Following my latest consultant appointment, the concept of wearing an ACL brace has been raised, either for when I'm ready to have a go at something like ski-ing or possibly earlier to support getting my rehab back on track.
I'm not going to lie: While I was pretty positive about it all yesterday, I'm less so today. On reflection, there are a few things that don't quite add up but, after 6+ years of trying to get this right, I need to decide whether it's really worth turning over more stones to get to the root of it all or just let it be, accept what is and get on with making the best of it.
In the spirit of the latter option, I've started looking more into brace options so I can understand what's available and the issues involved. My consultant has given me details of the only two he feels are genuinely helpful braces for ACL injuries: The Donjoy Defiance III (a marketing-led name, if ever I heard one) and Ossur's CTI ACL brace, both of which are custom made.
As you can see below, Robocop has nothing on these little beauties:
I'm somewhat amused by both companies describing these as fitting easily under sports uniforms. No, not going to notice those under gym leggings / running tights at all, are you???
Still the Donjoy Defiance III at least seems to recognise this in the design, if not the marketing blurb, with a choice of 25 colours and patterns available so you can really make a fashion statement. I quite fancy the tiger stripes or maybe one of the metallic colourways. At c.£630 a go, I could go for a whole wardrobe of them, to suit my mood:
I jest, obviously, but if you can't find the funny in these situations you really are in trouble!
Which brings me on to this little beauty because, as a woman, I get one additional option: The Defiance III Female Fource. A special brace for women in...
...you guessed it...
...pink!!!
Fortunately we don't have to pay the usual 'woman' premium for our favourite colour, unlike razors and the ubiquitous Bic For Her Ballpoint Pen (If you haven't seen this classic before, please, Please, PLEASE make sure you read the reviews and customer Q&As - they are the best).
To be fair, I've often bemoaned the designs of classic knee supports that do little to flatter the different thigh line of the fairer sex and, as a classic British pear shape, I am slightly worried that the straps on all of these braces will be less than flattering (how many muffin tops can one woman have at once?) so if the designers can come up with a 'female' version that overcomes that particular issue, even I could put up with the pink, I think...
Anyway, onto more serious considerations. With both braces costing quite a lot of money, if I'm going to invest in one, I need to make sure I get it right.
The reviews I've read so far suggest the Donjoy has a reputation for sliding down in use - although less so with the latest version - but the design is probably sleeker, which is an attractive feature, assuming they both do the job.
They're both custom made but that in itself presents issues as many reviews report issues whereby the users' quads have developed or shrunk back, making this expensive brace effectively useless. And I certainly won't have the budget to buy one twice.
That means I'm leaning towards delaying any purchase until my rehab is further down the line and I've managed to rebuild my quads somewhat. While I've always wanted skinnier thighs, I'm going to have to accept that strong legs (that are a pain in the proverbial to get jeans and boots to fit but which support my knee as well as possible) will be infinitely preferable to skinny legs with limited functionality.
One other aspect I've picked up on is that you can get the braces in different leg lengths and with different 'options', allowing clearance for ski boots etc, if that's what you're looking for. Definitely one to keep in mind depending on the activities you want to do and your individual stability issues. If the CTi Super Short Frame actually succeeds in offering a good fit for those of us who are 5'3" or under, they'll be doing better than most clothing suppliers I've come across (being right at the top of that range usually means petite trousers end up at half mast or regular ones trail on the ground, and that's before I get on to the assumption that shorter people automatically have narrower bodies too...)
In the meantime, if anyone has any experience of either of these braces, good or bad, let me know - all constructive advice will be gratefully received!