by Breg. It’s more than an immobilizer, it’s adjustable to control range of motion and recommended for much more serious injuries than mine; however, if you have to wear a brace 24/7, this is probably the most comfortable brace one could be asked to wear.
The brace is adjustable for length above and below the knee in addition to being able to adjust the straps for fit around the leg. The next two photos illustrate the appearance of the outside and inside of the brace. The foam pads are large, comfortable, and washable.
In the photo above, you can see the adjusters for length above and below the knee. Lifting the lever allows the brace to extend (telescope, thus the name) or contract to best fit the wearer. In the photo below, you can see the markings for doing so.
One thing I liked was the QR code that took me to the video on how to adjust and clean the brace. It was a short ten-minute video which showed me how to adjust the straps (cut or fold).
What wasn’t clear when I got the brace (and it was new to the nurse who was fitting it to me as well) was that the hook and loop fastener was removable (really slick!), so cutting or folding was possible.
The next fascinating thing was the adjustable hinge. Normally I have to keep the hinge locked — that’s what makes it an immobilizer brace. But the brace can adjust the wearer’s range of motion from -10 degrees to 110 degrees. Mine came set for 0-90 degrees. See the orange lever to the left of the lock symbol? That’s the switch. Right now, it’s in the locked position. Slide the switch up on both brace hinges, and it unlocks. This allowed me to drive while still wearing the brace.
Next week, my surgeon is going to start adjusting this to get my knee back to moving normally again, so it’s going to be interesting.