When most people talk about the arthritis in their knees, they are referring to a type of arthritis called osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is caused by wear and tear inside your knee joints.
In some people, arthritis may affect mostly the inside of the knee. This may be because the inside of the knee often bears more of a person's weight than the outside of the knee.
A special brace called an "unloading brace" may help take some of the pressure off the inside of your knee when you are standing.
An unloading brace does not treat your arthritis, but it may help relieve symptoms such as knee pain or buckling when you are moving around. People who wish to delay having knee-replacement surgery may want to try an unloading brace.
There are 2 types of unloading braces:
It is not known for sure how well unloading braces work. Some people say they have fewer symptoms when they use them. But medical studies who have tested these braces have not proved whether they do or do not help people with knee arthritis.
Unloading brace
Paluska SA. Knee braces. In: Pfenninger JL, Fowler GC, eds. Pfenninger and Fowler's Procedures for Primary Care. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby; 2010:chap 193.
Updated by: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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