Dr. Jeff Abrams
Princeton, New Jersey

Braces are good for additional protection and to prevent hyperextension. Some careful individuals who live in good weather may go without them.

F. Alan Barber MD, FACS
Plano, Texas

A sports brace will protect your reconstruction and allow you to return to pivoting sports as early as 12 weeks after surgery (patellar tendon autograft). However, if you do not care to return this quickly, the graft naturally strengthens over time. No brace is required 12 months after surgery. In other words, if you are willing to take it easy until 12 months after surgery, a custom made knee brace is not necessary.

Dr. Don Johnson
Ottawa, Canada

Bracing after surgery is optional. One of the reasons to have a reconstruction is to avoid the use of the brace in the long term. Most patients will have a brace pre-op. This brace is used in the early post-op period to prevent re-injury due to a slip or fall. If the knee is stable after the ACL reconstruction, there is no need to use a brace.

Dr. Hugh West
Salt Lake City, Utah

Over the last 10 years, I have used bracing less and less. At this point, I very rarely use a brace after surgery or brace patients when they return to sports. In my experience, bracing can sometimes slow rehabilitation and doesn't really offer much of an advantage in protecting the ACL from injury or make it heal faster.