A fitted knee brace can greatly reduce the discomfort of a knee injury. Not all knee injuries are the same, however, therefore there are different braces for different injuries. Your doctor will know the best brace for your specific injury. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, some of the various braces include prophylactic, functional and patellofemoral.
Prophylactic Knee Braces
The prophylactic knee brace is intended to protect the medial collateral ligament, or MCL, during a valgus knee stress and to aid in the protection of the cruciate ligaments if the knee suffers a rotational stress. The MCL is a ligament located on the inner knee; it is used to stabilize the knee joint.
Possible Benefits
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, studies have been conducted to test the ability of the prophylactic knee brace to prevent injury. There has been a significant difference in opinion with some researchers stating that the brace does reduce MCL injuries while others maintain that there are few benefits.
Despite the difference in research results, many football players and coaches still insist on wearing the brace.
Functional Knee Brace
Former football quarterback Joe Namath is responsible for the popularity of the functional knee brace. After sustaining a disabling knee injury, Namath used a functional knee brace and made a successful comeback to the game. The main focus of the brace is to reduce knee instability after an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, and to prevent any further injuries. The ACL is a ligament in the middle of the knee providing rotational stability. Initially, the functional knee brace was used solely for sporting injuries; however, they are now widely used after reconstructive surgery to limit strain in the ACL graft.
Reported Improvements
The AAFP states that patients have reported an improvement in knee stability and experienced an increase in energy expenditure during athletic activity with the use of the functional knee brace. There may be limited proprioceptive effects, which relate to unconscious body movement, with the use of a functional brace, however. Due to the inflated associated benefits, use may actually pose a risk for further damage due to over-exertion.
Patellofemoral Knee Brace
Patellofemoral braces are used to support the knee of those suffering from anterior knee pain. The brace is widely used due to it being easy to use and low in cost.
Benefits/Limitations
The AAFP has documented that there is disagreement in relation to the benefits of a patellofemoral brace as several studies have noted an improvement in pain with the use of the brace while other studies have found that they do not improve pain levels.
Again, despite the disagreement on the benefits, many patients insist on wearing them and report a drop in pain levels and an increase in mobility when using the brace.
