Sophie, 22, thought that her knee injury would keep her from ever skiing again.
As an avid skier and athlete her whole life, this has been an important part of who she is and how she lives an exciting, active lifestyle. Sophie graduated from the University of Virginia in the winter of 2020 with a major in biology, on a pre veterinary track. Five short months later she broke her leg in four places and tore the meniscus, leading her to believe the active, athletic lifestyle she loved had come to an end.
Sophie describes the recovery process as “… a rollercoaster of healing, swelling, immobility, a second surgery, and trying to gain my strength again. I am happy to say that the Icarus Ascender brace has helped me more than anything. I wear it often in the Vail Valley, whether it be for work at the animal hospital or out on the slopes! I can confidently say I would not ski without it, and thanks to Icarus I am now skiing black runs and the Vail Back Bowls!”
For many like Sophie, knee pain and injury have kept them from their love of skiing. Icarus Medical Innovations has engineered the ultimate ski brace, the Aspen, designed to get users back to doing what they love.
The Aspen’s force-distributing, extension-assisting hinge mechanism springs the user up and offloads up to 40 pounds from the knee. With a frame weighing less than one pound that is digitally modeled to contour to the wearer’s leg, the Aspen offers a powerful, sleek, form-fitting design to emphasize comfort and reduce bulk while maintaining ruggedness in character through a reinforced, all-weather frame.
A recent patient, Ed C, 57, of New Jersey says, “I love the fact that they are lightweight. It makes movement so much easier. They are not bulky or cumbersome, and I can run while wearing one on each knee.”
Many ski injuries happen later in the day when athletes become tired, yet continue to push themselves as most athletes are born to do. The Aspen can reduce muscle fatigue and risk of injury by giving the knee and quad support and offloading all day long. The user has the option to increase the tension as the day goes on, as the muscles get more tired – allowing for greater support later into the day.
Personally, I wore a brace last weekend and could tell a significant difference between the leg that had the brace on and the one that didn’t. On the leg without the brace, my quad muscle was fatigued and I did have anterior knee pain by lunchtime. Next time on the slopes, I will have a brace on both legs!
Icarus Medical Innovations is so proud of Sophie, and could not be happier that we are able to help her continue her love for the sport!
If you too could use some extra support and confidence on the mountain, please give Icarus Medical Innovations a call to learn more about how we can help. Allowing people to continue to live an active, healthy lifestyle free of knee pain is our commitment, and we are doing that one patient at a time! Let us help you next!
