Heß Tobias, Milani Thomas L, Stoll Jan, Mitschke Christian
Department of Movement Science for Prevention and Rehabilitation, Institute of Human Movement Science and Health, Chemnitz University of Technology, Thüringer Weg 11, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany.
Research Group for Biomechanics and Sensory Function, Institute of Human Movement Science and Health, Chemnitz University of Technology, Thüringer Weg 11, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany.
Bioengineering (Basel). 2025 Jun 16;12(6):661. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering12060661.
The knee is one of the most frequently injured joints, involving various structures. To prevent reinjury after rehabilitation, braces are commonly used. However, most studies on knee supports focus on subjects with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and do not account for muscle fatigue, which typically occurs during prolonged intense training and can significantly increase the risk of injury. Hence, this study investigates the acute effects of wearing a knee brace on biomechanics in subjects with a history of various unilateral knee injuries or pain under muscle fatigue. In total, 50 subjects completed an intense fatigue protocol and then performed counter-movement jumps and running tests on a force plate while tracking kinematics with a marker-based 3D motion analysis system. Additionally, subjects filled out a visual analog scale (VAS) to assess knee pain and stability. Tests were conducted on the injured leg with and without a knee brace (Sports Knee Support, Bauerfeind AG, Zeulenroda-Triebes, Germany) and on the healthy leg. Results indicated that wearing the knee brace stabilized knee movement in the frontal plane, with a significant reduction in maximal medio-lateral knee acceleration and knee abduction moment during running and jumping. The brace also normalized loading on the injured leg. We observed higher maximal knee flexion moments, which were associated with increased vertical ground reaction forces, segment velocities, and knee flexion angles. Subjects reported less pain and greater stability while wearing the knee brace. Therefore, we confirm that wearing a knee brace on the injured leg improves joint biomechanics by enhancing stability and kinematics and reducing pain during running and jumping, even with muscle fatigue. Consequently, wearing a knee brace after a knee joint injury may reduce the risk of reinjury.
膝关节是最常受伤的关节之一，涉及多种结构。为防止康复后再次受伤，通常会使用护膝。然而，大多数关于膝关节支撑装置的研究都集中在前交叉韧带（ACL）损伤的受试者身上，没有考虑到肌肉疲劳，而肌肉疲劳通常发生在长时间的高强度训练中，会显著增加受伤风险。因此，本研究调查了佩戴护膝对有各种单侧膝关节损伤史或肌肉疲劳下疼痛的受试者生物力学的急性影响。共有50名受试者完成了一项高强度疲劳方案，然后在测力板上进行反向纵跳和跑步测试，同时使用基于标记的3D运动分析系统跟踪运动学。此外，受试者填写了视觉模拟量表（VAS）以评估膝关节疼痛和稳定性。测试在受伤腿佩戴和不佩戴护膝（运动护膝，德国鲍尔芬公司，措伦罗达-特里贝斯）的情况下以及在健康腿上进行。结果表明，佩戴护膝可稳定膝关节在额平面的运动，跑步和跳跃时最大中外侧膝关节加速度和膝关节外展力矩显著降低。护膝还使受伤腿的负荷正常化。我们观察到更高的最大膝关节屈曲力矩，这与垂直地面反作用力、节段速度和膝关节屈曲角度的增加有关。受试者报告佩戴护膝时疼痛减轻且稳定性增强。因此，我们证实，即使存在肌肉疲劳，在受伤腿上佩戴护膝也能通过增强稳定性和运动学以及减轻跑步和跳跃时的疼痛来改善关节生物力学。因此，膝关节损伤后佩戴护膝可能会降低再次受伤的风险。
