Articles — knee

Winter 2021/22 After a truncated ski season in winter 2019/20, and an absent one last year, this winter, many skiers will want to return to the slopes. In a typical ski season, 1.5-1.8 million Brits would ski/snowboard each Winter (the UK has third biggest skiing population in Europe, after France and Germany). Sadly, many skiers get injured every season. Estimates have been put at:​ Skiing ​ 3 injuries/1000 ski days  Snowboarding ​ 4-16 injuries/1000 ski days ​With the numbers that hit the slopes, up to 46,000 people will be injured in a typical year, and many of these will be knee injuries inclduing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, which often requires...

  When asked for their reasons for avoiding exercise, patients often blame pain and a lack of confidence due to perceived joint instability. Such barriers to activity can be the first steps on a downwards slope to more serious health conditions, which is why it is so important for these patients to maintain a healthy level of activity in their daily lives. An easy, low-cost way to address the symptoms that prevent exercise is soft bracing. Soft braces are elastic and non-adhesive orthoses often used to reduce barriers to activity.(1)   Soft braces achieve this by: • Improving joint proprioception...