Prophylactic knee brace reduces peak ACL strain during landing in a high-risk athlete.

knee brace 2Prophylactic knee brace reduces peak ACL strain during landing in a high-risk athlete (Sage Journals)

Can a knee brace reduce the strain in the anterior cruciate ligament? A study using combined in vivo/in vitro method

  1. Gajendra Hangalur
  2. Elora Brenneman
  3. Micah Nicholls
  4. Ryan Bakker
  5. Andrew Laing
  6. Naveen Chandrashekar

  1. University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
  1. Naveen Chandrashekar, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada. Email: nchandra@uwaterloo.ca

Abstract

Background and aim: It is unknown whether prophylactic knee braces can reduce the strain in the anterior cruciate ligament during dynamic activities.

Technique: An athlete, who had characteristics of high anterior cruciate ligament injury risk, was chosen. A motion capture system (Optotrak Certus; Northern Digital, Waterloo, ON, Canada) was used to record dynamic trials during drop-landing activity of this subject with and without the knee brace being worn. A musculoskeletal model was used to estimate the muscle forces during this activity. A dynamic knee simulator then applied kinematics and muscle forces on a cadaver knee with and without the brace mounted on it. The anterior cruciate ligament strain was measured.

Discussion: The peak strain in the anterior cruciate ligament was substantially lower for the braced (7%) versus unbraced (20%) conditions. Functional knee braces could decrease the strain in the anterior cruciate ligament during dynamic activities in a high-risk subject. However, the reduction seems to be a result of altered muscle firing pattern due to the brace.

Clinical relevance Prophylactic knee brace could reduce the strain in the anterior cruciate ligament of high-risk subjects during drop-landing through altered muscle firing pattern associated with brace wear. This could help reduce the anterior cruciate ligament injury risk.

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