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Knee Brace for Osteoarthritis
A knee brace may
be especially helpful if the osteoarthritis is centered on one side
of the knee. Bracing the knee improves stability and function. Knee
braces are either of the unloader or the support type. An unloader
brace takes the load away from the affected portion of the knee. A
support brace helps to support the entire load of the knee. A knee
immobilizer may also be used to rest an acutely inflamed arthritic
knee.
There have been
a number of clinical trials to evaluate the benefits of wearing knee
supports. In a 1999 trial, Kirkley, et al. compared the unloader
brace, the support brace (a neoprene sleeve) and conventional medical
treatment in 119 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. They found
a significant improvement in disease-specific quality of life and in
function in both the support brace and the unloader brace groups when
compared with the medical group. They also found that the unloader
brace patients had a significant improvement in pain level when
compared to the support brace patients after a 6-minute walking test
and 30-second climbing test. (Kirkley A, Webster-Bogaert S,
Litchfield R, et al. The effect of bracing on varus gonarthrosis. J
Bone Joint Surg Am. 1999;81:539-48).
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