# knee brace suggestions



## SKIQUATTRO (Dec 12, 2009)

the wife mentioned that her knee felt a little unstable in the bumps and really hardpack/icy conditions, she feels a brace may give her a bit more support...any suggestions on a good skiing brace?


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## Puck it (Dec 12, 2009)

Experience -  Five knee surgeries and three braces.

CTi Knee braces are the best all-around brace.  They have off the shelf version and custom version with a ski attachment(Cti-2).  Insurance apys for the custom with a Rx from a doc.

And my son is using a Cti after his surgery last year.


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## tarponhead (Dec 14, 2009)

No experience whith what Puck it said but that does sound like the ticket. If this proves to be to expensive (or overkill) then suggest going to your local running store and getting something there. They should have a couple of options, all should be in the $20-$35 range.


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## SkiDork (Dec 16, 2009)

I checked out the cti braces - they look nice.  I personally use Donjoy Defiance.


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## wa-loaf (Dec 16, 2009)

You might just want to start with something simpler:http://www.donjoy.com/index.asp/fuseaction/products.detail/cat/1/id/28







The other braces named are for post ACL surgery.

Question for those of you who had ACL surgery. How long did you wear your brace? I wore mine for a year and think I'm done with it.


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## SkiDork (Dec 16, 2009)

I'm using them permanently.  Even though I do my exercises regularly and feel my knees are _pretty_ strong I just don't want to take any chances and wear them for preventative measures.


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## bigbog (Dec 17, 2009)

Is there something appealing about skiing boilerplate/ice???? ...LOL
Head for the _Powder_ man....  You now have the excuse...with her approval!!!.


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## Puck it (Dec 17, 2009)

wa-loaf said:


> You might just want to start with something simpler:http://www.donjoy.com/index.asp/fuseaction/products.detail/cat/1/id/28
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> 
> ...


 

I wore the Cti for ten years prior to ACL reconstruction.  I was back to full activities in six months and no brace.  However, I am rethinking the use of braces on both after spraining my MCL yesterday on the non-surgically repaired knee(5 surgeries).  Really sore today.


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## thinnmann (Dec 18, 2009)

Here is something I thought I would throw into the discussion, is all.  I don't need a brace nor have ever used one.  But I am thinking the use of a brace is similar to using orthotics in shoes.  What happens with orthotic inserts is they actually make a person's muscles weaker because they take over functions that should be borne by the person's body.  They artificially change a person's stride and continue to promote the bad technique that led to the person's problems in the first place.

So I am thinking it is like that with a knee brace.  If you always ski and workout in the brace, then the knee actually gets weaker and less stable, because what should be borne by your own muscles and connective tissue is being done by the brace.  The thing to do to really correct the problem - in this case the "unstability in bumps" - is off-mountain exercise and on-mountain proper technique.


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## snoseek (Dec 18, 2009)

thinnmann said:


> Here is something I thought I would throw into the discussion, is all.  I don't need a brace nor have ever used one.  But I am thinking the use of a brace is similar to using orthotics in shoes.  What happens with orthotic inserts is they actually make a person's muscles weaker because they take over functions that should be borne by the person's body.  They artificially change a person's stride and continue to promote the bad technique that led to the person's problems in the first place.
> 
> So I am thinking it is like that with a knee brace.  If you always ski and workout in the brace, then the knee actually gets weaker and less stable, because what should be borne by your own muscles and connective tissue is being done by the brace.  The thing to do to really correct the problem - in this case the "unstability in bumps" - is off-mountain exercise and on-mountain proper technique.



I have heard similar advise from my former therapist. Good to ease you back in but not so much in the long run. 

Suprisingly enough I've also been told being too flexible is not always a good thnig for knees/skiing. Seems weird can anyone confirm?


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## 2knees (Dec 19, 2009)

wa-loaf said:


> You might just want to start with something simpler:http://www.donjoy.com/index.asp/fuseaction/products.detail/cat/1/id/28
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> 
> 
> ...



i used a brace for a few years after the first surgery but never even bothered with one after my second surgery.  obviously, everyone and every injury, are different but i found it to be a crutch, so to speak.


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## severine (Dec 20, 2009)

thinnmann said:


> Here is something I thought I would throw into the discussion, is all.  I don't need a brace nor have ever used one.  But I am thinking the use of a brace is similar to using orthotics in shoes.  What happens with orthotic inserts is they actually make a person's muscles weaker because they take over functions that should be borne by the person's body.  They artificially change a person's stride and continue to promote the bad technique that led to the person's problems in the first place.
> 
> So I am thinking it is like that with a knee brace.  If you always ski and workout in the brace, then the knee actually gets weaker and less stable, because what should be borne by your own muscles and connective tissue is being done by the brace.  The thing to do to really correct the problem - in this case the "unstability in bumps" - is off-mountain exercise and on-mountain proper technique.


After I partially tore my ACL I asked my orthopedic doc and the PT-neither recommended me using a brace when skiing again. They were of the same thought, telling me that my weak ankle that kept respraining was likely due to the propensity of a previous doc to put it in an air cast instead of letting it rebuild strength. (Once I did PT instead of the air cast, I haven't resprained it again in 9 years; there were close to a dozen sprains before that in the same ankle, though).


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## Marc (Dec 23, 2009)

snoseek said:


> I have heard similar advise from my former therapist. Good to ease you back in but not so much in the long run.
> 
> Suprisingly enough I've also been told being too flexible is not always a good thnig for knees/skiing. *Seems weird can anyone confirm?*



Yeah, my girlfriend is 5.5 years into a 6 year DPT degree and tells me I'm less prone to traumatic injury because of my very tight muscles, but more prone to over use injuries and biomechanical problems.  She's almost always right, so I listen to her.


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## SkiDork (Dec 23, 2009)

IMHO, using a brace for normal every day activites should not be done.  But skiing is not a normal every day activity and has a high risk of twisting motion on the knee.  Therefore (for me anyway) I use it for a higher percentage of prevention of possible future injury.  

Take a look at many NFL lineman - they're wearing braces for injury prevention.  Their knee musculature has to be EXTREMELY strong.  But they still wear the brace.  Thats because they're engaging in a high risk knee activity.

Again, this is just my opinion, not backed up by anything except what I perceive to be good for me.  YMMV.


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## SKIQUATTRO (Dec 26, 2009)

I'm not a doctor, i just play one on TV....


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## severine (Dec 26, 2009)

SKIQUATTRO said:


> I'm not a doctor, i just play one on TV....



:lol: I wore my Cho-Pat the other day while skiing since my knee has been giving me a lot of problems. It was more useful doing that than running, which is what I bought it for (to help the patella track properly, which is one of the problems I'm having right now). I don't know how useful it would be for whatever problems the rest of you are having though. It's just a dual strap neoprene support but it helps with the clicking. I found CW-X Stabilyx tights to be more helpful for running, though.


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## SKIQUATTRO (Dec 29, 2009)

where did you get the CHOPAT?


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## severine (Dec 29, 2009)

From the link I included:
http://www.footsmart.com/P-Cho-Pat-Dual-Action-Knee-Strap-20032.aspx


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## SKIQUATTRO (Dec 29, 2009)

thx


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