What Are Knee Braces (1)

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What Are Knee Braces?
The purpose of a knee brace is to protect your
knee from being injured when you are playing
sports and doing other types of physical activity
such as working around the house, walking the
dog, etc. They can also offer protection if you
have already injured your knee or have gone
through some type of knee surgery.
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Types of Knee Braces
(1). Knee Bands (2). Knee Sleeves
(3). Hinged (4).
Functional (5). Post OP
(6). Unloader
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Knee Bands
If you have pain just below the kneecap (in the
patellar tendon), you might be able to relieve
most of the pain with a simple knee band (also
known as patellar stabilizing brace). The purpose
of the band is to relieve the stress on the
tendon, which should reduce some of the pain.
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Knee Sleeves
Technically this one is not a brace however it
is often referred as one. They are normally made
of flexible material such as neoprene and are
mainly used to support your knees during general
daily activities and also to prevent previous
minor injuries from re-occurring.
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Hinged
These typically consist of hinges, bars and
straps and are generally used to protect the knee
from injury during contact sports (e.g.
football, basketball, etc.), while still
providing mobility. Also known as prophylactic
knee braces.
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Functional
The purpose of this type of brace is to reduce
knee instability after an injury to a ligament.
They can also lower the risk of additional
injuries during physical activities. They come in
various forms, such as hinge-post-strap or
hinge-post-shell. They are often recommended for
people who have already injured themselves and
want to continue to play sports.
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Post OP
Designed to limit the movement of the knee during
the healing process following an injury and/or
surgery. They typically consist of a foam liner
or shell that surrounds the thigh, knee and calf,
with full-length steel bars on both sides with
hinges at the knee level.
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Unloader
Designed specifically for people suffering from
knee arthritis. They are designed to take the
load (stress) from the knee and redirect it to
the thigh bone to provide relief. They are
typically made of formed plastic, foam and steel.
Some doctors may recommend this type of brace to
people preparing for knee replacement surgery.