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Impact biomechanics of lateral knee bracing

The anterior cruciate ligament

Salt Lake Knee and Sports Medicine

Patrick W. Cawley, OPA, RT

DonJoy Biomechanics Research Laboratory, Carlsbad, California

E. Paul France, PhD

Orthopedic Biomechanics Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah

We evaluated the effects of six different prophylactic braces on ACL ligament strain under dynamic valgus loads using a mechanical surrogate limb validated against human cadaveric specimens. Medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament peak forces, medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament tension initiation times, and impact safety factors were calculated for both braced and unbraced conditions. These tests were conducted to determine whether or not application of a prophylactic brace might provide protection to the anterior cruciate ligament under valgus loading conditions.

The results of this study indicate that those braces that increased impact duration appear to differentially protect the anterior cruciate ligament more than the medial collateral ligament, and that most of the braces tested appear to provide some degree of protection to the anterior cruciate ligament under direct lateral im pacts. These findings should be confirmed clinically.

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