In 1966, the Swedish Knee Cage, designed to control hyperextension of the knee and allow easy flexion during walking has been modified because commercial devices were too large and expensive. The modified version was made cheaper and can be made for infants as young as 10 months. The knee cage is fabricated in less than an hour with the use of thermoplastic of the low-temperature type and it is equipped with a rigid portion designed in one piece having bars vertically and horizontally reinforced of webbing straps and Velafoam which is placed at the axis of the knees. There are straps attached at its top and bottom borders and it has been used successfully since 1986 for children with behavioral disorders such as mild cerebral palsy, to aid them in their ambulation and increasing their quadriceps motor power as it has been found to function as a knee stabilizer.
Nowadays, the Swedish knee cage is used to effectively control back knee as well as knee hyperextension and it is hinged by tracking accurately the natural knee motion at the same time allowing normal walk and a sitting position that’s comfortable. It fits when used either to the left or the right knee. It provides orthotic management of genu recurvatum (back knee and knee hyperextension). Its pressure system that operates in easy three point ways allow stability of the knees, while the pressure pad located at the posterior part may be easily adjusted for easy facilitation to make it a perfect fit for the wearer, as well as for proper application and easy removal.
It is made of vinyl dipped aluminum that can be easily shaped to fit the contours of the legs. It is lightweight but offers sturdy and durable support, latex-free and permits the knee to be easily flexed without the usual joints and locks attached mechanically. It also affords better control, comfort and increased compliance to the wearer.
The Swedish knee cage is designed with a cage-type frame which is formed as a rigid unit. There is a principal objection with its use as patients often grumble that it is lacking in cosmetic design because when the patient sits, there is a pair of uprights found in the upper level area well above the level of the knee and this protrudes and pushes it way from the patient’s clothes which can be very unsightly.
Another objection is that the cage, because it has minimal means of support on the leg, easily slips or moves up and down during use giving discomfort to the user. Because of this, there was an alternative design made which is a “three-way knee stabilizer” equipped with strap attachments which can be pivoted and make the device more cosmetic. Nowadays, there are already a lot of new inventions making it better and better as more objections were seen in every invention.