Types of Quadricep Ace Bandages

When you injure or pull your quadriceps, you may want to use an ace bandage for support. There are a variety of bandage types to consider, including knee braces, elastic bandages and self-adhesive bandages. Most of these bandages retail for $5 to $30 and are available at your local drugstore.

Elastic With Clips

• Elastic bandages typically come in a neutral color such as tan, but you can sometimes find colors like purple or blue. These bandages are designed to wrap around limbs to provide support. Typically, you will want to wrap a bandage around the area two to four times before securing the bandage with the included metal clips. These bandages usually require scissors to cut and can be reused.

Antimicrobial

• Antimicrobial bandages come in a variety of widths and sizes and often use Velcro closures. These bandages provide greater protection against infection and tend to be more durable than other elastic bandages.

Self-Adhesive

• Self-adhesive bandages are typically elastic and work much like bandages with clips. The only difference is that these bandages stick to themselves. While this provides more support and means you don't have to deal with clips or Velcro, you may not be able to reuse self-adhesive bandages. You may have a harder time applying these bandages because it is much harder to unwrap and rewrap a bandage that sticks to itself.

Knee Braces

• Knee braces provide extra support for your leg muscles and the tendons that connect your quadriceps to your knees. These braces are reusable, one size fits all, and they work to reduce knee and muscle pain. Typically, knee braces are available in either natural colors or in black. They can be worn under clothing but will not fit under tight clothing such as skinny jeans.