Structural and material characterisation of knee braces

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024)

The knee is a complex joint in the body used for everyday motions. It is also a common joint to be injured. There is no one solution to treat knee injuries but there are measures to aid recovery and prevent re-injury, including the use of a brace. The exoskeleton knee brace design should closely align with the axis of the user's knee to support the joint during motion. The general use of knee braces is prophylactic or protective and it is believed that they are used to reduce knee pain, prevent injuries, and help recover after an injury. According to clinical websites and brand information, braces are categorised as sleeve, functional, prophylactic, rehabilitation, and loader. Based on design and constructional criteria, braces can be further categorised by hinge and strap type. These categories are widely used, but there are no unified definitions nor formal means of categorisation. As such, it is unclear how performance and function relate to brace type/category. In general, knee sleeves are considered best as a preventative and protective brace for physical activity. Braces should be breathable, comfortable, low weight, and minimalist in design, while being adjustable and customisable based on individual needs. However, the efficacy of the braces is still debated. There are no regulations nor standards which measuresthe level of support, injury type for knee braces, and the principal mechanism through which they reduce re-injury risk remains unclear. Most knee braces are designed to be unisex, or specifically for males, despite females sustaining more knee injuries. Therefore, there is a need to understand the design requirements of a brace for the female lower limb. As a first step towards a better understanding of the mechanisms of knee brace function, this work aimed to characterise their basic structural and material properties and identify design differences between braces provided for different functional purposes. To do this, the research will measure and quantify performance metrics (support, material type, hinge, and strap design) with a view to establishing a more formal categorisation process based on performance categorists.