Knee immobilizers are a type of brace worn on ones leg to minimize knee movement during pre-surgical management of the rupture of quadriceps, rupture of the patellar tendon, rupture of the Medical Collateral Ligament (MCL), fracture or dislocation of the patellar and other knee injuries. However, knee immobilizers should not be worn for extended periods of time. This contraindication is as a result of further injuries likely to be caused including prolonged stiffness, atrophy of the muscles and chronic back pain. Knee immobilizers including knee braces and knee supports are available in different styles, sizes and configurations depending on the condition requiring attention.
There are basically four major categories of knee immobilizers. These include:
This type of brace is made up of bars, hinges and adhesive straps that are useful in offering protection to the knee especially during sports like football and basketball, commonly known as contact sports. Specifically, these braces will be relevant to use in case of port injuries, to protect the MCL from injury and reinjury and to offer support to crucial knee ligaments in the case of rotational stresses. Prophylactic knee braces have been found to be the most effective braces in offering protection to the knees.
This type of braces is suitable where one has a knee injury especially in post-operative management of either acute injuries or fractures. The type of functional brace doctor issues is highly determined by the severity of the injury. They are usually designed to offer excellent support to the lateral and medial ligaments. This feature is enhanced by the metallic hinges which are fixed and which can be adjusted at a ten degrees range to control knee movement to a healthy permissible range. In this range too, special braces are fitted to immobilize the knee joint and hence ensure a faster healing. They also have more straps compared to other types of braces to ensure a better fit for the patients’ knee.
In addition, functional knee braces reduce the risk of injuring other knee parts, hence an added reason why you may need this type of brace. Usually after an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction, these braces are used from between 6 to12 months to aid in reducing strain on the ACL graft.
These types of braces play an important role in minimizing knee movement during healing after surgery or injury. They are usually useful in offering protection to injured ligaments including ACL, MCL and meniscus. They are usually used for a short period of time ranging from two to eight weeks. They are specially made with foam liners surrounding the calf, thigh and knee and rigid bars on its two sides, with adjustable hinges at the knee. They are usually used with clutches. Due to this special make, have an advantage over other braces in that:
These types of braces are useful for patients with arthritis of the knee. These braces are made in such a way that they apply a valgus force from the external side hence reducing the pain caused by arthritis. To further reduce the pain for the patient, an improved joint proprioception may be fitted. For a doctor or pharmacy to issue this type of brace, one should provide a radiographic evidence of arthritis and varus malalignment. The American Academy of Orthopaedic surgeons over the past years has always recommended the use of unloader braces by patients with arthritis of the knee. This option, which is usually considered by many to be a conservative, has been found to be useful in extending time for patients before undergoing knee arthroplasty. This has made unloader knee braces the best option for patients who cannot be considered patients for surgeries due to other health issues.
Depending on the kind of situation you have, your doctor will recommend a different type of brace. However, key reasons why you may need a knee immobilizer as discussed above also includes:
In the case where surgery has been done, your doctor may recommend the use of post-operative braces .This is to ensure that healing by minimizing the knee movement. In such cases, the following types of braces are recommended:
Post-operative knee braces are especially important in case you have injured your knee and have had an ACL reconstruction surgery. The benefits of this type of brace include:
The hinges and stops of post-op braces offer support to your knee hence speeding up the healing from ligament surgery, cartilage operations, realignment of your patella, and in extreme cases, the total knee replacement. It is however important to note that the use of post –operative braces should be as recommended by the doctor. Moreover, the use of these braces does not guarantee you that you will not be injured after the operation hence the need to be persistently careful.
These are another important type of post-operative braces. They are specially made for both post-operative and post-injury rehabilitation. The universal model for these types of braces is standard to either fit the right or left knee available in both long and short sizes. They are also available with a breathable padding .This air light design offers special comfort to the patient due to its coolness. It also has a fill foam model that offers warmth and maximum control of tissues. Its straps are also made in a way that allows for quick brace placement and adjustment. These features are what make rehab knee braces an important selection for sport injuries, general rehabilitation, after surgery and control of movement.