REHABILITATION

KNEE BRACING

– AN INTRODUCTION FOR CLINICIANS

TYPES OF BRACE The types of knee braces that are readily available can be broadly classified into four different categories. 1. Rehabilitation braces - these are designed to limit harmful or unwanted joint motion and protect a heal- ing tissue following injury or surgery and are used as part of the rehabilitation programme (see Figure 1). 2. Functional braces - these are designed to give support to knees that have been previously been injured. Examples of these

include Donjoy, Bledsoe, Breg, CTi, and Lenox Hill (see Figure 2). 3. Prophylactic braces -

these are designed to prevent or minimise the severity of a knee injury (see Figure 3).

4. Patellofemoral braces - these

are specifically designed to control patella tracking and alleviate/control symptoms of patellofemoral pain syndrome. These braces are beyond the scope of this article and will not be discussed further (see Figure 4).

Figure 1: An example of a rehabilitation brace

By Dr Zoe Hudson, MCSP, PhD

It’s that time of year again, the ski- ing season is upon us and as our patients head for the slopes, clini- cians will be faced with questions on the prescription and use of knee braces. In recent years, knee braces on the slopes seem to have become as fashionable as helmets as the ‘must have’ skiing accessory – but often it is difficult to know what to advise clients with regards to the appropriate use of knee bracing, not just for skiing but for any sporting activity.

Knee ligament injuries account for a large proportion of injuries in sports that require contact and cut- ting/twisting manoeuvres. It has been estimated that between 65% and 74% of all ACL injuries are sports-related (1, 2) and knee liga- ment injuries are more prevalent in certain sports. An ACL injury rate has been reported of 4.2 per 100,000 skier days for men and 4.4 per 100,000 skier days in women (3) and over 100,000 ACL injuries from skiing are estimated to occur each year in the USA alone (4).

This article describes the type of knee ligament braces available and their indications for use.

Figure 2: An example of a functional brace 20

Figure 3: An example of a prophylactic brace

Figure 4: An example of a patellofemoral brace www.sportex.net