Prophylactic 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
Gajendra Hangalur
Elora Brenneman
Micah Nicholls
Ryan Bakker
Andrew Laing
Naveen Chandrashekar
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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 cruc...
