What are the very best knee braces for riding after ACL repairs?

[Coreene]

I was walking on perfectly flat ground, my ankle barely rolled and my knee dislocated, the ACL, PCL and LCL ripped off the bone, my knee bent backwards and I hyper stretched the peroneal nerve, leaving me with drop foot.

First surgery replaced LCL with a cadaver Achilles tendon, second one 2 weeks later replaced the other two. That was 12/16 (injury was 11/26). I could start putting weight on it 2/13. Have a hinged brace on my leg and an AFO in my shoe, and Monday I was able to begin using a cane at home; the rest of the time I use a walker.

I nearly lost my leg and so try not to complain, but sometimes it is very frustrating since I even need help in and out of the shower. My knee is loose, so a brace is most likely going to be a permanent fixture, but if the drop foot will go away enough that I can wear a more streamlined AFO I’ll be happy (may recover, may not, but it is showing tiny signs of life).

The other blessing is that I have no pain at all. Amazing! :sadsmile:

[Equine_Adhesive]

Wow, that is amazing and so bizarre that it just went like that. And you have no pain? I don’t know what an AFO is, I admit. It continues to amaze me how fragile the body is and how quickly our freedom of movement can be taken away.

[Coreene]

The surgeon called it a perfect storm. Yes, no pain!

An AFO is a brace for drop foot. Goes in your shoe and up the back of your calf.

I have only been walking again for like 9 or 10 weeks, so to have a cane already after that destruction is so cool. It will get there, it just takes time. Took a while to wrap my head around the fact that it would never get totally better, but that is just how life is and this is a card I was dealt.

OP sorry to hijack!

[Equine_Adhesive]

I hijacked, not you, sorry! I will pop up again on the ankle & knee brigade where I belong. I am sorry about your perfect storm, and I look up to you because I feel a lot weaker than you seem to be. But maybe I just haven’t accepted so much yet.

[fermecinqsens]

Don’t want to steal the thread, but it sounds like everyone on here is talking about using a brace (or not using one) after surgery.
What about degenerative knee conditions?
My Mom had to stop riding last summer because her knee was bothering her a lot from riding. She went to see her Dr and he said it’s just an age thing - that he couldn’t “fix” it. She wants to keep riding but it’s really painful for her. I’m trying to find info for her about a knee brace - is this something that would help with the pain while riding and that she could ride in all the time?

[Keg-A-Bacchus]

I am currently laying in bed with my knee iced and elevated due to a knee dislocation…again! I was just about to start a similar thread! I’m getting surgery in the fall after show season, busy work season, saving up money to take off work, etc. My MCL and meniscus got blown last year (ACL repaired 10 years ago) and it’s dislocated 3 times since last fall. I’m thinking I need a brace to support the knee cap when I jump as it seems to pop out of place quite easily until I can get surgery. Any recommendations for knee stability? I have a good brace with the hole cut out of the center and metal stays. Ive never tried riding in it. Can I show in it? Over or under my breeches? I hate knee problems!!