Effect of Prophylactic Knee Bracing on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Agonist and Antagonist Muscle Forces During Perturbed Walking

Abstract

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries most commonly occur after a perturbation. Prophylactic knee braces (PKBs) are off-the-shelf braces designed to prevent and reduce the severity of knee injuries during sports, yet their effectiveness has been debated. Purpose: To identify differences in ACL agonist and antagonist muscle forces, during braced and unbraced conditions, while walking with the application of unexpected perturbations. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: A total of 20 recreational athletes were perturbed during walking at a speed of 1.1 m/s, and motion analysis data were used to create patient-specific musculoskeletal models. Static optimization w..