Knee Braces & Supports
How to choose the right Knee Brace or Support.
1. Which Knee Brace or support is best for me?
There are five main categories when looking at Knee Braces:
- Hinged Knee Braces
Advanced Support. Encouraging the Knee to function within its near natural range of motion. Blocks unnatural lateral and medial movement(sideways), thereby reducing the injury risk.
- Knee Braces
Advanced Support. Metal springs on both sides of the knee function like the Hinge. They allow for near natural lateral and medial movement to a point.
- Stabilizer Braces
Metal springs on both sides of the knee, gives moderate support. The Range of motion and function are greater than Hinge knee brace and Knee Brace.
- Knee Supports
Being adjustable and easy to use makes them very convenient. Wraparound's providing support, warmth and compression at the same time.
- Straps and Sleeves
Knee Straps help relieve Knee pain. Knee sleeves provide comfort, warmth, compression.
2. Which Style would suit me best?
There are two main styles.
Slip-on Braces
Specific Sizes are for best support and comfort. They Slide on over the foot through the top opening of the brace. Pull them up over the knee and into place.
Wraparound Braces
They are adjustable with velcro straps. Their design allows them to placed in front or behind the Knee.
3. Should I get an Open or Closed Patella Knee Brace?
A Closed Patella lets the Patella (Knee Cap) receive the same compression as the rest of the Knee.
An Open Patella relieves the pressure on the Patella (Kneecap). It provides support and or tracking encouraging Knee movement.
4. How do I choose the correct size?
This will depend on the type of Knee Brace you choose.
Each Brace requires specific measurements to get the best support and comfort.
The main measurement is around the Patella Knee Cap. You may need to Measure 3 inches/7.5cm measurement around the leg above and below the knee for some Brace. You may need to measure the calf and thigh as well.
The sizing chart has both inches and cm. Should you find that you are between sizes it is often suggested that you buy the larger size.
