Many active, athletic people have suffered a knee injury and undergone the rehabilitation process at some stage of their lives. Methods of preventing and treating knee injuries have changed in recent years and knee braces in particular have been refined and are now very effective. In fact, Dr. Paluska and Dr. McKeag at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Shadyside, Pennsylvania, suggest some knee braces are so good that some athletes don't like to perform without them!

Some athletes tend to wear knee supports much longer than they should, believing that it will help prevent injury. While prophylactic knee braces are designed to protect uninjured knees from side impact stresses that could damage the medial collateral ligaments, there is no conclusive evidence to support their effectiveness and they are, in fact, not recommended for regular use.

Functional knee braces are intended to stabilize knees during rotational and anteroposterior forces. They offer a useful adjunct to the treatment and rehabilitation of injured knee ligaments. Patello-femoral knee braces have also been used to treat anterior knee disorders and offer moderate improvement without significant disadvantages.However, once the healing period is through, these devices offer little protection.

In fact, their constant use may create a "false sense of security" and even hinder more effective, dynamic rehabilitation that would help with future injury prevention. Remember, knee braces should be used in conjunction with, not as a substitute for, a structured rehabilitation program that incorporates strength training, flexibility, activity modification and technique refinement.

Ref: American Fam Physician. 15,61(2), pp.411-8, 423-4, 2000.

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