# What type of knee brace?



## DualRollers (Apr 24, 2014)

Many years of skateboarding, bmx, and single speed mountain bikes have absolutely wrecked my right knee. I believe I have perpetual "runner's knee", but I am not completely sure. I was riding my fixed gear about 2 years ago and felt a nasty "pop" going down a hill. I couldn't walk on that leg for a couple days after that, but it eventually went away. Now it comes and goes, usually a pinchy feeling behind my knee cap, thought it's never bad enough to make me feel like I need to see someone. It's just annoying enough to piss me off...

I was curious if there are any particular types of knee braces I could try? I poked around on the internet but there are literally a hundred different kinds of knee braces, and I have no idea which one is best or what they are specific to. 

Any insight?


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## Maizie88 (Apr 29, 2014)

Honestly, I recommend just simple taping. It gives great support but with no bulkiness. You can't even tell it's on. I used it for my foot and it made a huge difference.


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## sherwin24 (Jul 23, 2010)

I would suggest seeing a doctor first, then possibly an orthopedic surgeon, or PT depending on what they find the issue is. After 2 ACL reconstructions, broken tibias and now OA in my knees, the only braces they have had me wear are after surgery for support and safety, not a long term solution. Wish I could tell you different, but you can do a lot more damage continuing on than getting it corrected. My first ACL I had pain for a few days, then continued on life as normal, dealing with the feeling something wasn't right. 6 months later at the annual doc visit I mentioned it to him, 2 weeks later I was in for surgery. Trust me, knees don't get better by ignoring the problem, and when they do fail, your life changes.


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## mcozzy29 (Oct 6, 2014)

I'm interested in this also. I've popped my knee the other week & am going through the diagnosis now. Whatever the outcome or whatever the doc says, I never want to feel my knee collapse on landing a jump again.
I'm looking that the leatt c frame & the asterisk cell. I like the open inner of the leatt but ideally want to try various makes. 
Someone must wear braces surely?


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## sherwin24 (Jul 23, 2010)

Wait to hear what the doctor says and recommends. Good knee braces are meant to help stabilize a part of the knee due to a deficiency, whether it be from injury, muscle loss, post surgery, etc. Without knowing what area you are targeting you could actually put more load on the area you are hoping to stabilize. Wearing a brace does not really give full protection from injury either. Like I said earlier, wear them to target a specific problem with the knee, it will help in that regard, but it can create a problem to another area, especially in a crash. You don't want to crash and have it load a different area of the knee, all of a sudden you are putting a lot more force into an area than what would have been there without one.

When I have had to wear a custom one after surgery, I didn't notice it was on while riding, but once I strengthened the muscles back enough through PT to not wear it, I was very happy to not have it on. 

So my take on it, and I am not a health care professional in any way, just been through this a few times, is this: The only time I would wear a brace is if a doctor or PT told me I should, and told me what to wear and when. Strengthening the muscles of the legs would be my long term solution, flexibility, all that. Hopefully I never get to the point they tell me to wear a brace everytime I want to do an activity long term. Hoping by then I see the reaper coming up in the rear view and I can gun it for one last hoorrah.


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## intheways (Apr 19, 2004)

Doing a lot of strength work to support the knee is definitely the way to go, until a Sports OS tells you to wear a brace. I'm getting fitted for a Donjoy Defiance OA brace soon, because of some damage on the outside of my knee. They even have an impact guard available. 

A good OS is key though. I saw a bunch of mediocre ones until I found a really good one and the rest is history-Back in the saddle!


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## Exodus11 (Aug 21, 2007)

This was me last week. Went for a quick ride with my 5yo (who absolutely rips by the way :thumbsup:). 

Walked into the house, all was good. Took two steps into my kitchen and heard a "crunch crunch craaaaack and pop" in my left knee. Instant pain, to the point I had to just stand there for a few minutes attempting to move my leg, fighting through the pain. That night I iced it and heat wrapped it, figured it was nothing. The next morning I got up and it was nice and swollen, couldn't put much weight on it. By that evening my wife had convinced me to go to the Urgent care by our house. Doc did some very uncomfortable movement's with my leg, turning it to the sides and bending it etc. His generic conclusion was possible sprained knee or possible torn meniscus. Hooked me up with a hinged brace for support and its got a foam insert around the knee cap that looks like a backwards "L" to support the cap up and to the right. I have been trying to use it only when walking around or absolutely needing it. Bottom line, my knee is feeling better but still has a pinching/soreness to it, but i have not gotten back on my bike yet. (Going to try tonight or tomorrow night)

IMO, go get it looked at. At least by someone...I used to work at an orthopaedics company, specializing in and distributing hip/knee replacement parts (in no way am i a doctor or even know what the hell im looking at). I can tell you working there, seeing the parts, and the trays the doc's use to install said parts, as well as watching youtube vid's of knee/hip procedures, you'd be better off getting it looked at.


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## mcozzy29 (Oct 6, 2014)

Well I bought a pod k4 regardless. Unfortunately it feels too small so I'm going to try the xl/xxl instead. 
I also got the results from the mri today, acl, mcl, meniscus, cracked bone & something about the marrow also. Bugger


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## KTM250SXS (Feb 10, 2016)

Get it looked at. If you've broken off any cartilage then it'll be floating around wreaking havoc. It's only a matter of time before it gets wedged somewhere it shouldn't if you have. It can cause the knee to lock and will happen at the least opportune moment!


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## KTM250SXS (Feb 10, 2016)

Please ignore my last. For some reason I never saw your update.


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## mcozzy29 (Oct 6, 2014)

Well the pod k4 brace in xl is absolutely brilliant! I can ride my bike again, or rather I can sit on my bike & hit a fairly gentle gravity run with no problems what so ever.
However I was marshalling at an enduro event today, which I had originally entered, and I slipped over whilst walking & bent my knee again in all sorts of wrong directions and I'm back to stage one again.
Luckily I am seeing the doc this thursday when he is back from his hols for the next steps.
I have now realised that there is likely to be no more biking this year, an extremely difficult realization as I'm booked for a riding holiday in the french alps in July.


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## sherwin24 (Jul 23, 2010)

Sorry to hear mate, just keep a positive attitude and work towards riding again! A year ago my tibia was healing, MCL partially torn and ACL was just reconstructed. I wanted to ride so bad, it drove me to follow protocol but work hard as I could to get back. On a trainer 2 weeks after surgery, riding my bike on rail trails by late July, and back on tame single track by October. By March this year I was in better shape than I had been in years and loving every minute of hitting trails without thinking about knee problems.

The first month post surgery was the worst of it, being unable to really go anywhere. Ended up buying a new frame, then carbon wheels, basically built up my dream bike and had to sit and look at it for a few months without being able to ride it anywhere. So be forewarned, bike lust has a way of striking when you sit and read about all the new bike porn.


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## KTM250SXS (Feb 10, 2016)

I feel your pain. I done my Anterior Cruciate, Posterior Cruciate, Lateral Collateral and Medial Collateral Ligaments amongst other damage when I hyper extended my knee. The good news is that I done that almost 20yrs ago. After an extended period of rehab I got back to doing pretty much everything I did before, with the exception of running for obvious reasons!


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## ACree (Sep 8, 2004)

mcozzy29 said:


> I'm interested in this also. I've popped my knee the other week & am going through the diagnosis now. Whatever the outcome or whatever the doc says, I never want to feel my knee collapse on landing a jump again.
> I'm looking that the leatt c frame & the asterisk cell. I like the open inner of the leatt but ideally want to try various makes.
> Someone must wear braces surely?


Late response, I know, but just saw this since while attempting self diagnosis of my knee pain. I have asterisk cell knee braces (2010 era) that I use for offroad moto use, and I can't imagine riding bicycles with them on. They do provide a lot of support, it's very noticeable just putting them on. I don't consider them at all comfortable though. They are bulky, barely fitting in my mx boots, and limit motion to such a degree that my riding form on a motorcycle is impacted. Personally I am now looking at Mobius and Leatt braces. Leatt's are on closeout at a lot of locations, yet leaning toward Mobius because of reviews. Rockymountain atv/mc has a video that goes over the features of these two and some others that I thought was interesting. A friend used a custom don joy brace after 2 acl surgeries incurred on mtb.

re the comments on not wearing braced unless advised by a dr, that depends on the risk of what you're doing. It's rare to see knee braces in mtb for sure, but very common in moto, where $600 for preventative braces is seen as much cheaper than knee surgery.


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## Gravityaholic (Aug 15, 2014)

Bummer, I probably have a torn miniscus too, how much does it cost for an MRI ? There's a 6 month wait for a free MRI in the public healthcare system around here.


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## Gravityaholic (Aug 15, 2014)

I answered my own question: 640$ can. for a knee MRI, that's 475$ in U.S. dollars.


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## jsalas2 (Nov 29, 2008)

I have been using these for 3 years even after I healed I kept using them to prevent reinjury and they have done that,. As others have said you need to find out what you need to protect first. They are pricey but can be found on eBay and pink bike for a good price. Check them out.Troy Lee Designs Catalyst X Knee Brace - Reviews, Comparisons, Specs - Motocross / Dirt Bike Knee Accessories - Vital MX
Troy Lee Designs Catalyst X Knee Brace - Reviews, Comparisons, Specs - Motocross / Dirt Bike Knee Accessories - Vital MX


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