Comparison of rehabilitative knee braces

Abstract

A biomechanical comparison of eight popular commer cially available rehabilitative knee braces was under taken using a specially designed mechanical surrogate and computerized data acquisition system. Tests con ducted included passive extension, valgus rotation, and anterior-posterior tibial translation. Most of the braces tested significantly reduced both translations and rota tions compared to the unbraced limb under static test conditions. Braced versus braced performance varied and was found to depend upon a number of mechanical and design factors.