Question
Do athletes in your clinic wear ACL braces for exercise during your therapy sessions?
Answer
There is a lot of research out there as far as the prophylactic effect of braces on ACL tears. Unfortunately, there is not great data to support that a brace will prevent an ACL tear. This is mainly because most ACL tears are happening in the transverse plane, and it is more of a rotation or tibial rotation that tears the ACL. A brace cannot control that rotation. So, in our clinic we tend to not use braces anymore.
With our second ACL reconstructions (we see a lot of second, third and forth reconstructions) we will brace them, but ultimately, it's the doctor's decision. We can make recommendations, but docs seem to have their preferences. If they say brace, we brace. If they say no, then no. But I'd say we usually do not brace.
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