Embodiments of the knee brace disclosed herein provide a combination of
external ligament support and/or relief from pain caused by
osteoarthritis with patellofemoral support. The brace includes a rigid
frame and a flexible strap configured to extend across the wearer's
patella to provide anterior loading thereto. The strap is operatively
secured at either end to components of the rigid frame, thereby providing
maximum leverage for applying force to the wearer's patella. In some
embodiments, the strap includes a removable and adjustable buttress for
directly contacting the wearer's patella. The patellar strap provides
dynamic loading to the patella through the wearer's range of motion for
relief of patellofemoral dysfunction, such as patellar shift, subluxation
and dislocation, and malalignments such as patella alta, patella baja,
tilt and glide. In some embodiments, a conversion kit is provided for
converting a rigid brace frame into a knee brace capable of providing
patellofemoral support to a wearer's knee. The kit includes at least a
patellar strap and at least one tab for securing the strap to the rigid
frame.