Preventative Knee braces

i was referring to the statement you made about it being 100% back to normal with any surgery on your ACL, it may feel 100% but it never will physically be as strong on it's own as it was before your injury, but what would your recommendation been on the surgery i underwent? full blown acl replacement?

Good thread guys. Agree that braces don't do shit and may actually hold you back. But I've been thinking about knee pads for learning to ride rails and boxes. Anyone ever try that? Reason I ask is because about half the time when I bite it I go down forwards and hit my knee cap on the hardpack.

The number of non-orthopedic surgeons in this thread claiming knee braces are ineffective and actually worse for you is somewhat troubling - I think that mentality is pretty much equivalent to those that argue helmets make you more likely to hurt yourself, but anyhoo...

In regard to knee pads, I wear a 661 Race Lite hard plastic knee and shin guard when I am riding park and trees. I don't notice them riding or walking (I hiked at Silverton while wearing them), you can't see them under baggy pants and they have prevented several impact injuries from rails and trees. Impact shorts and a padded jacket (several companies make them, Crash Pads out of Oregon for one) are also helpful.

The padded jacket also makes my skinny ass look pretty buff.

those are crash pads, we're talking purely knee braces, you're speaking about impact injuries, we're talking acl tears which generally result from a backward TWISTING motion, of which crash pads nor a knee brace will protect you

Read the quote - he did ask specifically about knee pads

Thanks Cobra, I'm going to look into the pads you mention. Wish I'd been wearing them in April when I hit that tree stump...