Thread: Knee bracing - subluxed patella

Hoping someone can help here.

About 10yrs ago I took a fall, landed on my right knee & got myself a minimal subluxation of the patella (in lay terms, didn't totally dislocate the kneecap, but it did knock it out of track/off where it should be a bit). It eventually popped back to place, I wore 2 good sturdy neoprene braces (the tube sort, one on top of the other) given to me by the doc at the time. Eventually I was okay and of course healed up. The neoprene braces are long gone.

Well. Yesterday I cracked (hit) the heck out of it getting in my car (don't ask). Patella (kneecap) was wonky for an hour or two & after much popping & creaking and pain it popped back to place and finally stayed there. Still some popping/clicking today when tracking but it's stayed put, tender around the kneecap & some pain depending on what I'm doing. Bottom line, I know I need to brace it/help stabilize it so I can heal, but all I've got is a brace from Walmart, which is better than nothing, but not by much.

Anyone else have these patella issues/injuries & can recommend a good brace? I already know this will likely be a lifelong issue, since once it's knocked out/subluxed, the ligaments are stretched & chance of reinjury is greater. I'm considering ordering a brace online, but thought I'd ask around here first.

I was born with subluxating patellas. I dont know how it differs from having an injury, but a physical therapist gave me a series of strengthening exercises that help stabilize and support the kneecap to prevent slippage. You might look into that.

Probably not what you want to hear, but I think the best advice would be to see an orthopedist who specializes in knees or a sports medicine specialist. An off-the-shelf brace may not be right for you, and could end up doing more damage in the long run by not providing the proper support. Any legitimate doctor or brace fitter should have the decency to tell you if an off-the-shelf piece will work better than a custom orthotic. If they have any integrity, they'll want to put you in the right equipment for your condition, budget, and lifestyle, because it doesn't do any good if they try to sell you something you won't buy, wear, or be helped by.

I use the one with the hole in the center for the knee cap.

I've an appt. with doctor tomorrow & hopefully a referral to the brace shop from there for a proper brace. What I had before (long long ago) was a neoprene sleeve w/hole for the knee, then on top of that I wore another, shorter, neoprene sleeve that was thicker, with smaller hole to hold the patella itself & had an additional crescent shaped wedge at the bottom of the hold that was to buttd up against the bottom of the patella. Gave stability & helped keep everything tracking correctly while I healed & went to physical therapy. I hope to get something similar, or better, tomorrow.