The brace serves to stabilize your knee and allow your ACL to be protected while it heals properly.
However, there has been increased scrutiny as to the effectiveness of using a knee brace after ACL surgery.
What Does the Knee Brace Do?
Brett Sears, PT
This is thought to help decrease force through the ACL graft and protect it while it heals.
What Does the Evidence Show?
What if My Surgeon Prescribes a Bledsoe Brace for Me?
Every person is different, and surgery for an ACL repair can be complicated.
Different surgical techniques or different ACL grafts may be used, and complications may occur during your surgery.
For these reasons, your healthcare provider may recommend you wear a brace after your surgery.
Your PT can also teach you toproperly wear and fit your braceif your healthcare provider recommends you use one.
More recently, evidence indicates that this may not be necessary.
2015;3(4):220-240.
American Physical Therapy Association.Physical therapy guide to anterior cruciate ligament tear.
Mayr HO, Stueken P, Munch EO, et al.Brace or no-brace after ACL graft?
Four-year results of a prospective clinical trial.Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc.
2023;12(5):2074. doi:10.3390/jcm12052074
