When I suffered my first quad tendon tear years ago I was taken straight to the emergency room by the paramedics and per usual protocol was given an x-ray and routine assessment by the ER doctor on scene. The results from the x-ray came back normal and the inexperienced doc wasn’t able to properly diagnose me even though I was in excruciating pain and I couldn’t lift my leg. He referred me to an orthopedic surgeon and sent me home with the brace similar to the one pictured below.
The sexy blue leg brace (shown below) is usually what is issued to you after your visit to the ER or what you will receive from the hospital after surgery if you didn’t go to the emergency room. It is basic and does the job for awhile, but it isn’t the top quality brace you should have and you will soon grow tired of this as well as the Velcro straps will wear out very quickly.
You might be wearing ‘ol big blue until your doc says you can start increasing your ROM, which usually occurs at week 6 (at least that was the case with me). The orthopedic doctor should then suggest the brace in the next picture which usually consists of 4 Velcro straps, telescoping bar for customized length and a slide lock mechanism on each side of the knee that allows you to select a specific degree of ROM. This brace will serve you for the rest of your rehabilitation.
These are fabulous braces and are very stable, but come with a very hefty price tag if you buy them from your doctors office. I believe I paid $275 or more for the very first one, but then later quickly realized you can get them on eBay or Amazon for almost a fraction of the cost. I would buy two of them just to have a backup. You will pay more for different name brands. The two that I like best are the BREG and Orthomen, but don’t buy them on their website. Purchase your leg brace on either eBay or Amazon or elsewhere online. I would recommend buying it on Amazon due to their fast shipping as you want your leg brace sooner than later.
I highly recommend, if you do receive the big blue brace after surgery or after your ER visit, to ditch it and quickly purchase the telescoping ROM flexion leg brace described above. Not only are these braces more durable and stable for your leg(s), but they also don’t encase your leg like a cocoon making your leg extremely hot and sweaty.
Now I do want to point out something that has been brought up quite a lot by people that I have talked to that have worn this brace, and that has to do with these braces slipping and sliding down the leg. Many people have been frustrated with this that these braces do not stay in place after a certain period of time.
I personally have not had this issue, but I can see that people of different leg sizes, height and such could be the reason for this. A couple of great suggestions that have been brought up in my Facebook Group has been to wear compression socks, knee sleeves, or using a ROM knee brace that has a shoulder strap as pictured below.
Do you have experience with wearing this knee brace and has something else helped with keeping it in place? Drop me a message and tell me what has worked best for you. I’d love to know and share your experiences.
Important legal notice: This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for many of my product recommendations. Quad Tendon Rupture is a participant in the Amazon Associates affiliate program. While I am always careful to only recommend the products I have used and recommend, I want to be open and transparent about our relationship with companies I recommend.
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