You've seen "WECSOG" - now meet "WECSOP&O" (now with pics)

[Dedicated_Dad]

Wile E. Coyote School of Prosthetics and Orthotics.

I KNOW this post is pretty much worthless without pics. I will take them and post first thing in the morning. I took the "rig" off a while ago, and with the black compression-socks/black straps you couldn't really see it anyway. Tomorrow AM I'll take pics before I get dressed, and link them then. WARNING: The pics will - of necessity - not only show my mangled leg, but also show me in the one pair of "tighty-whities" I own... You have been warned!!

I mentioned elsewhere I've spent a few days building a device that allows me to walk without pain.

Since my total-knee-replacement a year ago, this knee "clunks" with every step, and each "clunk" gives me a stabbing pain that is nigh on unbearable. Every "clunk" inflames it more, so that by the end of a day spent doing nothing but basic "personal maintenance" I'm reduced to ice-packs and oxycodone.

Obviously, this isn't conducive to recovery. Docs tell me I need to build up my muscles to stop the "clunk" - which I can't do without activity. Activity causes me pain, more activity causes MORE pain, and more recovery time to be able to be active again. As a result, I'm caught in a catch-22 where I can't get better without getting active, and can't be active without getting better.

I'm able to ride my exercise bike, or an elliptical machine, for hours without pain, but step off and walk across the room and it's like someone is poking me with an ice-pick in the knee.

I've tried numerous different knee-braces, none of them helped. The problem is that when gravity can "elongate" my leg - separate the top-half of my knee from the bottom half - the "clunk" happens. To solve it, I needed to find a way to LOAD my knee joint, and KEEP it "loaded" when I pick it up off the ground.

I ran into an older Gent on another Gunboard who had years of experience working with prosthetics and orthotics. He described something in an e-mail, then called me on the phone to talk about it. He's working on a drawing, and seeking input from actual prosthetists/orthotists that are his friends. In the mean-time, I took his suggestions and made a few trips to my local HW store, where I found what I needed to build a rough approximation of what he'd described.

2" "nylon" strapping, some nickel-plated D-rings, and my sail-maker's awl (apparently commonly known as a "sewing awl") let me construct a "foot stirrup" and a harness to hook to my belt.
(BTW - I'm going to order one of those awls I linked. Mine came from Horror-freight, and is a TOTAL POS. I can't imagine how nice it would be to be able to use a fine tool like that!!)

A neoprene "knee sleeve", and some small "split-rings" (key-rings) sewn to it, provided the base for the "springs" that I'm using to keep a load on my knee.

The final piece was some "springs" to provide the load. My local HW store had bungee-cord rolls, which they sell by the foot. I'm using the thin, 5/32 stuff - 4 doubled-up pieces of it and 8 small nickel-plated "snap-hooks bridge the harness and the foot stirrup.

Add in some velcro, and a couple of other little items to keep it in place, and I've been able to walk around for several hours today - and am in less pain right this minute than I would normally be at this time of day after just walking back and forth from the couch to the bathroom.

My new "designer" friend insists that latex "surgical tubing" would be much better for the "springs" -- I am sure he's right, and the eventual "final version" will no doubt utilize it, but for now I'm pretty happy with the way it's evolving.

My biggest problem right now is the amount of stress this puts on my belt. It's really uncomfortable - the way it pulls down on my belt. If I lessen the tension, it doesn't provide enough support.

The latex bands will be better, because of the way their "load" is more constant as the band stretches - I think it will need less tension to do an equal job. Still, I'd very much like to figure out a way to distribute the "load" on my belt from the 2 points - one each left-front and left-rear - to perhaps 4 points on my belt. I think this is doable, but I'm still trying to figure out how to make it happen. It seems to me I'll have to figure out some way to "triangulate" the load - it's going to be a challenge...

I've considered adding a strap over my opposite shoulder, but my right collar-bone was also mangled and is crooked. As a result, my right shoulder is pulled a bit forward and down. Since my LEFT leg is shorter, thus dropping my left hip, my back often rebels if I'm not very careful about my posture. Somehow I don't think adding a load to my right shoulder would be a prudent move...

For these reasons, I think keeping the load on my hips/pelvis - with a belt - is the right way to go. If you guys - when I get the pics posted - could give me some suggestions I would be very grateful!

In the long run, I want to get a custom-made "collateral-ligament" brace. They have some really spectacular carbon-fiber braces - a good friend has one and swears it is so light and comfortable that he often forgets he's wearing it. Having it custom made, I SHOULD be able to have them add some attachment points for the rings I'll need for my "loading" device. If I ever get strong enough to no longer need the loading, I can just remove the rings and still have the brace.

Any input you guys might have would be deeply appreciated!

DD

[Precision]

without pics, I am kinda shooting in the dark, but...

For the belt are you using a regular "hold up your pants belt" or are you using one of those "back brace" belts with suspenders? I would think a good quality back brace belt would provide much more surface area for support and with proper suspenders could spread some of the load.

http://www.docortho.com/braces-and-supp ... ft-lx.html

Or you could go with a weightlifting belt
http://www.houseofpain2.com/product-lis ... 5&bt=10015

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/belts.html

Hope that helps

[Erik]

I second using some other belt, and not just a regular belt.
The backbrace is probably the best one, but if you want something without the straps over the shoulders, try using a wading belt.
When I feel my back a little too much, I've been using a belt like this one from Cabelas. It's more than enough to take some load of your back, and release some pain, and it's also fairly discreet. It's been enough for me anyway.

The weightlifting belts I've seen have all been pretty stiff and thick. From what I understand they are designed to keep your internal organs in place more than supporting your back.

[Aglifter]

I knew House of Pain had gone somewhat mainstream when I saw a gym bunny wearing one of their shirts... who didn't know what powerlifting was, but to actually see them linked...

A proper weightbelt, whether from HoP* or Inzer, or... er, the other company that some of my teammates used, but I didnt, that I can't remember the name of -- would be overkill. Properly, they're actually used to expand your abdomen against, to help direct more force toward keeping yourself erect -- hard to explain in writing.

You're looking more for the silly useless things the wannabes use.

*If anyone is looking for a real weight belt, I suggest Inzer, and the other dang company I forgot the name of. HoP usually sells OK stuff, but those prices look too cheap, and no one, to my knowledge, has ever worn out an Inzer belt. I was not aware that HoP even made belts

[Dedicated_Dad]

Here are the promised pics...

The foot-strap is a problem - it pulls only on one edge... I made a thick bungee strap of the same length, with a key-ring in each end, and hooked it under the heel of my boot. Much more comfortable, but no pic.

I bought a piece of 3/16 steel rod, tomorrow I'll break out the torch and bend it to shape. It will become the "stirrup" and replace the black foot-stirrup in the pics.

The belt is a 2" heavy leather belt. I'm going to try making a harness with a diagonal strap to try to shift some of the load to the other side of my belt -- we'll see... I also got some velcro today, so I'll be able to build in some adjustments, tighten or loosen a bit...

If anyone has an online source for plastic 2" D-rings, swivel-snap shackles (like the chrome ones in my pics) etc. I would really appreciate it -- I'll never get through a metal detector with this...

Any and all input appreciated!

DD

PS: The pic below - with the pieces on the floor - is of "v2". I've now replaced the flex-tube with small rings to keep the "springs" in position, and cleaned up the ends of the bungee, etc. The "nylon strap" parts are all the same.

back.jpg

front.jpg

side.jpg

doc.Bungee-brace.v2.jpg

[Rod]

Damn man, sure you didn't buy that thing in some BDSM shop? Seriously though, good work and if it works for you, why shouldn't it work for someone else? See about getting it patented.

[Dedicated_Dad]

If I can ever get it to a point that it's not torture to wear, I might consider that. I've talked to several orthotists in the past, all had no input for me on how to LOAD the knee - as I'm doing here - they all said everything is designed to UN-load it...

One thing I'm planning to try is building a harness that will put the load on my upper thigh, only relying on the belt to keep the thigh-stuff from slipping down. I'm thinking perhaps a neoprene-lined canvas thing, covering my whole thigh, laced up to make it tight all over - should give it enough friction to keep it from pulling down...

I'm not sure I can "patent" a couple of bungee-cords, but it was interesting that the orthotist I showed it to today advised me to patent it before showing it to any medical-supply folks...

DD

[blackeagle603]

Good stuff there DD. Keep working it out.

Figure a way to include some shirt stays while you're at it, put on a military pressed shirt and you'll be ready for inspection.

[Denis]

I'm not sure I can "patent" a couple of bungee-cords, but it was interesting that the orthotist I showed it to today advised me to patent it before showing it to any medical-supply folks...

Alas, you've shown it to the entire world now, so no-one will be patenting it; one must keep patentable ideas secret until the patent is applied for. It certainly looks well thought out. I hope you can tweak it to do exactly what you need.

[Dub_James]

We can rebuild him. We have the technology

Glad to see your rig is giving you some relief. Hope you gives you the room to get your recovery in gear. That's the crappy part about recovery in limbs that have to bear a load daily, they seem to take much longer to heal, esp. after the likes of what you've been through.

Heck, put a retention holster on it and the tacticool crowd with snap them up!