# Knee Brace Recommendation?



## LittleChick (Mar 23, 2018)

I had ACL reconstruction 5 months ago, so I'm not currently training karate.  When I do go back, is there a knee brace that anyone recommends to help protect the graft that works well with karate?

Thanks!


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## drop bear (Mar 23, 2018)

I use this one. And a really tight size so it stays on. Worked well for me but I didn't have a graft. My knees are just crap.

Futuro Active Knit Knee Stablizer Extra Large


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## Swanson (Mar 24, 2018)

A guy at my club has just had key hole surgery on his knee
He's been off now for 5 months.
The doctor tld him to go back but avoid kicks until you build the strength back in the knee with exercise.


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## pdg (Mar 24, 2018)

I had a bad experience with a knee brace...

My knees weren't great in my first year, so I got a brace (neoprene type material, velcro fastening at the front) which worked well for a while.

I wore it sparring one night, and as I was lifting for a turning kick my opponent came in, pushing my foot toward my ****...

The brace acted like a leverage point and really stressed my knee.

For the next 3 or 4 weeks I had difficulty supporting myself on that leg if my knee was even slightly bent (with or without the brace) and since then wearing one makes my knee ache - oddly (maybe) my knee is now far better than it was before.


Not an opinion completely against braces, more of a cautionary tale to look after yourself


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## LittleChick (Mar 24, 2018)

Yeah, I know I probably won't really _need_ a brace if I keep up the strengthening exercises the physical therapist has given me, but I think it will give me a boost of confidence in that knee.  I've already tried going to a class last week, but I was just worrying about my knee the whole time, so I haven't gone back.  I know its definitely more mental than physical at this point.


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## CB Jones (Mar 24, 2018)

LittleChick said:


> Yeah, I know I probably won't really _need_ a brace if I keep up the strengthening exercises the physical therapist has given me, but I think it will give me a boost of confidence in that knee.  I've already tried going to a class last week, but I was just worrying about my knee the whole time, so I haven't gone back.  I know its definitely more mental than physical at this point.



I've known football players coming back from ACL and thats what they say.....its just hard to start trusting that your knee is going to hold up.  Just takes time and you getting out there and slowly proving it to yourself.


Note:  and thats real football....not soccer, to you non-americans.


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## pdg (Mar 24, 2018)

CB Jones said:


> Note:  and thats real football....not soccer, to you non-americans.



Oh, you mean that football where you don't actually use your feet much?

AKA, rugby with padding and helmets


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## Dirty Dog (Mar 24, 2018)

Here's the thing...
The knee is one of the more complicated, weaker, and most heavily stressed joints in the human body.
Not having access to your imaging, surgical records, etc, makes it pretty much impossible to make a reasonable recommendation. 
You need to see an orthopod, specifically one who specializes in sports medicine and follow their recommendations.


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## JR 137 (Mar 24, 2018)

I’ve never had anyone use it for karate, but the best ACL braces I’ve had people use is a DonJoy ACL brace.  Honestly, everything else I’ve seen used was problematic.  They require custom fitting by a tech and are custom made.  Insurance usually covers them with a script from an orthopedist.

Experience - Div 1 athletic trainer for 15 years, lower level college and high school for about 5.  I’ve had quite a few athletes with ACL ruptures, either while they were playing where I worked or had surgery shortly before coming in.  I’m not the biggest fan of bracing, but if you need it, DonJoy.  I’ve put football, basketball, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, and tennis players in them. Probably a few others too.  Not that DonJoy’s brace is perfect, but everything else I’ve seen has been very problematic -  not fitting right, falling apart, too fragile, etc.  DonJoy’s brace is pretty simple and effective.  They guarantee they’ll pay for surgery (after some fine print) if you re-tear while wearing their brace. 

Sorry for the DonJoy ad.  I don’t have any financial connection.  When something works, it just works.  If you’ve had a routine ACL reconstruction without any other issues and are progressing normally, it should be fine.  If there’s other factors at play, it might not be the right brace.


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## Xue Sheng (Mar 24, 2018)

Donjoy or McDavid


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## CB Jones (Mar 25, 2018)

JR 137 said:


> Div 1 athletic trainer for 15 years, lower level college and high school for about 5.



My son is interested in becoming an athletic trainer.  That’s of course if the NBA point guard or MLB 2nd baseman doesn’t work out for him...


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## Gerry Seymour (Mar 25, 2018)

Dirty Dog said:


> You need to see an orthopod...


I seriously initially read that as "...see an arthropod...", which seemed odd.


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## LittleChick (Mar 25, 2018)

Dirty Dog said:


> Here's the thing...
> The knee is one of the more complicated, weaker, and most heavily stressed joints in the human body.
> Not having access to your imaging, surgical records, etc, makes it pretty much impossible to make a reasonable recommendation.
> You need to see an orthopod, specifically one who specializes in sports medicine and follow their recommendations.



My orthopedic surgeon is a sports med specialist.  I plan on doing a follow-up with him before I return to training to see if he has any recommendations, but he's never mentioned it before, so I don't think he's a big believer in bracing either.  I was just wondering if anyone here had any experience with this and liked any certain type of brace or support.


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## Buka (Mar 26, 2018)

LittleChick said:


> I had ACL reconstruction 5 months ago, so I'm not currently training karate.  When I do go back, is there a knee brace that anyone recommends to help protect the graft that works well with karate?
> 
> Thanks!



LittleChick, if I may ask, how did you hurt your knee?


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## LittleChick (Mar 26, 2018)

Buka said:


> LittleChick, if I may ask, how did you hurt your knee?


I wish I had a cool story for that, but it was really just a careless mistake.  We were running a drill in which we were paired up.  I was doing step side-kicks down the floor while my partner held on to my belt to give resistance.  I did my left leg fine, but when we switched to the right leg, I just kind of threw the kick without getting down in my stance.  Since the guy had a firm grip on my belt, I basically bounced back over my left leg, and that's when I heard and felt the pop and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground.


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## Buka (Mar 26, 2018)

LittleChick said:


> I wish I had a cool story for that, but it was really just a careless mistake.  We were running a drill in which we were paired up.  I was doing step side-kicks down the floor while my partner held on to my belt to give resistance.  I did my left leg fine, but when we switched to the right leg, I just kind of threw the kick without getting down in my stance.  Since the guy had a firm grip on my belt, I basically bounced back over my left leg, and that's when I heard and felt the pop and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground.



Nah, there ain't any cool stories about this kind of thing, not even if you were fighting pirates. Well, _maybe_ pirates. 

I've been through the ACL thing before. I feel your pain, sistah'. 
I worked in a good Physical Therapy unit for several years, one that specialized in sports medicine, there's a preventive exercise, a really simple one, that's designed for women, women of all ages. [Women's hip structure being different than that of men.] To prevent it from happening again in either knee. 

If you want, I'll PM you.


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## LittleChick (Mar 26, 2018)

Buka said:


> Nah, there ain't any cool stories about this kind of thing, not even if you were fighting pirates. Well, _maybe_ pirates.
> 
> I've been through the ACL thing before. I feel your pain, sistah'.
> I worked in a good Physical Therapy unit for several years, one that specialized in sports medicine, there's a preventive exercise, a really simple one, that's designed for women, women of all ages. [Women's hip structure being different than that of men.] To prevent it from happening again in either knee.
> ...


Thanks!  That would be great!


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## pdg (Mar 26, 2018)

Buka said:


> simple one, that's designed for women, women of all ages. [Women's hip structure being different than that of men.] To prevent it from happening again in either knee



Can't you share it publicly?

I know a couple of women who could possibly benefit...


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## Buka (Mar 26, 2018)

pdg said:


> Can't you share it publicly?
> 
> I know a couple of women who could possibly benefit...



Yes, of course. The only reason I didn't was, you know how we all are on forums. Folks start coming up with alternate ways - which are all well and good in Martial Arts as there are so many ways to do so many things - but not always so well and good in other areas. I didn't want to do a disservice to LittleChick.

I'm leaving for work now, I'll get back to it, though.


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## pdg (Mar 26, 2018)

Buka said:


> Yes, of course. The only reason I didn't was, you know how we all are on forums. Folks start coming up with alternate ways - which are all well and good in Martial Arts as there are so many ways to do so many things - but not always so well and good in other areas. I didn't want to do a disservice to LittleChick.
> 
> I'm leaving for work now, I'll get back to it, though.



Yeah, fair enough.

PM me instead if you'd prefer to avoid the inevitable tears and recriminations


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## Gerry Seymour (Mar 26, 2018)

pdg said:


> Yeah, fair enough.
> 
> PM me instead if you'd prefer to avoid the inevitable tears and recriminations


Why? I'll cry anyway.


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## Buka (Apr 2, 2018)

LittleChick said:


> Thanks!  That would be great!





pdg said:


> Can't you share it publicly?
> 
> I know a couple of women who could possibly benefit...



My apologies at being so late getting back to you guys. Been helping a guy with some editing, so every time I turned on the laptop, that's where I went.

Anyway, rather than bore you with my notes, I'll cut to the exercise in the gym. But you might want to do a little googling of "Q angle of the knee" and 'Valgus in knee".

Here's an easy way to check alignment in the knee and correct it if necessary, or just work it to strengthen.

Stand in front of a mirror and do a lunge. Watch the angle of your forward knee in relation to your foot and hip. Due to hip structure in women, the knee will sometimes "float' inwards. That's bad, and it can lead to non contact injuries/tears in the knee. But it's pretty easy to correct.

 If the knee drifts inward, extend your opposite arm while doing the lunge and using the flat of your hand inside the knee to keep it in line. [Some people prefer to use the arm on the same side, using the back of the hand] Return to standing position and repeat in sets. Within a few weeks you can correct this fairly easily.

Two supplemental exercises to help strengthen and alleviate knee ills, _and_ are ideal for martial strength, are lateral squat shuffles - just stay in a squat, good back position of course, and laterally shuffle back and forth. BUT control the alignment of the knee by _concentrating on the muscles_ of the leg,_ not the structure of the knee._

And finally, everyone's favorite [said nobody, ever] Russian Hamstring curls._





_
Best of luck going forward. And, yes, the Russian Curls _really_ suck_._
And if you do them, you need to increase your quad work_,_ too.


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## LittleChick (Apr 2, 2018)

Buka said:


> My apologies at being so late getting back to you guys. Been helping a guy with some editing, so every time I turned on the laptop, that's where I went.
> 
> Anyway, rather than bore you with my notes, I'll cut to the exercise in the gym. But you might want to do a little googling of "Q angle of the knee" and 'Valgus in knee".
> 
> ...





Buka said:


> My apologies at being so late getting back to you guys. Been helping a guy with some editing, so every time I turned on the laptop, that's where I went.
> 
> Anyway, rather than bore you with my notes, I'll cut to the exercise in the gym. But you might want to do a little googling of "Q angle of the knee" and 'Valgus in knee".
> 
> ...



Cool! Thanks, Buka!  I did learn in PT that my knees do drift inward and now I know how I can correct that.  Much appreciated!


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## Buka (Apr 3, 2018)

LittleChick said:


> Cool! Thanks, Buka!  I did learn in PT that my knees do drift inward and now I know how I can correct that.  Much appreciated!



It's worked very well for us over the years. 

One other thing - that drill where you injured it, partner holding the belt and all. If you can, the better way to do that is with elastic cords. Like the ones in your PT unit. Medium ones to start.


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## Gerry Seymour (Apr 3, 2018)

Buka said:


> It's worked very well for us over the years.
> 
> One other thing - that drill where you injured it, partner holding the belt and all. If you can, the better way to do that is with elastic cords. Like the ones in your PT unit. Medium ones to start.


If I was a bit better informed on using those, I’d buy that stuff by the roll.


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