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Spinoff story
Lockable Knee Brace Speeds Rehabilitation
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
Gary Horton, owner and operator of Horton's Orthotic Lab Inc., in Little Rock, Arkansas, was visiting Marshall Space Flight Center when he unexpectedly received assistance with a knee brace he was designing. Marshall engineers shared with him designs they had developed for a lockable joint with a hinge brake. Horton licensed the technology from Marshall and then set about applying the design concept to a new type of orthotic, a knee brace that automatically unlocks during the swinging phase of walking, but then is able to reengage for stability upon heel strike.