Arthrometric evaluation of stabilizing effect of knee functional bracing at different flexion angles

Previous in-vivo investigations on the stabilizing efficacyof knee bracing for acl reconstructed patients have beenoften limited to 20-30 degrees of knee flexion. in thisstudy, the effectiveness of a uniaxial hinged functionalbrace to improve the knee stability was assessed at 30, 60and 90 degrees of knee flexion. arthrometry tests wereconducted on 15 healthy subjects before and followingwearing the brace and the tibial displacements weremeasured at up to 150 n anterior forces. results indicatedthat functional bracing has a significant stabilizing effectthroughout the range of knee flexion examined (p < 0.05).the rate of effectiveness, however, was not consistentacross the flexion range, e.g., 50% at 30 degrees and only4% at 90 degrees. it was suggested that accurate sizingand fitting as well as attention to correct hinge placementrelative to the femoral condyles can limit brace migrationand improve its effectiveness in mid and deep knee flexion.with using adaptive limb fittings, through flexiblepads, and a polycentric joint a more significant improvementof the overall brace performance and efficacy mightbe obtained.