The patella is one of the most exposed bones in the body. The body's design offers little protection between impact and bone. Impact trauma or being on your knees for a long period of time can cause the knee to develop bursitis or a broken patella. The medical treatment for bursitis is painful knee draining with a needle and syringe. Break your patella and you'll be wearing a full-length leg cast for 6 to 8 weeks.
In sport, the body falls on the knees more often than any other bone. Many times this impact has great force. To make matters worse, playing surfaces can be extremely hard, such as hardwood and concrete.
Knee pads protect the patella from these injuries. Protective knee gear can be made out of gel, plastic, foam, nylon, rubber or polyurethane. These materials make the outer "shell" hard or soft. Some brands are constructed with a dual hard or soft shell.
Knee pads are not only valuable to sport. They can be a valuable knee saver if you are washing floors, roofing or any other activity that calls for you to be on your knees for an extended period of time.
What to Look for
The knee pad design should be sport specific. They are necessary for volleyball, wrestling, skating sports and American football, to name a few. Manufacturers design knee pads to weather the impact storms of each sport.
Consider the angles that are in danger of impact. Many designs have front and side padding that protect the inside of the knee as well as the front.
Wrestling knee pads should be frictionless. Frictionless knee pads do not slow down the wrestler when he or she goes on attack.
The need for a hard or soft shell should mimic the hardness of the playing surface. Buy a hard or soft-shell knee pad accordingly. For those competing in many sports, buy dual shell knee pads. Dual shell knee pads have a removable plastic front plate. The front plate can be added or removed by a snap-on device or hook and loop fasteners.
Common Pitfalls
Fit is a big issue with kneepads. Kneepads often loosen with use and as the user sweats. This causes the pads to slide down the leg. On the other side of the token, if the kneepads are too tight, they restrict motion. The pads become uncomfortable either way. A kneepad with adjustable hook and loop fasteners can solve this problem.
A knee brace is not a kneepad. Even if the brace has a layer over the patella, the layer is not designed to protect the knee from impact. Knee braces, especially ligament braces, are bulky and uncomfortable and the last thing you want to do is wear a kneepad in conjunction with a brace. If you want to protect the knee from impact, you have to wear a kneepad.
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