knee brace for knee injury prevention

[flybars]

I've read all the post's on knee braces and how they help the rider with injured knee's. I'm just curious if it would be smart for me to start wearing brace's to prevent a knee injury?
I have tweaked both knee's pretty good since I started riding offroad six years ago. And I think they are more prone now to injury. I'm 61 years old and really hope/plan to ride for many years to come.
I have read somewhere that it is possible to break your femur while wearing a knee brace.
I would really like to hear your thought's on this important subject. Thanks in advance.

 

[GMP]

I've popped my right knee four times, most before there was such a thing as an MRI or arthroscopic surgery. I don't even know if I have an ACL, never went for an MRI, but I suspect not. I just work it hard in the gym, take a lot of Glucosamine, and wear a CTi. Honestly, I think it helps some but will not prevent an injury in a big hit. I've had bruises on my leg from the forces being transferred, and at times felt it start to go if I caught my foot in a rut or on a rock, so it does work. I do think its an absolute psychological advantage. I won't ride or ski without it, I just don't feel right, and when you don't feel confident thats when bad things happen. Discipline yourself to ride with your toes inward, this will save a lot of pain.

Dr. Mark Sanders on ThumperTalk did a study on the knee brace and its effectiveness. Quite a thread if I remember.

 

[Krieg]

I wear my Asterisk braces religiously. As well as a Leatt neck brace. Wouldn't even think about riding without them.

 

[lankydoug]

By the time I get all the gear I want I will have the price of a bike invested in gear. Good knee braces are on the list and so is a neck brace. All times 2 so my son can wear good gear unlike the T-shirt jeans and Highpoint boots I wore as a kid. I like the looks of the Pod MX braces but would like to try some on and compare to other brands before dropping that much coin.

 

[mudwasp]

I wear Asterisk knee braces,Alpinestars neck brace,661 body armor, a Shark helmet and SIDI boots.I cannot afford to be out of work.
I read a quote from Dick Burleson once where he said"wear every piece of protective equipent that you have" I think that's good advice.I know for a fact that asterisk knee braces prevented a bad knee injury for my husband.

 

[flybars]

Thanks Mudwasp.

 

[mudwasp]

On the other hand i have a good friend who is 66 years old, has rarely worn a helmet(on or off road)never wears any protective gear except jeans, and thinks a scarf and beret are a "nice touch". He rides CRAZY stuff !Passes "young guys on their new bikes with the all that plastic armor" He is a really good rider,He has led a charmed life. I on the other hand am not that good or lucky.

 

[twowheels]

I wear CTi OTS (off the shelf, but fitted by a nice lady at the physio's office) whenever I ride ... no braces, no riding. I can't afford to be limping around, much less out of work.
Once fitted correctly you'll mostly forget that they are there. My lower legs have hurt a little from transfered loads on big hits, but I can still walk straight

 

[GMP]

Thats the one I have. A little bit bulkier than the full custom my brother has but works fine. Its pretty tired looking but still tight.

 

[flybars]

Thanks everyone. I think it's time I do this before something bad happens to my knee's. Any tips on how to be ok'd by a physician for the CTI's?

 

[GMP]

Thats why I have the off the shelf brace, bought direct out of pocket BEFORE new injury. If your an ACL or other knee injury patient then its usually no problem getting a custom CTi covered as part of treatment under a decent insurance plan.

 

[mudwasp]

Thats why I have the off the shelf brace, bought direct out of pocket BEFORE new injury. If your an ACL or other knee injury patient then its usually no problem getting a custom CTi covered as part of treatment under a decent insurance plan.

Agreed, my asterisks were a preemptive strike-and well worth it, much cheaper than even missing a week of work. I figure with a couple of the get off's that i've done they have paid for themselves several times over.

 

[flybars]

Thanks everyone. I'll start looking at the Evs, Pod, CTi, and the Asterisk braces.

 

[flybars]

After further research, it came down to either the CTi ots or the Pod. I met a CTi rep and tried on the CTi ots brace. The fit was way off because I have bowed legs! He told me he could heat and bend the Ossur Flex brace but couldn't garauntee the fit.
So it looks like I will need the CTi Custom. I wonder if in the meantime I would benefit from a soft material brace? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Btw, I read Dr. Mark Sander's conclusion, and in a nut shell, a good brace does indeed prevent many knee injuries.

 

[Skidad]

.
Btw, I read Dr. Mark Sander's conclusion, and in a nut shell, a good brace does indeed prevent many knee injuries.

Got a link to that article??? Quick search I couldn't find it. Previously Dr. Mark was not really a knee brace advocate so this is interesting.


FWIW I read of a pretty unhappy guy with a POD brace. I guess he needed a few replacement pieces and the only way to get them was to buy the full blown rebuild kit for like $150. Might want to think about that or check into it before getting POD braces.

 

[GMP]

Sanders did a poll with an open mind about the use of a brace. His issue was if a potential broken femur due to a brace of questionable effectiveness was worth wearing it, as fixing a knee is easier and less risky than fixing a femur. I think this applies to very high energy crashes though, like in MX/SX. You see more femur breaks from big air gone bad than in the woods.

 

[gasgasman]

When looking at knee braces, be sure to look at the knee cap coverage while the knee is bent.
Most knee brace have a big opening that a branch will pass right through.
I looked at the POD braces, they seemed very light weight and did not offer much protection.

I have the Asterisks and the new four lace up system is a pain in the butt. The two lace system was much easier to attach to your legs.

 

[GMP]

Yes, I can vouch for that. In my case, the stick hit the knee cup, deflected sideways, and was caught by the frame, guiding it through my leg like a drill guide. It was jammed in so tight between the cup and frame the ER doc had a job pulling the brace off the stick. I would not let them cut it off!

A smoother frontal area would have allowed it to just slide off. I

 

[flybars]

Skidad, first of all GMP is right about the severe crashes/broken femur's. I don't race and mostly trail ride. I would assume I found Dr. Sander's conclusions on TT, but could have found them on knee brace advertisements referring to his conclusions or all the different web sites I visited, including two or three different online mags. U will find them if U keep looking.
I agree with gasgasman about the pod. U can't just buy the hinge part that wears out. U have to buy the whole kit. I decided on the CTi after reading that. The only downside to the CTi imo is the gap at the knee cup. U might be able to sew a thin plastic plate to the knee area inside your pants. Or file down the raised ridges on the CTi cup?

 

[GMP]

I think the easiest thing to do would be to attach a larger cup from a knee pad over the top of the CTi patella cup, one that covers the gaps. I know I have some old Moose guards with very large knee cups. Some good velcro would probably be adequate.