FAQ’s: Knee

Unloading braces are designed to be used when the joint space is “invaded”.  Often this happens when the meniscus tears and a piece of it, or other foreign body is in the joint space of the knee causing pain and limiting mobility.   What they do is to separate the thigh and tibia plateau to “give more space” and reduce pain.  Unfortunately, unless the torn part of the meniscus moves out of the joint space, it needs to be surgically removed. This is something you need to talk to your physician or health care professional as this often makes the joint less stable. The meniscus is like a well in flour or mash potatoes where the inse is shallow and the walls are higher.  These meniscus walls help to hold the bones in alignment and in the well.

The joint space in the knee is very small.  The oval picture shows the actual joint space under arthroscopy, with cartilage defect on bottom right.  The tan sections at the end of the bones.  In the second picture are the cartilage ends of the bones that form the joint space which you can see is very small.

The In the Groove Knee Re-training Brace™ helps to align the thigh over the lower leg which supports the entire weight of the body. Align the thigh over the lower leg (tibia) helps to reduce the damage to the knee joint bones and cartilage with each and every movement of the knee.

Most braces apply pressure over the knee cap or patella because when you look at your knee, you see the patella first.  However, the patella is suspended in a long tendon and tracks in the groove of the end of thigh (femur).  If the bones are not aligned behind the patella the patella cannot track in the groove so it scrapes the sides of the femur during every step damaging it and causing pain.

This is my MRI of my knee joint from the back which shows that the bones of the thigh and lower leg are not aligned.  There is no way the patella can track in the groove as they do not line up.  It will scrape over the bones as you move the knee joint causing pain and damaging the bones that scrape each other.

When normal alignment is restored, pain is reduced, more normal function is restored and there is the potential to not only reduce further damage to the knee joint, but also to allow the body to heal where possible.

Yes, In the Groove Knee Re-Trainer Brace™ only does one modified physical therapy exercise and it does not replace proper evaluation of your knee joint issue or do other exercise you need to do to for your knee.

• Often after 2 or 3 months of use, most people find that they no longer need the In the Groove™ Knee Re-training Brace, unless there has already been severe damage to knee joint tissues or arthritic changes, then it may be needed long term.
• When normal structure is restored and maintained, muscles can train and strengthen to help maintain the normal structure.
• Wearing braces that do not restore normal structure and function of the knee train muscles of the knee joint to work in malalignment. This training has to be unlearned and then relearned to hold the knee in alignment. Therefore, it is better to use a brace that aligns the knee joint and helps train the muscles to work correctly and strengthen them correctly to maintain normal alignment just by wearing the rehabilitative brace.

If you can do the maneuver on yourself, then you will know if it will help you and by how much.

It is always a good idea to involve your medical professional to get their opinion as to whether or not it will help you.  You may have other conditions that will affect how this works for you

You need to wear it during weight bearing activity.  It does not help to re-train the muscles without activity.  If you are totally wheelchair bound and are not doing any weight bearing activity, it will not be able to re-train muscles by resetting memory.  In rare cases, people have worn it to sleep as they have so much knee pain that they cannot sleep.  While this is not recommended, check with your medical professional to get their advice in your particular condition. 

Most often, people do not need it after 4-6 weeks as they have re-trained their knee joint muscles, but if your knee issue is long standing, bone on bone, or a non-surgical option, it is possible to need it longer.  That should be between you and your medical professional in your particular condition.

If your knee condition is not patellofemoral syndrome or due to side-to-side instability, it may not help you.  If you do the maneuver on yourself, you should get the same relief you got with doing the maneuver.  It will not correct anterior cruciate or posterior cruciate ligaments (these are short ligaments inside the knee joint).  Please check with your medical professional to get their advice in your particular condition.

No, In the Groove Knee Re-Trainer Brace™ for patellofemoral syndrome (PFS) is a functional and rehabilitative knee brace may help reduce swelling, help align your upper and lower leg, help you to retrain your muscles to maintain alignment but it cannot reverse damage that has been done to your knee joint tissues or repair a cut or shredded meniscus.  It may help prevent future damage and may help you have a better outcome after surgery IF your problem is PFS and you got relief with In the Groove Knee Re-Trainer Brace™. If the ligaments have been stretched, they will probably still be stretched as no brace can shorten stretched tendons at this time.

No, In the Groove Knee Re-Trainer Brace™ is worn when you have pain and immobility from PFS.  It is not a preventative brace.  Its function is to make the knee feel more stable and to help align the upper and lower leg so the patella can track in the groove.  Do the maneuver to see if it will help you.

Go to How do I know section of the website and see if the In the Groove Knee Re-Trainer Brace™ will help you.  If the maneuver does not help you DO NOT BUY THIS BRACE.  What effect you get with the maneuver is what the brace will do for you.  Only exception is for the bicyclist who has knee pain after cycling.  Unless the foot is directly perpendicular to the knee and pedal, the knee is strained and you may have pain after cycling.  In this case, do the maneuver right after getting off the bicycling.  If you get relief, then wear it during cycling to reduce post cycling pain.  However, the best result will be to go to your cycle shop and have the pedal adjusted so that you are not straining your knee.

If you are unsure of results from doing the maneuver on yourself, check with your medical professional and ask for their help and opinion or email abrown@inthegroovebrace.com or call (517) 781-6030

In the Groove Knee Re-Trainer Brace™ is made from neoprene and hook and loop tape, so it will not withstand high heat or direct sunlight for a long time.  I have washed mine in the washing machine on delicate, but if you have a top loading machine, it could get caught under the agitator and damage your washing machine and the brace itself.  It is not recommended, nor is it necessary.  Neoprene is close to rubber but a man-made material which should be easily wiped clean. 

Do not bleach and material may degrade in direct sunlight.