Wearing a knee brace after ACL surgery has been a source of controversy in the sports medicine community. Dr. Sterett and his team are asked all the time if knee braces help prevent a second ACL tear.

After conducting several studies and publishing multiple papers on the subject, Dr. Sterett is able to tell his patients this: it depends on the brace.

What are the Different Types of Knee Braces

There are three main types of knee braces:

1. Prophylactic Knee Braces: This brace is typically used by athletes who have never hurt their knee. They are supposedly designed to protect healthy knees from stresses and movements that could damage their MCL. However, there is no evidence that these braces are effective in protecting healthy knees or preventing second ACL tears.

2. Rehabilitative Brace: These knee braces are for patients who are in the first few weeks of their post-operative care. Dr. Sterett and his team recommend rehabilitative braces to prevent hyperextension or abnormal motions after surgery, but they do not prevent rotating and are not recommended for use during sports. These braces are surgeon specific and surgery specific.

3. Functional Braces: You’ve probably seen pictures of athletes wearing this brace during their first season back to sports after surgery. Functional braces are considered a de-rotation brace, which means it stops your knee from twisting too much. These braces can help stabilize the knee and Dr. Sterett typically recommends them for the first 6 months of playing sports after ACL surgery.

So, yes, functional knee braces can help prevent additional injuries to your new ACL during that first year after surgery. 

Do Functional Knee Braces Help Prevent Second ACL Tears?

But do functional knee braces help prevent a second ACL tear? Yes… for skiers. 

In one of Dr. Sterett’s studies, skiers with an ACL reconstruction were asked to either wear or not wear a functional knee brace on the slopes. They found that nonbraced skiers were 2.74 times more likely to have a second ACL tear than their braced counterparts. This is because:

• Functional knee braces are designed to give support to knees that are recovering from injury. The front of the brace is exposed with hinges on the side that allow for bending while limited side-to-side movement.

• Limiting lateral movement helps to prevent cutting or twisting motions that can retear or damage the new ACL.

• The functional knee brace is held in place with a strap that goes over the thigh. This strap will actually change pressure as you move to promote blood circulation, which helps your body’s natural healing process.

More recently, Dr. Sterett completed a study of Vail Resorts Ski Instructors who were ACL deficient and broke them into two groups: those that were wearing a functional brace versus those that weren’t.  Nonbraced ski instructors had more than 6 times the injury risk than those wearing the brace.

It is worth noting though that skiing is the only sport in which wearing a functional brace is shown to help prevent ACL tears. That’s why Dr. Sterett may ask his Vail Valley patients to wear a functional brace for at least the first year after ACL surgery to help prevent additional knee injuries on the mountain. 

Questions About ACL Recovery? Contact Team Sterett Today!

If you need ACL surgery or are looking to maximize your ACL recovery, contact Dr. Sterett and his team today! With his dedication to innovation, research, and technology, Dr. Sterett is the foremost expert in orthopaedics sports medicine. 

Request a consultation with Dr. Sterett at (970) 476-7220 or contact his team directly using our online portal. Let’s get you back in the game!