One of the risks of regular participation in sports and physical activity is the potential for incurring overuse injuries such as jumper’s knee or Osgood-Schlatter disease. Painful conditions like these can be a barrier to further participation, but evidence shows that wearing a soft brace can help prevent or reduce knee pain,1,2 and a new elastic knee support from DonJoy could offer just the solution.
What is jumper’s knee?
The tendon which connects the kneecap (patella) to the shin bone (tibia) is called the patellar tendon. Inflammation of this tendon is called patellar tendonitis – more commonly known as “jumper’s knee.”
Jumper’s knee is an overuse injury often sustained from sporting activities involving repeated jumping on hard surfaces. The repetitive stress placed on the patella tendon from jumping and landing puts strain on the tendon which can leave it inflamed.
As well as causing swelling, jumper’s knee also causes pain below the patella, which can be felt more acutely when jumping, running, walking, or when bending and straightening the leg.
What is Osgood-Schlatter disease?
Another potential source of knee pain is Osgood-Schlatter disease. This condition causes painful swelling where the patella tendon connects to the top of the tibia. The most common sufferers of Osgood-Schlatter disease are young athletes – particularly boys aged 10-15 – who take part in sports or activities involving lots of running and/or jumping.
While they are still growing, the ends of children’s bones have not yet hardened, making them more susceptible to stress. Activities that put stress on the knee, such as running, bending, or squatting, can irritate these areas of cartilage and lead to painful swelling.
How to help jumper’s knee pain or Osgood-Schlatter disease
There are a number of ways to help prevent or reduce jumper’s knee pain or Osgood-Schlatter disease:
- Follow the RICE protocol. REST the knee where possible. Apply an ICE pack to the knee for up to 30 minutes. Wear an elastic support on the knee for COMPRESSION. And use a pillow for ELEVATION to raise the foot and reduce swelling
- Anti-inflammatories can help with the pain and swelling
- Wear a soft brace. The support that soft braces provide can help to prevent jumpers’s knee, or aid recovery
Try DonJoy PateLax™ – flexible support for the patella
DonJoy PateLax™ is a new knitted elastic support designed to protect and support the patella, as well as provide relief at the patellar tendon insertion. It can be used to address overuse injuries such as jumper’s knee and Osgood-Schlatter disease.
Made from soft, breathable, elastic materials in a 3D-knit design, the brace offers a comfortable way to support the knee with targeted compression.
DonJoy PateLax offers the wearer a range of beneficial features:
- An anatomically contoured knee pad aids stability and guidance of the patella, provides a massaging effect, and helps improve proprioception
- A patellar tendon pad with strap helps relieve tension at the tip of the patella and the tibial tuberosity (the bump on the top of the tibia where the patellar tendon connects)
- A pair of flexible bilateral stays help provide medial and lateral support to the knee
- Compression-reduced edges help divert pressure at the ends of the support to provide a comfortable fit
- Stretch zones over the patella and the back of the knee aid breathability, comfort, and freedom of movement
- Non-slip silicone-coated bands help provide extra secure hold under stress
DonJoy PateLax is indicated for the following uses:
- Support and compression following injury to the patellar tendon
- Proprioceptive and neuromuscular stimulation through compression
- Overuse injuries such as Osgood-Schlatter disease
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome
- Patellar tendinitis
- Patellar maltracking
Easy to wash and with a stylish, modern design, DonJoy PateLax is a great option for people wanting to help prevent or protect their knees from painful overuse injuries.
References
- Sinclair JK, Selfe J, Taylor PJ, Shore HF, Richards JD. Influence of a knee brace intervention on perceived pain and patellofemoral loading in recreational athletes. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2016 Aug;37:7-12.
- Phillips R, Choo S, Nuelle CW. Bracing for the Patellofemoral Joint. J Knee Surg. 2022 Feb;35(3):232-241.
