Knee Brace

[lh_1990]

I recently got back to skiing having been away from it since my teens (now 31) due to surgery on my leg. I now have prosthetic in place of most of my femur, part of my tibia and my knee joint (full disclosure, skiing is not exactly 'recommended' for me, but the minute I got back to it it made me incredibly happy and I'm now obsessed...so I guess I'm going rogue).
Im wondering if anyone had any experience with braces to help provide knee stability. Currently I use a hinged brace which definitely helps. Considering a custom brace, but these are super expensive so im weighing the options. Realistically nothing is going to take away the risk but may help a bit. I realise this is maybe a bit niche, but thought this community might have some suggestions.

 

[marzNC]

Welcome! Have you looked around the Health, Fitness, and Injury section? There have been other threads about knee braces in recent years.

Health, Fitness, Injuries & Recovery

Anything to do with staying fit & healthy, as well as injury causes, prevention, & recovery -- both ski & non-ski related.

www.theskidiva.com

From what I know about knee braces and skiing, it pays to invest in a custom brace that accommodates ski boots. I did a fair amount of reading about custom brace options a while back after a knee injury and rehab. For my situation, I opted to invest in lessons instead of a brace. One reason was that the ortho surgeon I consulted with noted that a brace would only protect against hyper-extension. Note that for my knee injury, I had the option to avoid surgery.

 

[lh_1990]

Oh no, I had totally missed that section...that would have been a much more sensible place to post this...i don't know if I can move it or not! But thank you! For me avoidance of hyperextension would definitely be useful from a function point of view, as my knee tends to snap back easily, so that's good to know. Something that gives some lateral stability would also be important. That's interesting about customs braces accommodating ski boots, I hadn't come across those so will definitely investigate!

 

[marzNC]

Oh no, I had totally missed that section...that would have been a much more sensible place to post this...i don't know if I can move it or not! But thank you! For me avoidance of hyperextension would definitely be useful from a function point of view, as my knee tends to snap back easily, so that's good to know. Something that gives some lateral stability would also be important. That's interesting about customs braces accommodating ski boots, I hadn't come across those so will definitely investigate!

No worries. Could be moved . . . paging @ski diva

I'm petite, so relatively short legs. So the length of a knee brace to fit above a ski boot was a consideration.

The brand name I remember is Don Joy.

 

[lh_1990]

Yeah I've seen a few of the Don Joy ones. The one I have currently is just one I got off amazon so nothing very specialised. I'll have a better look into the custom ones!

 

[scandium]

I think aside from fit under ski gear, the choice of brace will also be dictated by what movements are most harmful for your knee and prosthetic (as well as your own strength and range of motion in the muscles around the joint). I presume you want to restrict yourself as much as possible to flexion and extension within a given range rather than allowing any lateral movement or rotation, in which case the hinged brace sounds good. If you still have a good physical therapist involved they may also be able to advise.

 

[lh_1990]

Thanks for the help! Yeah that's exactly what I'm looking for, something that provides some lateral protection is key because that's where the prosthesis is the most vulnerable, whereas I need some support in flexion and extension from a function point of view as I also lost a chunk of muscle so there is a degree of weakness. I don't have a good PT at the moment unfortunately, I recently moved from Ireland to BC and that is one of the things I haven't figured out yet (suggestions welcome if anyone's local!)

 

[SkiGAP]

Having some of the same needs, I wear the DonJoy Armor Knee Brace with FourcePoint Hinge, with the option of a shorter lower part to accommodate a ski boot.

 

[skibum4ever]

I have no advice but I am rehabbing a broken leg which included the tibia fibula and femur and also a knee replacement so I am following this thread.

 

[lh_1990]

Having some of the same needs, I wear the DonJoy Armor Knee Brace with FourcePoint Hinge, with the option of a shorter lower part to accommodate a ski boot.

Thanks! That's one of the ones I've looked at but was cautious because of the price. Did you get it through a clinic/PT? Also, do you find you have to wear a sleeve or anything underneath it? I'm conscious that there's not too much at the front of the brace.

 

[lh_1990]

I have no advice but I am rehabbing a broken leg which included the tibia fibula and femur and also a knee replacement so I am following this thread.

Glad to swap tips!

 

[newboots]

Hi @lh_1990 - glad to have you here! Sounds like there are some ideas for you; I’m sure many more will be along.

 

[lh_1990]

Hi @lh_1990 - glad to have you here! Sounds like there are some ideas for you; I’m sure many more will be along.

Thanks! Glad to be here

 

[SkiGAP]

Thanks! That's one of the ones I've looked at but was cautious because of the price. Did you get it through a clinic/PT? Also, do you find you have to wear a sleeve or anything underneath it? I'm conscious that there's not too much at the front of the brace.

It was indeed $$. I have worn it both on my bare leg and on top of my light base layer - works well either way. I had it referred to me by my PT after I had an ACL rupture/meniscus tear a few years back. Am thinking of getting another one for my other knee as a preventative measure - it's excellent in my view.

 

[lh_1990]

It was indeed $$. I have worn it both on my bare leg and on top of my light base layer - works well either way. I had it referred to me by my PT after I had an ACL rupture/meniscus tear a few years back. Am thinking of getting another one for my other knee as a preventative measure - it's excellent in my view.

Good to know it's worth the money. I've made an appointment for a PT where they do custom braces and brace fitting so will see what they say, but it's good to hear that they do make a difference.

 

[altagirl]

I have two DonJoy Defiance knee braces, but insurance paid for them after ACL surgeries. They are the short model so they work with ski boots. But they are also custom made.

The only issue I've had with pants is that i can end up with small holes in my pants where the brace hinges bump together.

 

[lh_1990]

Thanks! I'm tempted to see whether I might be able to get one through insurance/benefits too. I'm not sure I'll be able to convince them that it's a necessity so that I can go skiing, but worth a shot! That's good to know about the pants, will definitely keep it in mind.

 

[altagirl]

Thanks! I'm tempted to see whether I might be able to get one through insurance/benefits too. I'm not sure I'll be able to convince them that it's a necessity so that I can go skiing, but worth a shot! That's good to know about the pants, will definitely keep it in mind.

Oddly enough my insurance even paid for the knee pad attachments so i could use them on my dirt bike and DH mountain bike.

But they wouldn't cover the post surgical brace that I woke up from surgery in and never got asked if I wanted. I guess at least they covered the way more expensive things but... sometimes insurance coverage follows no logic.

 

[SkiGAP]

Indeed the inside of my ski pants on that leg and my knee pad for that lag (inside of pants, on top of brace, are rather worn out from contacting the hinge of the brace...

 

[Peaheartsmama]

I use the donjoy with forcepoint hinge on both knees too. Insurance paid for them after ACL repair. Highly recommend. Clunky when walking but disappears when skiing. I wear over base layers. Have been using them the last 5 years. Can’t ski without them anymore