A knee brace (or support or splint) can play a critical role in reducing knee pain and helping the joint recover from various types of injury.
A knee brace can provide support and/or compression to help heal many common causes of knee pain. These include Jumper’s Knee (aka patellar tendonitis), a maltracking patella, a sprained knee ligament and many others.
However, there is a vast variety of braces available on the market today. If a medical professional has advised you to wear a knee brace, you may be in need of additional guidance as to which is the best for you.
Knee braces can provide either lateral support or kneecap support. Lateral support protects the knee joint against forces that can push it either inwards (towards the centre of the body) or outwards (away from the centre).
As we have explained above, the knee already possesses four ligaments to protect against such forces (see the diagram at the start of this page). However, if these ligaments are overstretched, torn or ruptured, a knee brace can supplement the protection they provide and allow them to heal more quickly than they otherwise would.
Knee braces can also provide patellar support (i.e. support to the kneecap). The kneecap sits in a narrow groove in the thigh bone known as the trochlear groove. Some types of knee disorders can result in the kneecap being unable to remain centrally positioned in the groove. Instead, the kneecap may tilt either to the inner or outer side of the knee.
Knee braces can provide direct patellar support by keeping the kneecap centrally positioned and preventing this tilt.
In addition to patellar or lateral support, some knee braces can provide direct compression to the joint to control pain and/or inflammation. In some cases, the compression is needed not directly to the joint but to a specific area just above or below it.
For example, the patellar tendon connects the kneecap to the tibia and can sometimes become injured or inflamed (for example, if you develop a case of patellar tendinitis). In this situation, it can be therapeutic to apply compression to the tendon to stabilize it and reduce the pain.
Knee braces can also, in some cases, change the point of contact between the thighbone (femur) and the shinbone (tibia). This is useful if the cartilage between these bones has deteriorated for one reason or another and you are starting to experience pain as the two bones make direct contact with each other.
Finally, a knee brace (or splint) can also provide soothing warmth for additional pain relief if it uses neoprene or some other heat retentive material.
When selecting a knee splint, we suggest that you ask yourself whether you are looking for a brace to provide support and, if yes, the type of support you will need (lateral or kneecap) and the amount of support.
Essentially, there are six types of knee brace design – hinged knee braces, knee stabilizers, knee compression sleeves , knee straps, patella stabilizers and unloader knee braces.
Hinged knee braces offer the strongest lateral support possible while allowing your knee to maintain the most natural range of motion. Importantly, hinged braces can also protect the knee joint against hyperextension (excessive straightening of the joint, placing stress on the back of the knee joint). This type of knee brace is most useful in combating injuries like severe knee ligament sprains or damage to the knee menisci. They can also be useful in speeding recovery post surgery to correct knee problems such as a completely ruptured ligament.
Knee stabilizers use metal springs or plastic stays on either side of the knee to provide another form of lateral support. However, this support is not as strong as that provided by hinged braces. In addition, knee stabilizers cannot, in general, protect against knee hyperextension. If you have a mild knee ligament sprain or suffer from knee joint instability, this type of knee support may be the most appropriate for your injury.
In general, stabilizing knee braces are a little more comfortable and lightweight than hinged knee braces.If you have injured your knee in the past and are looking for a knee brace to provide more support while you participate in sport or work out, this type of brace may again be appropriate.
Knee compression sleeves do not provide any significant lateral or kneecap support but instead apply general compression to the knee joint. Like knee stabilizers, you may find them appropriate for injury prevention during physical activity or for treating mild general knee injuries. Many knee sleeves also retain body heat and can serve as a source of therapeutic warmth to the knee, particularly if they are made from neoprene.
Knee straps offer no lateral or kneecap support but can help provide targeted compression to relieve certain conditions. As we have mentioned above, patellar tendinitis is one such condition. IT Band Syndrome (when compression is required just above the knee joint) is another.
Patella stabilizers possess a buttress that surrounds the knee cap to keep it properly oriented and prevent patella tracking problems such as partial or complete dislocation, tilt or glide. In some cases, this feature may be incorporated in one of the other types of design e.g. some hinged knee braces also have a patella stabilization feature.
As mentioned above, unloader knee braces are designed to shift the point of contact between the femur (thighbone) and the tibia (shin bone). This type of brace is useful in combating a type of knee arthritis known as osteoarthritis in which the cartilage between the bones deteriorates. It is also useful in treating meniscus tear injuries, which can sometimes have osteoarthritis as the root cause. Shifting the point of contact to an area with healthy cartilage can be effective in reducing knee osteoarthritis pain.
In addition to the type or degree or compression of support from your brace, you should also give some thought to the type of closure mechanism. In addition, you should also consider whether you would prefer an open or closed patella design.
There are two types of knee splint closure mechanisms to choose from – slip on and wraparound. While slip ons are usually sized, wraparound braces are usually more adjustable and can be placed either in front of or behind the knee. If you suffer from compromised manual dexterity or strength, you may prefer the wraparound design. In some cases, the wraparound design is more adaptable to unusual knee shapes or sizes.
Another important categorization is open vs. closed patella. Closed patella braces provide the same amount of compression to the knee cap as to the remainder of the knee. Open patella braces are more comfortable and will also relieve pressure on the patella.
Correct sizing of your knee splint or brace is extremely important. Each will come with specific instructions as to the measurements you need to make for a proper fit. We suggest you follow these closely. If your measurements place you in between sizes, we suggest you choose the larger of the two.
Showing 25–48 of 71 results
The Mueller Sports Medicine Jumper’s Knee Strap boasts a tube shaped insert that helps to improve patellar tracking. The insert also provides concentrated mild pressure on your patellar tendon just below your kneecap. The Jumper’s Knee Strap will relieve pain that may result from frequent and intense running and jumping. The Knee Strap comes in…
The McDavid Knee Brace With Dual Disk Hinges features an open centred 360˚ padded buttress to isolate and support your patella, as well as bound edges that help prevent irritation. In addition, a perforated back panel provides heat and moisture management and all-around comfort.
The McDavid Knee Brace With Polycentric Hinges uses bi-lateral geared polycentric hinges to provide you with stability and free movement. Its engineered top and bottom straps assure a customized and comfortable fit.
The McDavid Knee Sleeve employs their exclusive 5-needle stitch for a flatter, cleaner and stronger seam that reduces skin damage from wearing the sleeve. It also has a seamless back of knee design for additional comfort in that sensitive area, as well as an outer covering made from heavy duty nylon fabric for added durability.
The McDavid Knee Sleeve / 4-Way Elastic With Gel Buttress has a 4-way stretch elastic material that allows for increased compression and fit without heat retention.
The McDavid Knee Sleeve / 4-Way Elastic With Gel Buttresses & Stays has a 4-way stretch elastic material that provides increased compression and a closer fit without heat retention.
Level 2: Advanced Protection – Moderate support and relief from pain associated with arthritis, bursitis and tendonitis
The McDavid Knee Sleeve / Elastic compresses and supports weak or injured soft tissues. It uses an elastic construction that allows your knee to breathe and is ideal for those with sensitive skin or neoprene allergies. The pull on design facilitates application and removal.
The McDavid Knee Sleeve With Anterior Patch & Open Patella has an anterior patch that adds compression and therapeutic heat. Its open knee design allows added comfort around the patella.
Level 1: Primary Protection – Minor support helping to relieve pain and promote healing of tendonitis, bursitis, arthritis and other non-specific knee conditions.
The LP Knee Stabilizer offers uniform compression to injured knees during the rehabilitation process. The Knee Stabilizer also has lateral and medial stays that offer additional stability and support. In addition to these stays, the Stabilizer also has two hook and loop straps to facilitate adjustable compression if and when you need this. An additional…
The McDavid Knee Strap / Patella employs a tubular, non-slip buttress to apply constant and uniform compression to your patellar tendon. It has an adjustable hook and loop closure for custom fit.
The LP Knee Support effectively supports and compresses damaged muscles or ligaments. It is made from nylon (70%) and spandex (30%). Using highly tensile elastic materials increases compression and therapeutic effectiveness of this support. It also makes the Knee Support an ideal choice if you have experienced neoprene allergies and wish to avoid them in…
The McDavid Knee Support / Adjustable uses movable padded buttresses for targeted compression and pain relief. There is also an adjustable hook and loop closure for custom fit. The flat-seam construction provides ultra comfort and contouring fit
The comfort oriented McDavid Knee Support With Open Patella uses an open knee design for added comfort around the patella and McDavid’s exclusive 5-needle stitch for all round wearing comfort.
The McDavid Knee Support With Stays features padded buttress to support the patella, spring steel stays to provide reinforced support and elastic hook and loop straps to ensure an outstanding fit. There is an exterior layer of nylon fabric for durability.
The McDavid Knee Support With Stays & Cross Straps has reinforced spring steel stays to offer superior medial-lateral stability and confidence. It also includes elastic cross straps for enhanced compression and for collateral ligament support. The padded open buttress offers 360˚ support of the patella.
The Kneed-It Knee Strap helps to ease minor knee pain commonly associated with arthritis, tendonitis and chondromalacia.
Relieve your tibiofemoral and patellofemoral OA pain by choosing the BioSkin OA Spiral Knee Brace. It provides relief from both forms of OA pain and is easy to fit, apply and use.
The Mueller Sports Medicine OmniForce Adjustable Knee Stabilizer AKS-500 uses 3 coiled alloy stays and 360° straps to help support your arthritic or weak knees.
The Mueller Sports Medicine Knee Sleeve – Open Patella provides soothing warmth and even compression. Its open patella design helps to relieve pressure on your kneecap. Fits either knee.
The One Size Open Patella Knee Support from LP is a versatile knee support that will compress overstretched or weak knees to promote healing.
The LP Patella Brace applies therapeutic pressure to your patellar tendon to improve tracking and ease the pain of repetitive stress injuries.
The Mueller Sports Medicine Patella Stabilizer helps provide relief from chondromalacia (irritated kneecap) with a comfortable patella buttress. Fits either knee.
The Bio Skin Patella Stabilizer is an effective choice for treating patellar instability, anterior knee pain and other knee problems. Its donut shaped buttresses help to stabilize your patella and control swelling away while you remain comfortable and cool even during extended wearing periods.
The Bio Skin Patella Stabilizer with Conforma Hinge will help to treat anterior knee pain and other patellar instability related knee problems. Constructed from Bio Skin’s patented, breathable materials, the Stabilizer gives excellent compression to control swelling and decrease pain in the knee. The donut shaped buttresses stabilize the patella and help keep swelling away from the knee joint. The brace has a lightweight and comfortable hinge to help address problems of knee joint instability..
