I’m getting one for a ruptured ACL on my left knee and since I’ve gotten back in the saddle again, I was wondering who had success with riding in knee braces and which ones worked best for y’all. And how it affects your riding.
i have one of these, Bort Medical:
http://www.jointhealing.com/pages/productpages/genuzip.html
it’s blue, large size and has some cushiony stuff that forms around the kneecap.
and one of these, DonJoy:
https://www.djoglobal.com/products/donjoy/drytex-economy-hinged-knee
mine has the straps closer in to the knee though.
try a google search ‘knee brace ruptured acl’ also, check any forum results or online stores saying a particular one is good for that.
SERIOUSLY though. nothing will really “support” your knee while riding unless it’s one of those contraptions with metal rods and such… which will make the muslces that need to support he knees/ligaments even weaker, which will make the pain worse when you try to go without it. typically when people think a fabric brace is supporting them they are only feeling the pressure and it has a convincing feeling of support and pain relief. also while walking and things like that, it will restrict you from sort of throwing your legs out in front of you too fast for the injury to be happy with. it’s possible that a ruptured acl could benefit from it though, my problems were different.
if your knee is really hurting from riding this early on, lay off and focus on strengthening them before getting back in the saddle. do any exercises a PT recommends. what they often neglect to mention which helps 9/10 people who cant figure out what they’re doing wrong is: once your ready to starting building up the muscles that were whithering away while you were/are nursing that injury… start spending more and more time just on your feet. gentle stuff. standing, walking. you may have to push it a bit as long as you go slow it will be necessary. eventually when your knee is ready spend LOTS of time on your feet (2+hours of sitting will cause significant muscle weakness which needs to be supporting those knees. another not make sure your knees aren’t locked out (straight and tight almost like knee is pressing backwards towards the knee-pit) it’s a little problem i have but it’s not a big deal unless i’m slacking on staying active… if you get 30-160min of exercise a day then rest for the rest of the day, and make this your habit, your knees wil be bothering you for a long time, if not forever.
its possible sedentary habits / requirements are what caused it to rupture under stress, unless it was simply an accident. the same goes for back braces. no fabric no matter how tight or stiff gives adequate support for a joint that is responsible for 80+% of your bodyweight. doctors can’t find their butts with their hands when it comes to knee and lower back pains. i have difficulty stretching hammies and quads without my knees feeling like they’re being pulled apart. aside from that my knees are very strong and im more worried about my lower back! but the same prescription is the answer! sitting at this computer as i type makes me feel guilty for sitting… just got done spending a couple hours researching boot sizes and prices 
this may be terrible advice and i was just ranting. i have knee problems for a long time until i realized the muscles are just too weak from never being on my feet! good luck sorry if this wasn’t helpful.
I am getting one with metal and hinges and all that good stuff. It’s supposed to be for active women who play soccer and tennis, so it does offer a good bit of lateral support. I just can’t imagine riding in such a thing. I do have a PT exercise program for strengthening the knee which I’ve started; but until I get the brace, I’ve been limiting my walking out of fear that my foot will slip, my knee will pop, and the meniscus will tear, necessitating knee surgery and ACL replacement. DO NOT want to go through that again.
Go to a local prosthetics shop and have one custom made for riding (if you want to ride in it) and your knee and your injury. Best brace I ever owned.
I have the same DonJoy that Joel R mentioned. I’ve tried many and that gives me the most support without getting in the way of keeping my leg on the horse and my leg feels more secure in the stirrup. It also allows me to mount and dismount without twisting and pain.
Good luck.
