How to Wear Knee Immobilizer?

A knee Immobilizer as the name suggests is worn to stabilize and restrict the movement of your knee area. It is used as an extension worn on the knee to lock and prevent the slightest motion, especially in cases of severe injuries, fractures,     or ligament rupture.

A knee immobilizer is also prescribed by doctors to patients who recently had a total knee replacement surgery. It limits knee movement, helps in healing the muscles and tendons.

Are you wondering how to wear this knee immobilizer? If you are new to this, you must understand the importance of wearing a knee immobilizer perfectly.

In this article, you’ll figure out all the important things you must know about knee immobilizers and of course, how to wear them safely.

Let’s dive in!

Step By Step Procedure to Wear a Knee Immobilizer

To prevent your knee from bending or joint movements, you must understand how to wear a knee immobilizer properly. So, if you recently had knee surgery or any injury and your doc recommended you a knee immobilizer, then do check out this step-by-step, detailed procedure to wear it. Let’s go!

Step 1

First, you have to place your knee immobilizer on a flat surface. If your knee immobilizer comes with a pad at the back, then you have to make sure that it is placed in the appropriate spot. Just fix the pad and you are good to go!

Step 2

You have to rest your injured leg on the top of your brace after lifting and swinging. Then, keep your leg straight on the brace. Now, you have to adjust your brace under the leg so that the patellar opening in the middle lines up with the kneecap.

Step 3

Afterward, you have to fasten the closure straps of the immobilizer. It is recommended that you fasten your straps from the bottom of the leg up.

Step 4

You have to cross-check the immobilizer if it fits properly. You need to ensure that the opening of the patellar should be directly over the kneecap. Moreover, if you are trying to stand and walk slightly, the brace should not slip.

Step 5

In the last step, you must try to walk while wearing the knee immobilizer to check if the fit is perfect. In case, the brace slips, then just sit down right there and start from the beginning again. You need to make sure that the straps are fastened a little tighter.

Warnings and Common Issues

  • You don’t have to wear or use the knee immobilizer for too long. Do as per directed by your physician otherwise it can lead to loss of knee motion.

  • Never wear the knee immobilizer too low on your knee. It won’t immobilize your leg as the main agenda of wearing a knee immobilizer is to limit your movements.

  • If you are buying a knee immobilizer and it comes with attached bars, then chances are you might have to reposition the bars according to your comfort.

  • If your legs taper significantly, then chances are the immobilizer will slip frequently as and when you stand and start walking.

Things you Need to Keep in Mind When Using a Knee Immobilizer

Do you want to know how you can use a knee immobilizer safely and effectively?

Read the below-mentioned points!

1. Proper Fit

You need to look for the right fit and size. The knee immobilizer should fit you properly because if it doesn’t, then it can lead to a serious problem. If your healthcare provider recommended you a knee immobilizer after injury or surgery, then you must go for it and just try if it can be fitted by the physician itself. So, yeah, it is all about the right fit to stabilize and limit the knee movement.

2. Follow the Instructions

Don’t experiment with knee immobilizers. You have to wear it as per directed by your physician or healthcare provider. Usually, a knee immobilizer can be worn over pants, but you’ll need to check if it is not slipping down. In case, if it slips down, it can cause further injury. Therefore, if your doc has recommended wearing the immobilizer directly on your knee, then do it without any experiments. Moreover, follow the instructions written on the company’s package.

3. Use Crutches as directed

Whether you have been through a severe knee injury or knee replacement surgery, you don’t have to put weight on your injured leg. So, you can use crutches as directed by your healthcare provider only.

4. Take care of your Knee Immobilizer

You need to take care of your knee immobilizer. Wherever you are keeping it while resting, please ensure the place is safe. In case your immobilizer is damaged or broken, you need to replace it soon because you cannot wear it for safety reasons.

5. Inspect your Knee Immobilizer

Yep! Very often you need to inspect your knee immobilizer. The reason is simple: if it gets broken or damaged because of any reason, you cannot wear it again. So, you must check and closely inspect your immobilizer if it is safe to wear and move.

Conclusion

A knee immobilizer is required to treat problems like strains, sprains, knee inflammation, injuries, knee surgeries, etc. A brace provides support to your knee and on the other hand, a knee immobilizer provides support and prevents the knee from bending (to limit knee movements).

From mid-thigh to end mid-shin, a knee immobilizer covers this entire knee area. Thus, if your knee is injured or you went through severe knee surgery, you can wear a knee immobilizer to treat the problem.

You can check out OrthoTape if looking for a high-quality knee immobilizer at affordable prices. They have a wide range of knee braces and knee immobilizers ranging from $29.99 to $229.99. You can explore the products on their website and pick the right product for your knee. Just take care of yourself!