Prophylactic knee braces for football: do they work?

Knee injuries in athletics are a major problem facing the sports medicine community. There is no compelling evidence to suggest that the likelihood of sustaining a knee injury is increasing; however, more knee injuries are being identified and treated due to improved diagnostic techniques. Successful prevention of knee injuries with prophylactic braces has not paralleled the substantial advances in diagnosis and treatment of these knee problems. This article summarizes the current data available and makes recommendations for subsequent prophylactic knee brace use.