Functional ACL Knee Brace (2024)

FAQs

Do functional knee braces work? ›

Do knee braces work? Knee braces definitely help protect and support your knee after surgery or while you're recovering from an injury. Braces can help you feel safer and more confident. Many people also find that wearing a knee brace helps relieve pain and other symptoms (especially if they have knee arthritis).

In most cases, the answer is no. No study has clearly shown that post-operative knee braces protect the healing graft after an ACL reconstruction. 1 In multiple studies, patients who have had ACL reconstruction surgery were given a knee brace and compared to patients who did not wear a knee brace.

You must use your functional knee brace. Continue to use your functional knee brace during athletic activity for at least 12 months after surgery. You may discontinue the brace under instruction from your surgeon.

The results of a recently published study of patients with acute proximal ACL ruptures treated with ACL repair and internal brace reported that at five years after undergoing surgery, 28 patients (82.4%) showed satisfactory outcomes while six patients had re-rupture (17.6%) and underwent revision surgery [34].

Functional knee braces are designed to protect an injured ACL or ACL graft and to prevent further intra-articular damage by reducing abnormal anterior translation of the tibia with respect to the femur.

Prophylactic braces: Typically worn by athletes to prevent knee injuries, they are designed to help stabilize the joint and protect the knee ligaments. Functional braces: Protect and support the knees after injury or reconstructive surgery. Some are designed to treat specific injuries (ex.

Treatment for ACL injuries vary depending on the severity of the injury. Possibly treatments may include physical therapy, surgery, or wearing a supporting knee brace. Often times after surgery, an ACL reconstruction brace is required to help with recovery and increasing range of motion.

Quad-tendon (autograft)

One of the strongest grafts. No permanent weakness. Same success rates as patellar tendon. Decreased risk of kneeling pain.

Wearing your knee brace for unnecessarily long stretches of time can cause skin abrasion. Limiting your range of motion while wearing your brace can result in muscle atrophy or joint stiffness. Taking off your brace before your knee joint is ready can impair healing and lengthen the time required to wear one.

A healthy diet weeks before surgery strengthens the knee and surrounding areas. Talk to your medical team before taking any over-the-counter supplements to be sure they don't interact with any current medications or treatments you're taking. Understanding your surgery and post-surgery recovery plan is critical.

When can I stop wearing my ACL brace to bed? ›

Always use the brace while walking or when out of the house. Use the brace while sleeping for the first 7-10 days. After 7 days, you may remove the brace while sitting at home or in a controlled environment. Work on straightening your knee.

One study found the knee brace to have a significant protective effect for younger patients (≤17 years). The effectiveness of knee bracing when RTS remains ambiguous. Current data cannot support that using a knee brace when RTS will decrease the rate of reinjury after ACL reconstruction.

The most common obstacle that I see during recovery is how mentally challenging recovery can be. It is a very long recovery and the mental challenges are often more difficult than the physical challenges. In the middle of the recovery, progress slows as there is less progress to make.

This systematic review with meta-analysis shows that ACL repair with internal bracing is a safe technique for treatment of proximal ruptures, with a failure rate of 10.4%.

Patellar Tendon

It attaches from the knee cap to the shin bone. It is the graft with the longest track record and is consider by many to be the “gold-standard” for ACL reconstruction. In most circ*mstances this is the graft recommended for professional athletes and in any young active individual.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has traditionally defined four classifications of knee braces: (I) prophylactic: braces which attempt to prevent or reduce the severity of knee injuries in contact sports; (II) functional: braces designed to reduce knee instability and protect and support the knee joint ...

Worse, it may encourage muscle loss as your knee starts relying on the brace for support rather than its own muscles. That can hasten the symptoms of your arthritis. For osteoarthritis, the best brace is often your muscles, and your better option will be to try and build them up.

A special brace called an "unloading brace" may help take some of the pressure off the worn part of your knee when you are standing. An unloading brace does not cure your arthritis. But it may help relieve symptoms such as knee pain or buckling when you move around.

If the specialist gives you the okay, you can wear your brace all day. But be sure to follow the directions of your knee pain specialist because the improper use of a knee brace can worsen your pain and cause further damage to your knee. Knee braces that immobilize your knee can weaken it.