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The Benefits of a Knee Alignment Device

A knee alignment device is any device used to keep the knee in proper anatomical alignment. Perhaps the most common type of knee alignment device is the knee brace. Many people recovering from knee injuries or surgery use such alignment devices during the healing process, as do individuals who have joint health problems and want to prevent knee injuries.

  1. Maintains Proper Alignment After Injury/Surgery

    • When someone has injured his knee or has had knee surgery, it's important that the healing knee be in the proper anatomical position. Otherwise, it may heal improperly and result in reinjuring of the knee or the need for further surgeries.

    Controls Mobility

    • After a severe knee injury or surgery, it may become necessary to completely immobilize the knee for a period of time. Most knee alignment devices do this by keeping the leg bent at a preset angle. Keeping the knee immobile ensures that it does not shift out of place so that it heals at an anatomically precise position. As the knee begins to heal and movement is allowed, a knee alignment device helps provide support and stabilization to the healing knee so that it does not move out of alignment during normal leg movements.

    Prevents Injury

    • People who have sustained prior knee injuries or have joint problems may be able to prevent knee injuries by using knee alignment devices such as braces, notes the Arthritis Foundation on its website. Individuals with osteoarthritis may find that their knees often buckle when they walk. This joint stability can result in pain and discomfort, and it can increase the rate at which cartilage in the knee breaks down. Knee-alignment devices can solve this problem by ensuring that the knee is stable as a person walks.

    Prevents Degenerative Arthritis

    • Failing to ensure proper knee alignment after knee surgery can cause degenerative arthritis down the line, according to a new study by Duke University researchers. "Even a relatively small misalignment in normal knees can cause dramatic alternations in the pressures within the knee joint, and this negative effect can be greatly magnified if the cartilage within the knee has been damaged. With early recognition and intervention of the misalignment, we can perhaps prevent the development of serious osteoarthritis occurring in the future," said Dr. Joseph Guettler, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine, in a 2002 Science Daily article titled, "Alignment Key to Knee Surgery Success."

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