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January 25th, 2012

J Brace for Knee Cap Pain As easy as one…two…three.

Pain around your knee cap can be related to a few known conditions of the lower extremity but the most common cause we see is lateral tracking of the patellar-femoral joint. In plain English this means that the patella or knee cap is traveling slightly out of alignment towards the outside portion of the groove in femur (called the lateral side). Luckily, there is a simple three step plan we normally use to help treat this common disorder. The first step is called 'avoidance- activity." Now, this may seem like a contradiction of terms. However, it simply means that you avoid activity that makes the pain worse. Squatting, kneeling, stair climbing and sitting with the knee flexed are just a few that patients identify as activities that make the pain worse. Avoiding these activities will give the overloaded cartilage to rest and break the cycle of pain and inflammation. I would suggest you actually purchase a small notebook and write down what makes it worse throughout the day. Type up this list on your computer or your smart phone and keep reminding yourself not to do these things. The second step is to perform a set of exercises that build up the Vastus Medialis Obliquus muscles (known as the VMO) and also stretches to relax the lateral retinaculum help realign the knee cap. You can read more about this by going to our site at: http://www.jointhealing.com/pages/knee/chondromalacia.html The third step is to help off-load the knee cap with a knee j brace that holds the knee cap in place and reduce the pressure off the overloaded cartilage of your knee cap. The lateral j brace is one of the best braces for this condition. The "J " portion of this brace is exactly what it sounds like. It is a soft, durable piece of shock absorbing foam resembling the letter " J ." Hence the name. This brace helps cuddle the knee cap back into the proper position on the femur. By doing this,, the swelling and pain is reduced. The j brace for the knee is sometimes used for other conditions such as dislocations of the knee cap or after a surgery that helps realign the knee cap. The j brace for the knee is a great brace to help retrain the knee cap to stay on course and prevent it from straying too far from home. The breathable, stretchable drytex material makes this brace comfortable to wear. So treating your knee cap pain can be as easy as ....one...two...three!

-- Dr. Loniewski

January 18th, 2012

Short Term Efficacy of Physical Therapy Interventions for Osteoarthritis of the Knee

I know this title is a bit daunting and intimidating. However, this is a very interesting study looking at nonsurgical treatments for arthritis.  Jan M. Bjordal and colleagues at the Health and Social Sciences Institute of Physiotherapy in Bergen Norway published a very nice article with the above title in  Musculoskeletal Disorders, 2007.  They performed a systematic review meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials of all the accepted nonsurgical physical therapy interventions such as  acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, ultrasound, static magnets , pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF), electrical stimulation using surface electrodes (TENS) , and Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT).   They had very strict criteria of how to include studies to be considered for review. Eventually, they found 36 studies which were reviewed for short term relief of osteoarthritis of the knee.   The researchers set up a theoretical threshold of pain improvement.  Each of the results were standardized and compared to this threshold of pain relief.    The researchers wanted to see pain relief start at least  4 weeks after treatment to be termed "effective."  Of all the accepted therapies, the researchers found that electro-acupuncture, TENS, and low level laser treatments were "effective" compared to a placebo in relieving osteoarthritis of the knee if administered as an intensive treatment over a 2-4 week period.  PEMF did provide pain relief but not in the 4 week period. What does this mean for you?    If you are searching for safe, effective and RAPID pain relief of arthritis pain of your knee, look for TENS, electro-acupuncture (OUCH!) or low level laser treatments.  Of the three, low level laser treatments may be the easiest to administer (10 minute treatments 3 times a week) with the most promising relief of pain.  

-- Dr. Loniewski

January 12th, 2012

Taking Skiing and Motocross to the eXtreme

One of the most popular braces requested by our patients who consider themselves extreme sports enthusiasts is the DonJoy eXtreme Armor Action Knee Brace.  This is also one of our most reliable and stable braces sold anywhere in the world.   The DonJoy Armor eXtreme Knee Brace uses a patented 4 point leverage dynamic system to lock your knee into a stable, yet functional position.  The brace is a a fortress of stability made from 6061 T6 Aircraft Aluminum with a swooped design to hug the knee and thigh along your natural curve along the medial (inside) portion of your leg.   The unique swivel posts hold the straps in place allowing for a custom fit while still providing optimal support.   The short calf design allows anyone to wear ski boots or motocross boots without impingement or pinching.  You can add-on some great additional protection such as the state of the art shin impact guards or knee cups so you can go full force at high speeds and feel confident that you are fully protected. We have sold this brace to professional and amateur athletes alike and have not had any complaints about it's performance.   I feel that this is our top of the line and most stable brace we sell.  The US  Olympic Ski Team also agreed with me and made this their brace of choice.   So, if you are an avid skier, snowboarder,  or motocross nut, you will not find a better built and designed brace.  The DonJoy Armor eXtreme is one of the braces I can recommend without reservation.

-- Dr. Loniewski

January 4th, 2012

Importance of Knee Bracing for Rehabilitation Purposes

If you have recently sustained an injury to your knee and are in the rehabilitation process, it is vital that you practice wearing a knee brace of some kind. Progress with healing and rehabilitating the joint can be set back unnecessarily if you neglect this important step. Knee injuries can be incredibly frustrating and difficult to remediate. However, rehabilitation can have incredibly positive effects on the healing process. Whether your injury is minor and you are following a self-regulated rehab schedule, or you are receiving medical services from a physical therapy practitioner, protecting your knee from further injury in its vulnerable state is of utmost importance. A properly fitted knee support can help add stability and reduce the pressure around a specific area. Knee braces will not heal your injury on their own, it is important to follow a rehabilitation plan unique to your situation. Upon resuming your sport, one can nearly always benefit from keeping a form of knee support on your joint. For example, competitive basketball players are required to make frequent abrupt changes in direction and cuts on the court. Wearing a hinged knee brace for support is a common practice for those players who have suffered ACL or MCL tears. Part of your knee rehabilitation will involve regaining strength and mobility of the joint through knee rehabilitation exercises. These can vary widely depending on the nature and severity of your injury, but will involve a mixture of static and dynamic movements, as your knee recovery progresses. Adding weight, resistance and different movements to the repertoire will come as you progress. Due to the exercises for knee rehabilitation, you will probably find your joint to be quite fatigued. Even if you cannot physically feel it, the rehabilitation process can be tiring on the sensitive joint and muscles. Diligently wearing a knee support brace or band while not participating in rehab activities will help insure you do not accidently or unnecessarily aggravate the area. The rehabilitation process is frustrating enough without adding any additional setbacks. So, be wise in this process and protect your joint with a knee support. Getting back in action can be simple, why complicate things by neglecting the well-being of your healing knee? Wearing a support band or knee brace can keep you on track. Are you wearing the best knee support for a quick and full recovery?

-- admin

January 3rd, 2012

Ankle Supports For Returning To Sports!

If you are considering getting back into sports but you are concerned about weak ankles or have suffered a past ankle injury, there may be a good solution for you. Ankle supports such as our Don Joy Velocity Ankle Brace or our Ascend Ankle Stabilizer can be a great solution to allow you to get back to living and moving. I have personally used both braces, and feel they are the best on the market for anyone getting back to sports. If you are looking for an ankle support for running, I would suggest the Ascend Ankle Stabilizer brace since this is a simple wrap around design that allows for proper planting of your foot during running and on changing terrains. If you are looking for a basketball ankle support, the best ankle support is the Don Joy Velocity Ankle Brace which is one of the most reliable and stable braces for stop and go sports. The slimline design allows this brace to fit into any shoe, but the uniquely designed swivel heel cup allows for surprisingly stable support in side to side and cutting movements. Although, it provides great support, it is very lightweight and easy to apply. In fact, I was able to put this on and play in under 30 seconds. It is also hand washable so it doesn't end up smelling like your locker. If you love sports such as running or basketball, consider one of these braces. We have sold thousands of these over the past 12 years in business, and our customers love them. We have a saying in orthopedics....life is motion and motion is life. Stop one and the other follows. These braces allow you to keep moving so you can keep living.

-- Dr. Loniewski

December 1st, 2011

Glucosamine Sulfate- Does it really work?

Numerous patients with arthritis always seem to ask this question.  For some reason, patients have no problem believing that standard medications such as Celebrex, Aleve, and even Vicodin help relieve pain for arthritic joints.  However, when it comes to a supplement that actually treats the underlying causes of arthritis, they seem to have a tough time believing that it would be effective.  If we look at the volume of evidence for effective treatments of arthritis, Glucosamine Sulfate is the hands down winner.   In fact, Deal and colleagues in their meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled and double blinded studies in the journal of  Rheumatology Disease and Clinics of North America found that all of the 13 studies they reviewed provided statistically significant (p<.05) improvement of symptomatic arthritis when compared to either placebo or even non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as Celebrex or Aleve.   However, the key point here is the that they evaluated Glucosamine Sulfate and NOT other forms of glucosamine such as Glucosamine HCL or Glucosamine NAS.  The sulfate form allows the donation of a sulfur molecule.  This is the organic element sulfur and not sulfa normally found in sulfa drugs.    Sulfate and sulfa are NOT chemically related and patients allergic to sulfa drugs CAN take glucosamine sulfate safely.   The donation of the sulfur molecule allows the reduction of pain and inflammation.   This may bring up the concern about Glucosamine Sulfate Side Effects.  Although , there was some concern about Glucosamine Sulfate causing elevated blood sugars in brittle diabetics, more recent studies that were better designed failed to show that glucosamine caused any rise in blood sugars.   There was also one case of an asthma attack associated with the use of glucosamine.  However, no other case reports were found.   Patients taking Glucosamine especially with the Chondrotin combnination  may be at higher risk for bleeding since chondrotin is chemically similar to another blood thinner called heparin. However, there has not been any bleeding problems  reported with patients taking this combination.  Other minor side effects such as nausea, constipation and diarrhea have also been reported and are usually temporary.  If you are allergic to shellfish, you may want to first talk with your doctor before starting Glucosamine but there has not been any reported cases or shellfish allergies and the use of Glucosamine Sulfate. Patients also want to know if they should take the glucosamine sulfate and chondrotin mixture or just pure glucosamine sulfate.  The theoretical advantage is the fact that chondrotin acts as a hydrophylic agent bringing in more moisture into the central GAG portion of cartilage cells.   Although the combination seems very compelling to a biochemist, in reality, the single formula Glucosamine Sulfate has more clinical evidence that it is effective in reducing pain in patients with arthritis. In summary, Glucosamine Sulfate is a safe and effective treatment for joints affected with osteoarthritis.  It is very important to use the Sulfate form and to also take this medication for at least 2 months prior to making any decisions if this is helpful or not.  It is also very important to combine the use of Glucosamine Sulfate with other proven treatments for arthritis such as weight control, exercise, proper shoe wear, diets high in fruits, vegetables and antioxidants.   If you have concerns about taking Glucosamine Sulfate, please discuss this with your personal physician prior to taking this supplement.

-- Dr. Loniewski

November 28th, 2011

Arthritis Knee Support

If you are suffering from arthritis of your knee joints, you may be wondering if a brace might be right for you. Again, as we have always said in the past, it all depends upon a few factors. When patients ask me if a arthritis knee support would help them, I go through some simple questions and assemble some objective findings to find the best solution. These simple questions are: 1.) Where is the pain located on your knee? Is it to the inside part of the knee (medial) or outside (lateral) or all over (diffuse)? 2.) What type of pain do you have? Dull aching means arthritis, Sharp pain with giving away to the knee may mean a meniscus tear and burning pain that radiates may mean that this is a nerve problem rather than arthritis. 3.) What would you use the brace for? Simple housework with limited standing and walking may require only a simple hinged brace while use for sports or long walks may require an off-loader brace. We put this information together with the information we receive from an entire history and physical combined with any x-rays, MRI's or other imaging studies. Knee supports for arthritis are helpful but only if we are using them for the correct diagnosis and for the correct patient. Thus, it is very important to obtain the correct information from patients prior to making a recommendation. If the pain is burning and very diffuse and radiates (moves) down the entire leg, this may not be knee arthritis at all, rather, it may be a pinched nerve from the lower back area even if the patient has absolutely no pain in his/her back. However, if we have someone with a previous knee injury with pain on the inside (medial) part of the knee that is dull and aching, this is more than likely due to arthritis and this patient would benefit from an un-loader brace that "off-loads" the medial side of the knee to relieve pain. Thus, the best knee support for arthritis is dependent upon numerous factors which can be easily sorted out by asking a few simple questions.

-- Dr. Loniewski

November 27th, 2011

Sports Knee Supports

Sports injuries are a good proportion of our business.  We see patients everyday with new and old sports injuries and we are asked to come up with a plan of treatment.  Part of this treatment may involve a knee sports support to complete a comprehensive rehabilitation program.  But one may ask what is the best knee support for sports ?   This decision is dependent upon a few factors including the following:

• What ligament injury incurred to the knee and what ligament (s) do we need to protect?
• How severe the injury is to the ligament (mild, moderate or severe)?
• What activities and sports does the patient expect to play or participate ( football, cricket, skiing or walking)
• What is the body habitus (shape) of the patient and the patient's leg?

With these considerations in mind, we can come up with the best brace to fit each individual patient based on these four basic parameters.     So, lets look at a few examples. Bobby Football is a 17 yo, 200 pound (90 kg)  football player who suffered an  Anterior Cruciate Ligament  (ACL) tear during his district finals.   He had a reconstruction surgery performed, and went through standard rehab of the knee with his therapist.  His  mid thigh measures 22 inches (54 cm).   He is ready to get back into football this upcoming season.   His parents are looking for a stable brace that can provide some stability and peace of mind for them.   In this case, we have a young individual with a single ligament injury, and a larger sized thigh, with an expectation to get back to a high level sport.  In this case, we would recommend the Don Joy eXtreme Action Armor or the Ossur CTi OTS Pro brace.   Both braces offer maximum stability and reliability at a reasonable price. Walter Walker is a 55 yo male who had an old football injury to his ACL and medial collateral ligament (MCL) at age 18.  He never had this reconstructed an now has degenerative arthritis isolated to the medial (inside) portion of the knee.   He is 260 pounds ( 118 kg) and his mid thigh circumference measures 24 inches (63cm).  He just wants to get back to walking around the block of his neighborhood a few times for about 45 minutes a day.   In this case, we have a older patient, with an old double ligament injury and larger thigh with a low demand for sports.  Thus, we might recommend the Don Joy OA Everyday Medial Un-loader Brace.  This offers him pain relief enough to walk and rehab his knee without any cumbersome straps. As you can see the choice for the correct  knee support sports is simple and effective if you follow some basic guidelines.

-- Dr. Loniewski

November 25th, 2011

Are Hinged Knee Braces Necessary?

As orthopedic surgeons treating patents with varying knee disorders, we are faced with daily decisions on what is the best form of treatment for each individual patient.  One of the decisions is the need for a knee brace and especially, who may need a  hinged knee brace.   Not everyone needs a hinge but some patients absolutely require this form of stability.  So, who requires a hinge and most importantly, who does not? The answer to this question lies in the history and physical exam.   Patients presenting with a history of instability or giving away to the knee may require a hinged brace design.  However, patients presenting with pure pain and discomfort without any signs of instability may benefit from a simple strap or knee sleeve brace.    Your physician should take a thorough history from you asking how and when the symptoms of pain and or instability began.  They should also ask about symptoms of instability, giving away or locking to the knee.   In addition, they should inquire about activities that may make the symptoms worse such as descending stairs, pivoting or lateral movements.   They may want to know what makes it better such as rest, medications and even wrapping the knee.   Once the history is reviewed, a thorough physical  exam should be completed including looking at your neuro-vascular status; the motion of your knee, ankle and especially your hip joint.  The joints below and again especially above your knee such as the hip is important to examine.  You may have referred pain from your hip or back.  This referred pain can make it seem as though your knee is the source of your pain,  however, the pain is actually coming from a painful hip or back.   This may even lead to needles surgery and injections to the wrong joint.  So, make sure your physician always examines your hip and back before making a diagnosis.   Your ligaments should be examined and special tests for your meniscus and your knee cap should be evaluated.   In summary, your physician has to exhibit two basic skills...he/she has to listen to your story and secondly  he/she has to actually lay hands on you to examine your knee as well as the joints above and below.  If they don't take the time to perform these two basic skills, please get a second opinion because their opinion may not be the correct opinion. If the physician determines that you may have a ligament problem or a some form of instability, a hinged knee brace may be prescribed.  This hinged knee brace may provide the added stability to help prevent further damage to the knee, and also provide pain relief. As orthopedic surgeons, we have seen the entire gamut of knee braces come and go in popularity.   We have investigated most brace designs and try to offer our patients the best quality braces at the lowest price.  These are braces we personally use on our own family members, friends and yes, even enemies.   We tend to offer manufacturers that have exceptional safety and quality records.  This is why you see names like the DonJoy knee brace and other knee braces for sports. In summary, we first recommend that you have a thorough and proper history and physical taken by a competent physician.  If a hinged knee brace is recommended, please look at the quality products we offer not only to you, but to our own family members.

-- Dr. Loniewski

November 24th, 2011

Do Knee Supports Work?

Patients ask us questions like this all the time. I normally answer yes and no depending upon what you expect the knee support to do. If a patient wants a knee support to guarantee that they will never injure their knee, I tell them that no knee brace can guarantee that an injury will never happen. However, a properly fitted and designed knee support can help lessen the chance by providing added stability and force dissipation across the knee joint. Knee supports can also help off-load or reduce the pressure across a specific area of the knee affected by arthritis. However, a knee support can not cure your arthritis and give you a brand new knee. Over the counter neoprene knee supports do not provide any real support of the knee. However, they can relieve some pain by compressing the knee. When any joint is compressed by any method, small nerve endings called pancinian corpuscles are compressed providing some relief of pain. This effect is temporary such as when you squeeze your finger after you smash it with a hammer. You can not walk around squeezing your finger for days just like you can't keep squeezing your knee for days expecting it to help with the pain. Simple knee support bands can also help by providing a fulcrum point for a knee cap to off load a small amount of pressure. However, again, this effect is temporary since the tendon and the strap stretch over time. Properly designed knee support braces such as our Legend knee brace are a great value. This brace is named the Legend because it has legendary support for many professional athletes over the past 30 years. Professional sports greats in football, soccer, basketball, and hockey have all enjoyed the comfort and confidence of the patented 4 point stability. In summary, a properly designed and fitted knee braces support your knee; can relieve pain and provide stability. However, they can not guarantee absence of any injury, and over the counter, poorly designed braces only provide temporary if any relief of pain.

-- Dr. Loniewski

November 20th, 2011

Can Medications Prevent Bone Loss and Loosening After Hip Replacement?

For years, joint replacement surgeons have been wondering if we can effect the loss of bone around a hip replacement. Why is this an important question? Well, when most (not all) hips are replaced, we totally change the normal weight bearing of the bone below the hip replacement. This bone normally bears weight from the outside bone towards the inside or if we are a bit more scientific in doctor speak, the normal hip bears most of the weight on the outer cortical bone rather than the softer cancellous bone inside the hip. However, when a hip is replaced, the surgeon normally broaches and wedges a new hip into the middle of the bone. Thus, what was normally bearing weight from the outside in is now bearing weight from the inside out. Your bone lives by a generally accepted rule of "use me or loose me." This means that more pressure that is put across the bone, the more bone that is formed and the reciprocal is also true.....the less you use the bone, the weaker the bone becomes. This is known as Wolfe's Law. With standard hip replacements, you have reversed the normal weight bearing mechanism of the hip. So, it is just natural curiosity for any orthopedic surgeon to wonder what would happen to the bone around a hip replacement and what we can do to help alter these changes. A recent study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) helped us understand what really happens and what could be done to help prevent bone loss. The study entitled "The Effect of Weekly Risedronate on Periprosthetic Bone Resorption Following Total Hip Arthroplasty" Skoldenberg , GO, et al, JBJS Am 2011;93:1857-64" enrolled 73 patients between the ages of 40 to 70 before their hip replacement and randomized them into either a group that received 35mg of risedronate ( otherwise known as Actonel) once a week or a group receiving a placebo (sugar pill). All patients were followed up for at least one year. Each participant had a baseline bone density exam known as a DXA exam. This study found that patients who took Actonel for at least 6months had less bone loss around the hip and also had some increased bone density around some important areas of the hip. These areas are important in the stability of the hip replacement. There was no evidence in either group of early loosening or subsidence (movement) of the hip replacement. So, what does this mean to anyone considering a hip replacement or someone who had a hip replacement in the past? If you are considering or had a hip replacement, please make sure you or your loved one has a DXA exam otherwise known as a bone density exam. If your bone density is low, you will need to consider some treatment to prevent further bone loss. Be kind to your bones and they will be kind to you.

-- Dr. Loniewski

November 16th, 2011

Can Ice Cream Help Your Bones?…….Finally, A Diet We Can All Live With.

Ice Cream has traditionally been considered to be junk food, and a poor source of nutrition. However, some literal geniuses at the NIHR Bone and Mineral Research Unit in Great Britain developed one of the best contributions to mankind. They developed a calcium fortified ice cream useful for treating osteoporosis. The study describing the details of this study can be found in Osteoporosis International , Vol 22, Issue 10, October, 2011, pages 2721-31. Unilever R& D Colworth, UK developed a low fat, lower calorie, calcium fortified ice cream with 4 varying doses of calcium ranging from 96 to 676mg per day. They were able to recruit 80 premenopausal women to eat approximately 120 ml of ice cream every day for 28 days in a row at the same time every day. Only 4 people were unable to eat the ice cream everyday and the happy 76 participants in the final study group had completed this daunting task. The blood and urine of the participants. were measured at day 7 and 28 to look for markers of bone turnover signifying that this had a profound effect on how bone is metabolized. Bone markers such as NTX (N-terminal telopeptide and CTX ( C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen) and PTH ( Parathyroid Hormone) were suppressed from the participants baseline after ingestion of this creamy delight. An amazing 95% of the participants were able to complete this study without any harmful side effects except some bad ice cream headaches. The best part is that there was absolutely no weight gain in the groups as a whole over the study period. So, we have some hope for the future of medicine. I am personally hoping for the next breakthrough of fortifying coney dogs, fries and beer with calcium and vitamin D. Once this is developed, we are all saved by medicine and we can claim that everything that is useful for man has now been developed and we can all rest.

-- Dr. Loniewski

November 16th, 2011

Will there be enough Orthopedic Surgeons for your Aching Joints?

With pending cuts to Medicare right around the corner,  I was asked by a patient today if there would be enough orthopedic surgeons around when she would need one in the future.   This got me thinking and I did a bit of research.    The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) produces a very helpful document every year called the Orthopedic Practice in the United States abbreviated very appropriately to OP US.     This report estimates that there are about 5743 active orthopedic surgeons under the age of 75 claiming that they perform joint replacement surgery.  Of these only 1550 of the surgeons claim to be an expert in joint replacement surgery or someone who specializes in this surgical procedure.    In 2001, we replaced 326,000 knees and by 2007, this increased dramatically to 543,000.  By the year 2016, it is estimated that this number may rise to 1, 279, 508  knee replacements per year.  However, the number of orthopedic surgeons actively performing total joints is only expected to reach 7,327.  This means that the average total joint replacement surgeon's volume would rise from an average of 95 joints per year to 175 per year (an 84% increase).  However, the reimbursement for these procedures has decreased significantly.   In 1990, the average medicare reimbursement for a total knee replacement which includes 90 days of follow up was $2,418 but this decreased significantly to $1,508 ( a 62% decrease) with higher costs of performing this procedure.   This translates into fewer and fewer residents choosing to specialize in joint replacement.    In fact, of the 120 fellowship training spots available in 2007, 45% of these were unfilled.  Just 10 years ago, many of these were highly sought after and 100 % filled with waiting lists.  This makes the numbers worse and the wait listing for a joint replacement longer. So, take care of your joints now so you never have to call and wait, and wait and wait for someone to take care of you .  What can you do to help prevent a joint replacement?  It all comes down to simple basics such as diet and exercise.   Loosing just 10 lbs can significantly reduce your risk for a knee replacement.  Taking glucosamine sulfate such as found in our pharmaceutical grade Joint Builder also has evidence to reduce the progression of knee arthritis.   Exercise or Rehab also helps stabilize the knee or hip joint and helps off-load a painful joint.

-- Dr. Loniewski

September 27th, 2011

Ankle sprain research – Basketball players

A new study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine (Sept 2011, Vol 39, No 9, PP 1840-48) looked at the use of lace-up ankle braces in the prevention of ankle sprains in high school basketball players.  They prospectively studies 1460 male and female players and found that those who wore ankle braces were 3 times less likely to sustain an ankle sprain while playing than those who did not.  For those who had previously sustained an ankle injury, bracing the ankle decreased the incidence of ankle injury by half.  This study shows that ankle bracing for people playing basketball is beneficial in reducing the risk of injury for both people who have never had an injury, as well as people with a history of prior sprains.

-- Dr. Farjo

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