Effect of bracing on the prevention of anterior knee pain—a prospective randomized study

Abstract

There have been numerous reports about the use of knee braces to prevent traumatic knee injuries. Despite the frequent use of braces, very few prospective studies have been performed to study the effect of knee braces for preventing anterior knee pain syndrome (AKPS). The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a dynamic patellofemoral brace (On-Track System, dj Orthopedics) in the prevention of AKPS. 167 military recruits without history of knee pain were randomized into two groups prior to the start of their 6-week basic military training (BMT) program. The first group (brace group) consisted of 54 recruits who wore the braces for all physical activities during these 6 weeks. 113 recruits served as a control group, and followed the same 6-week strenuous training program. Chi square statistics (Fisher exact test) were used to compare the number of AKPS patients in the brace group and in the non-brace group. Our results indicated that recruits in the brace group appeared to develop significantly less anterior knee pain compared to the recruits in the control group (p=0.020). Out of the 54 recruits in the brace group, ten (18.5%) developed anterior knee pain during this study. In the control group (n=113), 42 recruits (37%) developed anterior knee pain. We conclude that the result of the present study suggests that the use of a dynamic patellofemoral brace is an effective way to prevent the development of anterior knee pain in persons undergoing a strenuous training program.

The Effects of a Neoprene Knee Sleeve on Subjects With a Poor Versus Good Joint Position Sense Subjected to an Isokinetic Fatigue Protocol

“…2,6,34,35 Previous research already has demonstrated the beneficial effects of preventative patellofemoral bracing during strenuous training sessions. 20,36 We suggest that the improvement of proprioceptive abilities of the knee joint in fatigued conditions is one of the effective mechanisms of preventative bracing. The relative contribution of joint and muscle receptors to the proprioceptive deficits caused by fatigue remains controversial and unknown to a certain extent.…”

“…Studies have demonstrated that these supports improve performance and decrease overuse injury rates during activity. 19,20 Research also has shown that neoprene knee sleeves and elastic bandages improve knee joint position sense. [21][22][23] The use of NKS will presumably influence more the specific slow adapting skin receptors 24 and the Ruffini receptor endings of the superficial layers of the joint capsule.…”

A clinical study of the biomechanics of step descent using different treatment modalities for patellofemoral pain

“…The pain relieving effects of bracing have been attributed to an increased stabilization of the joint, which reduces muscle force generation [9]. It has also been suggested that knee sleeves/braces increase warmth, provide compression and may enhance proprioception [10][11][12].…”

An open label pilot investigation of the efficacy of Botulinum toxin type A [Dysport] injection in the rehabilitation of chronic anterior knee pain

“…Conservative treatment for PFJ dysfunction may include patellofemoral bracing [23] or taping [11,19,24] to passively restore more normal alignment of the PFJ; while specific quadriceps muscle stretching and strengthening exercises [3,4,11,25,26], sometimes augmented with neuromuscular electrical stimulation [27] or electromyography [EMG] biofeedback [4,27], aim to correct the underlying muscle imbalance. Despite the success of these treatment approaches [4,27 -29], some individuals experience chronic knee pain and dysfunction.…”