Hard Cases: Ulnar Nerve Getting on My Nerves Inspires Solution

This article is part of LinkedIn's Hard Cases series, where healthcare professionals share the toughest challenges they've faced in their careers. You can read more about it here and follow along using hashtag #HardCases.

The conception of the Lonnie Brace derived out of necessity. As a physician, I had been plagued by injuries to my ulnar nerve at the elbows for years. Exacerbated during sleep, sitting at a desk or throwing a ball, the nerve continued to become irritated. Plus, the recovery from these injuries was slow and sometimes never occurred. During long commutes, sleep, or when I sat at a desk, my elbows always came into contact with an armrest or bed, inhibiting the nerves from properly healing. As a result, my hands were constantly numb, and I routinely dropped objects. Simple tasks such as giving an injection or even performing a physical exam became both challenging and embarrassing at times. How much confidence could I instill in a patient if I kept on dropping my equipment?

The conditioned waxed and waned over the years, and I routinely sought out different treatment modalities to help the situation. Unfortunately, there were no good or effective options for the condition. Medications proved ineffective, therapy made the numbness worse, and surgery was a poor option. Plus, available elbow braces on the market were cumbersome, difficult to use, and uncomfortable, making compliance wearing them minimal. In addition, I could only use them at night, which left my elbows and ulnar nerves exposed the entire day.

As a result, I wanted to design a device that solved the shortcomings of all the other braces on the market. The first problem I noted was that these braces failed to properly protect the ulnar nerve at the elbow region. In order for the nerve to heal, it has to be free of all pressure, friction, or contact with other surfaces. Essentially, the nerve needs to be isolated from any form of injury in order to allow it to heal properly. Plus, the brace must be comfortable enough to be worn day or night to insure proper compliance.

I designed the Lonnie Brace to precisely solve these problems. Specifically contoured and comfortable to wear, the brace is specially padded to prevent the ulnar nerve and cubital tunnel area from coming into contact with any surface. The nerve is thus allowed to heal properly, without constant reinjury.

In addition to the special padding, I added a removable hinge to the brace in order to maximize its effectiveness. This addition is used primarily during sleeping hours in order to keep the arm extended. By preventing the elbow from flexing and causing stretch injury to the nerve, it increased the effectiveness of the brace. Though the removable hinge adds an extra therapeutic touch to the brace, it can certainly be worn with or without this addition.

It is one thing to design the Lonnie Brace. However, it was a whole other thing to bring it to the market. Where do I start? Who can manufacture it? Where do I go for a patent? How do I sell it? These were some of the most pertinent questions that first came to mind after making my initial sketches of the brace. The problem was that I had no answers to these questions, nor did I even have a workable model of the brace.

Mark Twain once said, “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” In order to get started, I first needed to learn how to sew. There were multiple attempts and failed renderings of my first elbow braces. However, I finally created a useable model which could be presented to different orthotic companies. After filing a provisional patent, I emailed, called, and essentially hounded all the orthotic companies that I could find on the web. Just having a good idea was not enough, I had to prove that my brace was something completely different and would successfully fill a large unmet niche available on the market.

Initially, I ended teaming up with Hely & Weber. Though our venture together was short, I learned a significant amount about the DME (Durable Medical Equipment) industry such as L Codes, manufacturing, sales, and the marketability of medical devices. After parting ways, I decided not to take my brace to a different orthotic company. Instead, I opted to create my own business and sell the Lonnie Brace myself.

After creating a webpage and company logo, I found a manufacturer for the brace and a company who could supply specifically designed boxes to hold them. I also hired an artist to draw the instructions for my invention. Lastly, I created a Google Ads campaign and personally called or emailed different DME companies around the country, soliciting their business.

Sales did well, and I ended up having orders coming in from all fifty states and five other countries. In addition, I handed out these braces to my patients free of charge. To my delight, the responses from my customers were overwhelmingly positive. Plus, I saw firsthand the effectiveness of the brace on those patients I personally treated. In addition, many of my customers were effectively utilizing the Lonnie Brace to treat tendinitis at the elbow and other injuries plaguing the elbow area.

However, there was just so much time I could spend on this endeavor, and no matter how much more effort I exerted, sales remained stagnant month after month. Knowing I did not have the resources or time needed to make the impact I was looking for on the market, I turned to The Innovation Institute for their help. We have since been jointly working together in order to introduce and sell the Lonnie Brace to a much larger customer base.

It took my own case to truly find the answer for those with cubital tunnel syndrome and painful elbow problems. I am now confident that anyone with ulnar nerve injuries or elbow problems have access to a uniquely designed elbow brace that is comfortable, easy to wear, and effective.