The aim of this study was to determine the effect of three different knee braces on the normal gait of the participants. The study was focused specifically on observation of the angle of the knee, hip, and ankle during a normal gait cycle. Both the dominant and non-dominant legs were observed; ideally, a brace should not change the non-braced leg's kinematics but should selectively minimize the range of motion in the braced leg's kinematics. A recent study has shown that knee braces are not effective for individuals with normally aligned knees [1]. Using the results obtained from the present study, it was found that the use of a prophylactic knee brace sustained normal gait with minimal effects on the contralateral knee compared to the other braces studied. The order from highest to lowest efficacy was found to be the prophylactic brace, the neoprene sleeve, and then the unloader brace.
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