Anyone living with a chronic condition such as osteoarthritis of the knee should keep an eye on developments in the field. Knee braces are one treatment that has been progressing in recent years. In the past, knee supports, such as generic neoprene sleeves, were all that was available. These provided a small amount of assistance to the knee and kept it warm. Thankfully we have moved on from then.
There is a new category of product that can have significant benefits for osteoarthritis sufferers. Offloading braces can dramatically reduce pain and increase activity levels - but they are not suitable for everyone.
In order to benefit from these braces you need to have osteoarthritis in half of the knee only. Unicompartmental osteoarthritis occurs when the damage is restricted to one area, either the inside or outside of the knee. In this situation all of the body's weight is taken through the affected half of the knee causing an increased rate of wear and increased pain. These braces work by changing the angle at the knee, redistributing the body's weight so it is evenly shared between the inside and outside. This removes the focal point from the painful side.
By the unaffected side doing its share of the work, pain is reduced and mobility increases. It should be noted however, that the brace does not treat the affected side which remains worn. The only thing that will make that area 'unworn'is joint replacement surgery.
There are many braces on the market claiming to offload the knee but it should be noted that a study by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found that only 2 braces physically offloaded the joint. These were the OAdjuster by Donjoy and the Thruster by Bledsoe. If you think you may benefit from this type of bracing, speak to a Physical Therapist.
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