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Fucked up knees and kneebraces

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RastaSkier9
Posts: 1563 - Karma: 15
So I messed up my knee awhile back and never got surgery on it.  I usually wear a big bulky knee brace when i do activities that stress the knee(pretty much the ones you see o-lineman wearing.) Just seeing if anyone else has to wear one while skiing, and if its smaller but still sturdy or just to get surgery.
Nov 17 2008 4:04PM
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Dan-Man
Posts: 7482 - Karma: 3,607
get the asterisk cell's. they look like they'd get the job down, and provide some nice proteciton. i wish i could afford a pair..
Nov 17 2008 5:33PM
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BigM1218
Posts: 998 - Karma: 13
sorry to hear about your knee man. I tore my ACL two different times now and I've had surgery twice so now I have to wear a brace when I ski and shit. I don't know if this is the best or most money conscious option for you considering you didn't get surgery, but I have had two different custom knee braces. One was a Breg Fusion and the one I use now is an Ossur CTI. I like the CTI a lot better because I think it has better support. Theres also the Donjoy Defiance and Bledsoe Axiom. I dont really know anything about the asterisk ones but they seem to be more of knee "pads" to me than braces. Those things run around $500 or $600 unless you have a prescription from a doctor like I did, then they're free!
Nov 17 2008 7:25PM
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Hugh_Conway_jr
Posts: 746 - Karma: 467
What did you do to your knee? was it a partial ligament tear or a meniscal tear? 

either way, these injuries dont heal heal well. If its a ligament you will most likely need to ride with a brace untill you tear it completely, and have to get surgery.  The atesrisk brace gets really good reviews and is actually cheaper than most medical braces. I rode with a donjoy brace for a year and a half post ACL reconstruction. The problem I found with the donjoy was that it was molded to fit my leg post surgury .. when my leg muscles had wasted away,

your meniscus heals poorly too, but better than your ligamnets (depending). Either way, the literature now supports aggressive physio therapy over surgury. Hit the gym hard, and use good technique. Check out a few phiso therapy books from the library.

now, 2 years after my ACL and 3 years after my meniscus I ski with a soft brace, it keeps the heat and limits my ROM when I fall. other than the fact that it gets loose and I often have to drop my pants at the top of the chair to adjust it I hardly notice it any more.

So long as eveything is intact in your knee, just hit the gym. your skiing will come back, some time you just have to be patient and not push it too hard. after all, its better ski conservativly for a bit than to never ski again.
Nov 18 2008 3:32PM
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Vinci
Posts: 701 - Karma: 1,472
Ive heard that kneebraces are mostly just mental help.
Only thing they really help with is that they activate neurons in your skin helping your reflexes.
Nov 18 2008 3:42PM
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jriley
Posts: 197 - Karma: 16
I had surgery on my knee last January and have a custom knee brace that I am supposed to ski w/until 1 year post op.  It's mostly mental help but the doctor set it so I can't hyper extend my knee in a quick-snap motion.  I guess that's a bad thing for the type of surgery I had. 
Nov 18 2008 3:45PM
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Hugh_Conway_jr
Posts: 746 - Karma: 467
I agree, my soft brace is 99% mental .. I don't push it when I am not wearing it, and its just basically a sock. Hard braces are a bit more than mental, as they do actually limit ROM, and provide stability ...  and that's what your ligaments are supposed to do.
Nov 18 2008 3:53PM
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Big_Willy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 6
The brace is more than 1% (physically) effective. I use the Cti and it seems to help. Mostly, the brace will not let you hyper-extend. It also helps keep your knee and everything else more in alignment.
Nov 18 2008 4:34PM
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Freeskier83
Posts: 192 - Karma: 24
I had ACL surgery about 7 years ago and just had microfracture surgery in May.  Today I just got custom fitted for a DonJoy custom knee brace.  Its a 1500 dollar brace and I get it for free.  Thank god for medical insurance.  It shouldn't limit my motion too much.  But I wont know til I try it out.
Nov 18 2008 4:47PM
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David
Posts: 137 - Karma: 3,765
I torn my ACL 2 years ago, and partially tore my other knee this last year. Plus I've tweaked the shit out of them who knows how many times in the past.

I now rock 2 custom carbon fiber and aircraft aluminum Donjoy braces, the shorter ones that allow for tall ski boots. They were somewhere in the area of $2500 each, but insurance covered it. For the rest of my life that I ski hard, I will always wear 2 knee braces. I also wear long socks and neoprene knee socks which makes the whole setup very comfortable. I don't feel like it restricts my movement at all, it just is a little hot in the summer, but well worth it.

They really keep your knees aligned during impacts and prevent further damage to a large extent. Donjoy claims they will pay for your knee operation if you tear your knee in one of their braces, they also will fix/replace your brace if it breaks.

Do yourself a favor, get some insurance for $150/month, get your surgery (at the end of the season) and get at least one, if not two custom braces for before and after the surgery.

-Lesh
Nov 18 2008 7:06PM
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Phill.
Posts: 1149 - Karma: 37
i had knee surgery (acl, meiscus, mcl, ya know the works) last january and got this o-line hingend brace i think its a "rebel" by townsend... im not sure though cause i keep it in my gym locker at school.

i dont wear it anymore though, i found that it just messed with my range of motion and slowed me down when running, and my knee actually feels better afterwards with out it.....

i dont know if i will wear it when i go sking yet, dont know how it will fit....

it cost like 800 dolla but that was all on insurance..... and this kind helps you stabalize and keep your knee from bending outwards on impact with the ground
Nov 18 2008 7:27PM
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CTD
Posts: 6300 - Karma: 348
man, im in exactly the same boat, same injuries, time frames, setup, etc. and i agree 100%.


but what kinda brace are you talkin about? like the cheap neoprene onese with the hinges? or like a legit one? if its not a fitted brace, you really need to invest in one. the over the shelf/non fitted ones do almost nothing, while braces like astrix, Don joy, CTI etc not only dont get in the way at all, they are awesome as prevention, and keep you incredibly stable.

pretty much what im saying, is DO NOT chince out on saving your knees. if it means dropping bank, its worth every penny. my knees/ankles are fucked pretty good, and i would do just about anything for them to feel like they used to.
Nov 18 2008 10:02PM
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antwone
Posts: 1352 - Karma: 157
knees fuckin suck i hate it
Nov 18 2008 11:16PM
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AR6_Skier
Posts: 46 - Karma: 11
yo man i tore my ACL this December my third day out and it sucked.  Like the others said, the knee brace is mostly mental support but for me its going to be there to help prevent it from hyper-extending forward cause thats how i tore mine originally (landing backseat off a cliff and kicked out).  Good luck with everything
Apr 2 2009 1:45PM
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Billek
Posts: 5665 - Karma: 98
Did you read his post at all?  He has 2 $2500 Don Joy braces.
Apr 2 2009 1:59PM
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leeper68
Posts: 14 - Karma: 10
I tore my ACL in 2007 and had it replaced/repaired with a cadaver ligament. I now wear a custom made Don Joy for skiing and hockey. I like mine, it just adds some extra protection when playing sports that have a lot of cutting and stopping and starting. For skiing you have to get a short calf model so it can fit with ski boots. The one thing about the custom made knee braces is that they are usually carbon fiber and can be a tad more bulky than off the shelf metal braces. Check out the Don Joy Armor, it's what the US Ski team uses and it'll be cheaper than a custom.

My brother and some buddies have the Asterisk Cell knee braces and they like them a lot. There is a part that allows you to attach the brace to your boot and one guy said it helps him muscle up when he gets in the back seat. And about the 600 dollar price tag on the asterisk, that's for two braces, not just one. The way I look at it, if you are having some problems you should absolutely get them. They provide some support, could help you mentally, and I doubt anyone ever got hurt from wearing a brace
Apr 2 2009 2:30PM
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BigM1218
Posts: 998 - Karma: 13
unfortunately, i beg to differ. i tore my ACL for the second time (as in i tore the graft that they had put in place after i tore it the first time) while i was wearing a custom made over $500 breg fusion brace. my life sucks...
Apr 2 2009 2:37PM
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leeper68
Posts: 14 - Karma: 10

I didn't say they never got hurt while wearing a brace... I said that I doubt there have been many cases where a brace has been the cause of the tear.
Apr 2 2009 2:44PM
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D-Rex
Posts: 285 - Karma: 40
i tore my mcl and strained my meniscus it blew sooo hard out for the rest of the season
Apr 2 2009 6:40PM
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Pman13a
Posts: 3800 - Karma: 451
just recently tore my acl and meniscus
Apr 2 2009 9:14PM
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meggles
Posts: 3156 - Karma: 54
I tore my ACL and meniscus three years ago and I wore my brace for a full season after that. I've got a CTI^2 or whatever haha, customized and whatnot. I absolutely love it, and you really don't notice it's there. It's absolutely worth it after you fucked up your knees. I'm pretty sure it's saved me a few times from more surgery. I definitely recommend getting some sort of brace! Customized if you can..it's a lot more comfortable that way.
Apr 2 2009 9:17PM
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vinnyvan
Posts: 132 - Karma: 24

      A little more than 2 years ago i tore my mcl in football when i was in highschool. i used a Fat kneebrace with hinges as im sure everyone else has who has jacked a knee up and that seemed to work well when riding, but still could feel some pain and a definite restriction in riding and movement could be felt.  that was when i snowboarded tho. one thing thay definatly has helped the rehab of the knee has been trying to not to baby it much. i didnt use cruches when i was supposed to and i tried not wear a knee brace for the remaining years of football and other activities if at all necesarry. my knee occasionally did sort-of shift out of place for a brief second at times but after i did that so many times it didnt hurt as much and it didnt do it as frequently. i feel your pain brotha! and for the remaining year or so it shifted but it didnt hurt anymore really.  i did use a little Muller knee strap that is supposed to used for jumpers knee at times as a substitute for the huge bulky doctors knee brace towards the end when i gained a little confidence in my knee.

    it provided a little resistance and tension on the knee. (its placed right below the knee cap) and it helped a litte with the pain after a hard day of riding. as for skiing with knee braces i have never done it as i just started skiing the last few months. its sick bye the way, but i recomend the don joy knee brace as it is a little less restricting and provides a good amount a resistance and tension to the knee. good luck to u with the rehab. since the season is almost over a little bit of knee rehab would be a smart decision. definitally help, and try and push yourself a little when u can to help with the knee. the only time i can feel my knee now is after a long day of powder skiing and jumping. hope that helps the combo of the DON JOY KNEE BRACE and the MULLER JUMPERS STRAP everything is pretty good today. good luck.

ul know its the wright brace, cuz its a metal frame, and the top point goes very high up on your leg

Apr 3 2009 2:23AM
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kris.....
Posts: 759 - Karma: 43

Click for larger imageClick for larger image

Love my knee brace ski with it every dsy

Apr 3 2009 4:50AM
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tBenz
Posts: 900 - Karma: 11
Nice paint job! mine's just plain black haha

but anyways, i have the CTI 2 knee brace, and i recommend getting one or a donjoy or any other similar custom brace if you have knee problems. HOWEVER, its definitely better to have insurance that covers it, as mine would have cost around 900 without it (but instead didn't cost me a penny)
Apr 3 2009 5:46AM
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the.hellion.
Posts: 861 - Karma: 698
Gonna bump this just because I was at physio today and needed to see my brace fitter.
I'm hanging out with two torn acl's (one in each knee) pre-surgery. I have two custom DonJoy braces that make my life so much better. I'm probably going to even be able to downhill (bike) this summer with them, which is sick. Anyway, back when I had only one torn my doc said I could ski with the brace and it definitely saved my ass a couple of times.
I thought I remembered someone in this thread saying something about their brace not fitting because they grew post-op... I asked my brace fitter about it and he said that with donjoy you have a year to send it back to get refitted if your leg changes shape pre/post op - so that's something to keep in mind if you're worried about the investment. The better you take care of your knees now the less likely it is that you'll need full knee replacement surgery when you're 30 so trake good care of 'em
Apr 3 2009 11:48AM
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mski
Posts: 4791 - Karma: 3,803
i heard a statistic that wearing a knee brace gives you a 270% change of not injuring that knee again. The odds seem to sway for a brace everytime.
Apr 3 2009 11:52AM
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BigM1218
Posts: 998 - Karma: 13
hahahaha i was in the 1% of people who retear the same ACL after it was already fixed once. I should play the lottery....
Apr 3 2009 2:24PM
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leeper68
Posts: 14 - Karma: 10
Obviously you have never taken probability or statistics, you can't have a 270% chance of something not happening or happening... Probabilities are between 0 and 100%.
Apr 3 2009 9:13PM
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walker.
Posts: 152 - Karma: 30
i have super messed up knees. im going to have a knee replacement in a few years and already have had two surgerys on the same leg. i skied with a big clunky brace for a season and then did weight lifting in the summer and when i tried to put my brace on again it didn't fit. everysince then it's just been in my closet. i seemed to hurt my knee more when i wore my brace then when i didnt because of the metal. maybe thats just me though.
Apr 3 2009 9:30PM
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the-big-lepowski
Posts: 1212 - Karma: 544

I can commiserate.  I just learned on thursday that my season is over.  I had skied pretty hard the week before with alot of spring moguls and park, and my knee was still really swollen.  The MRI shows that I have a lesion of  the lower femur the size of the tip of my pinky and that if I don't rest it I'll have arthritis for life.  Not good, so now I'm on crutches even though it doesn't hurt me.  I think I'll go stir crazy having to be off my feet this long.   I even have to cancel a wyoming fly fishing trip for the summer - 4 monthes away.  end rant, but im unhappy and would appreciate any suggestions to maintain sanity.  KNEES SUCK

Apr 4 2009 1:45PM
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