Secondary effects of knee braces on the intracompartmental pressure in the anterior tibial compartment.

UNLABELLED

In 31 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 33 years we investigated the intracompartmental pressure in the anterior tibial compartment while running on a treadmill with, and without, a functional knee brace. All volunteers performed two test series with a constant running speed of 8 km/h. Prior to running, the pressure was documented in the supine, sitting and standing position as well as during running. The intracompartmental pressure in the supine position was significantly less without a brace compared to the pressure with a brace. This was also true for the sitting position and the standing position. While running on the treadmill the average pressure was also significantly higher with, than without, a brace.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Running with a functional knee brace leads to increased intracompartmental pressure in the anterior tibial compartment and, as a consequence, may lead to a chronic compartment syndrome. Wearing a functional knee brace may cause secondary muscle ischemia and may be one reason for the increased incidence of injuries in athletes.