If you have been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis, there are nonsurgical ways to take care of your pain. In addition to providing over-the-counter pain medication, prescription pain medication, or knee injection therapy, the doctor may also provide you with a knee brace. It is also for patients who want to delay or postpone knee replacement surgery or do not want surgery at all. There are many different kinds of braces; an unloader brace is a specific kind of brace, which unloads the stressed, arthritic part of the knee.
The knee is like a house with three rooms, or compartments: one compartment on the inside (medial), one on the outside (lateral) and another compartment behind the knee cap. Arthritis could affect only one compartment or all three. The most commonly affected is the medial compartment where the inner aspect of the knee loses its cartilage cushion and the bones rub against each other. The unloader brace shifts the load from the inner aspect of the knee to the outer aspect of the knee. This, in turn, prevents the bones from rubbing against each other and pain is relieved. If you have lateral compartment arthritis, the brace shifts the load from the lateral compartment to the medial compartment.
Unloader braces are tailor-made for the size of the knee. Measurement of the thigh and the leg are taken so that the brace is fitted correctly. They are light-weight and can be worn inside a loose pant.
Once the brace is ordered and received, our trained staff will assist you in proper application and wearing instructions. The medical provider will then adjust the brace so as to unload pressure on the joint, and will further instruct you on the care and use of the brace.
