Knee braces for osteoarthritis

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How you prepare

By Mayo Clinic staff

Discuss your interest in knee braces with your doctor. Together you can weigh the benefits and risks of knee braces to decide whether they are right for you.

If you decide to try a knee brace, you'll need to:

  • Get a prescription from your doctor. Most knee braces require a prescription.
  • Consider the cost. Knee braces may range in cost from a few hundred dollars for a standard model to more than $1,000 for a custom-made knee brace. Health insurance and Medicare don't always cover this cost.
  • Make an appointment for a brace fitting. Ask your doctor for a referral to an orthotist — a health professional who designs, builds and fits braces and other devices to improve function in people with orthopedic problems.
What you can expect Risks
References
  1. Bracing: One treatment option for arthritis. Arthritis Foundation. http://www.arthritis.org/bracing.php. Accessed Oct. 19, 2010.
  2. Stitik TP. Osteoarthritis. In: Delisa JA, et al. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation: Principles and Practice. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2005. http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com/sp-3.2.4b/ovidweb.cgi?QS2=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. Accessed Sept. 24, 2010.
  3. Pruitt AL. Orthotic and brace use in the athlete with degenerative joint disease with angular deformity. Clinics in Sports Medicine. 2005;24:93.
  4. Beaudreuil J, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for rest orthosis, knee sleeves and knee braces in knee osteoarthritis. Joint Bone Spine. 2009;76:629.
  5. Richmond J, et al. Treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee (nonarthroplasty). Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2009;17:591.
  6. Draganich L, et al. The effectiveness of self-adjustable custom and off-the-shelf bracing in the treatment of varus gonarthrosis. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery American Volume. 2006;88:2645.
  7. Zhang W, et al. OARSI recommendations for the management of hip and knee osteoarthritis, Part II: OARSI evidence-based, expert consensus guidelines. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 2008;16:137.
MY00137 Nov. 4, 2010

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