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Go Back   WakeWorld > >> Wakeboarding Discussion Archives > Archive through August 20, 2005

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Old    skeprico            07-09-2005, 4:41 AM Reply   
I've been considering buying a pair of knee braces to prevent possible injury. I spoke to someone at buy wake who said if you have healthy knees that you should not use knee braces because it will make your knees weaker. This doesn't make sense to me. Does this mean that you can't expect to wear the braces while wakeboarding and then take them off and expect your knees to be able to handle the impacts wakeboarding without them? Or does this mean that if you wear knee braces while you are wakeboarding that you may be walking up a flight of stairs the next day and your knees will just collapse? Any info that anyone has on this subject would be greatly appreciated.
Old    eastcoastjedi            07-09-2005, 11:34 AM Reply   
Dont do it. There are no short cuts to spending your time in the gym and strengthening the muscles that support your knees so you DONT blow them out.
Basically what happens is that your knees think of their "stopping point" where the knee brace takes over. Knees actually stop a bit past that in reality.
Seriously dont do it.
I have been through 4 knee surgeries and I can definately say there are no short cuts to maintaining healthy knees (or any joints for that matter).
Old     (nautyboy)      Join Date: Apr 2005       07-09-2005, 1:04 PM Reply   
I asked the same question. Here's the thread:

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/1/236574.html?1119732555
Old    sbvfive            07-09-2005, 2:03 PM Reply   
I have blown out a knee in my day, and my surgeon urged me to stop wearing my cti2 ASAP after the rehab on my knee. Eastcoastjedi said it right, so i won't repeat, but dont do it. Once your knees start to depend on a brace you are screwed. Hit the gym.
Old     (rnopr8)      Join Date: Apr 2005       07-09-2005, 8:51 PM Reply   
Scott & Jedi said it perfectly. It's the same as wearing a back brace. Your back relies on the brace over time instead of it's own muscles. Same with the knee. If you get an injury you get one but your knee will be much stronger without the brace.
Old    dbritto1977            07-09-2005, 9:04 PM Reply   
Yeah I broke my left knee twice and it's stronger than my right , asked the doc if I should wear one and only said if I have a problem
Old     (auto)      Join Date: Aug 2002       07-10-2005, 5:33 AM Reply   
Just say no to braces. Gym. When my fiancee had her ACL, her surgeon would get her let have a brace, no substitute for gym.
Old     (mmobius2001)      Join Date: Jun 2004       07-10-2005, 7:24 PM Reply   
i try to not wear a brace, but sometimes i have to, after so many continous sessions my right knee muscle is real sore from so many landings, so every few sessions i will throw on a brace (just an ace bandage) so it will not hurt while im boarding, but as soon as it heels im back out there w/o a brace until my knee streghens, i go through this process in the beggining of each year for about a month to a month in a half until my knee is strong enough to not be sore anymore.
Old     (leykis1o1)      Join Date: May 2005       07-10-2005, 7:56 PM Reply   
you know right now i am in serious pain. vicodine and other drugs...i allways said i should wear my knee braces i use for dirt biking,,i never have a problem..this past weekend i was wakeboarding doing a 180 and blew out my knee...now its going to be 2 months hopefully where i wont feel the pain when i bend it..this sucks..im wearing knee braces for now on!!
Old    eastcoastjedi            07-11-2005, 5:18 AM Reply   
ryan do you hit the gym?
It is the only way. Knee braces are like putting a band-aid on the problem.
Old    eastcoastjedi            07-11-2005, 6:27 AM Reply   
ryan do you hit the gym?
It is the only way. Knee braces are like putting a band-aid on the problem.
Old     (leykis1o1)      Join Date: May 2005       07-11-2005, 8:23 AM Reply   
yah i hit the gym 5 days week, cardio and free weights
Old    benyaki            07-18-2005, 8:57 AM Reply   
I normally run a fair bit, and do my share of heavy lifting etc, but dont have time for the gym right now. I have a bit of an odd problem with my knees.
My femur at both knees is somewhat incorrectly formed so that the "valley" in which the patella (knee cap) sits is more like a "plain", causing it to move around a bit, and thus lower cartiledge etc/etc.
So I was wondering what your take on knee-brace in my situation is. On a good day, after a good set they'll be hurting for a bit, but normally I have a great deal of pain sitting/standing, or anything faster than a slow walk. Advil or tylenol dont curb the problem (they dont work for me, but that's another story, think migraines since I was 3).
Any input would be greatly appreciated. Tks
Old     (xbar)      Join Date: May 2003       07-18-2005, 9:14 AM Reply   
After two reconstructions and three clean up surgeries, I still do not wear knee braces when I ride. Granted I only skate and no longer strap. In any case, the braces will never prevent a serious injury from happening. Also, it is more of a mental thing when wearing them. So if you have a knee brace on you are thinking about it while riding and that can often lead to bad things. Good luck!
Old     (leykis1o1)      Join Date: May 2005       07-18-2005, 1:16 PM Reply   
i dont think its a mental thing at all..if i was wearing knee braces my hyperetension hamstring bone freagment detachment (thats what i call it!) would not have happend..cause the knee braces would have prevented my knees from hyperextending!! and knee braces keep yhou from twisting your knee to a degree...i have allway wore them after my first accident dirt biking with no more incident after i wore them dirt biking...i dont know why i didnt werar them wakeboarding..but i allways will for now on!!
Old    benyaki            07-19-2005, 7:25 AM Reply   
My question is more along the lines of keeping the patella in place and not moving around so much when I ride. that is what really causes most of the pain for my knees. I have used them on and off for x-country running and they seemed to help a bit.
Old     (wyblea)      Join Date: Feb 2005       07-19-2005, 1:55 PM Reply   
Ben,
I would consider wearing a neoprene knee brace to help keep your patella tracking correctly...I would probably stay away from hinged braces for the reasons already stated above....
Old    justsomeguy            07-19-2005, 2:03 PM Reply   
There's some really bad information in this thread.

It's always a good idea to strengthen the muscles that support the knee (quads/hams) but to make blanket statements like "Knee braces are like putting a band-aid on the problem" and "Just say no to braces" is silly.

There are many different types of knee injuries and reconstructions and this will obviously come as a big surprise to some folks posting here but...some folks, even though their legs are in great shape, still need a brace to wakeboard, wakesurf, ski, windsurf, play vollyball, etc.

Your best bet is to ask your doctor about your specific condition rather than rely on a bunch of lay person's opinions (mine included).
Old     (troyl)      Join Date: Feb 2002       07-19-2005, 8:58 PM Reply   
Finally some sanity. Thank you JSG.

I need a knee brace to help keep my joint out of extreme compression and extention. But I sure wouldn't wear one if my knees were young and healthy.
Old     (leykis1o1)      Join Date: May 2005       07-19-2005, 10:30 PM Reply   
well if youve been around this forum enough you know for a FACT that blowing out your knees is commone to wakeboarder's..i had near perfect strong knees..able to squate all the way down. and on the squate machine able to almost do unlimited weight..i even won marathons..but because my knee was in the wrong position when i landed i blew out my knee ..regardles how strong i was..if i had braces they would have prevente my knees from hyperextending and pulling ligaments apart..how can a knee brace hurt you anyways?...they make them specifically for dirt biking for one reason..your likely to twist tunr and bend your knee abnormally ..and they protect you...
Old    benyaki            07-20-2005, 12:45 PM Reply   
Thanks for the response Adam (wyblea).
However my GP who i saw today actually recommended the hinged ones over the neoprene ones. Said that yes the neoprene ones would work, but the hinged ones in my condition (which also causes some twisting in my knee under normal stress) would probably reduce the chance of blowing out my knee. Let me clarify: No amount of extra exercise or strengthening can help my knees anymore, its a bone and not a muscle problem.
Old    benyaki            07-20-2005, 12:48 PM Reply   
Let me just add something. After I posted that I realized that I may have said something wrong. He recommended the hinged ones which have a neoprene base (ie covers the knee, not just hinges) instead of just a pull-up neoprene ones.
Old    tuck224            07-20-2005, 1:32 PM Reply   
I don't really get the whole, a brace will make your knee's weaker theory?? Possibly if you wore your brace all day long everyday it may affect your leg muscles, but surely wearing it for a few sets a week isn't going to cause your muscles to weaken.

I agree that in a sport like wakeboarding people should definitely be working out their legs in a gym. I just don't see why it needs to be one way or the other, can't you increase your leg strength, and still use a brace for added protection?

Any doctor's out there??
Old    benyaki            07-21-2005, 12:40 PM Reply   
Quote:
Any doctor's out there??
Give me 4 more years... but then I'll only be a fake doctor (dentist). Sorry.
Old     (leykis1o1)      Join Date: May 2005       07-21-2005, 6:03 PM Reply   
just got a call back from the doctor here are my results..doesnt sound like fun..if i wore a knee brace none of this would have happend..but here are the results:

MENISCI:
A Lateral Meniscal Tear

LIGAMENTS:
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is disorganizedand Edematous, Consitant with a Complete Intrasubstance tear. The posterior cruciate ligament apears mildly edematous but intact. The distal tibial collateral ligament apears avulsed from the tibi. The Fibular collateral ligament apears thickened and irregular and strain or partial tear.

BONES and TISSUE:
Moderate joint infusion is present. considerable irregularity of the semimembraneous tendon..suspected tear..Extensive fluid due to hemorrhage around the semimembraneous muscle and within its fascia (perimuscular and interamuscular) a depression of the cortex in the intercondylar notch from the hypertextension of the knee (i dented and fractured my knee from bending it back!!)

also many bone fragments!!


Old    tommcat            07-23-2005, 4:49 AM Reply   
i wear one on my knee that was reconstructed last year when i ride and play hockey, i didnt wear one on my other and now have damaged that one as well. but then again i'm old (33) and still act like i'm 18 so i guess it's to be expected.
Old     (leykis1o1)      Join Date: May 2005       07-23-2005, 6:59 AM Reply   
you think 33 is old?
Old    tommcat            07-23-2005, 9:33 AM Reply   
Ryan, i didnt used to think it was old until i started wakeboarding this year and most people i see riding were born around the time i graduated highschool......now i feel old;)

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