The Donjoy OAdjuster

October 3rd, 2010

Donjoy has been a leader in knee braces for many years and has based their premium unloader knee brace, the OAdjuster, on their successful ACL bracing range. The OAdjuster utilizes their “4 points of leverage” frame so it not only unloads the joint but also offers protection to the Anterior Cruciate and collateral ligaments. This makes the OAdjuster the optimum choice for anyone with arthritis who plans on skiing in the future.

The OAdjuster is a brace with bilateral upright hinges at the knee and the unloading hinge situated on the opposite side to the worn half of the knee. It allows a high level of movement and is designed to be worn for both everyday and sporting activities.

The OAdjuster lets you easily vary the amount of unloading force and can be a set at a level offering mild unloading up to a large force for severe cases.

The frame is made from aluminum so it can be shaped to fit the leg. This is important for those with significant wasting of the quadriceps as it can allow the brace to remain suitable following an increase in muscle mass. It can be worn in water although this is generally not indicated as the brace is only needed for weight bearing activities.

The OAdjuster was shown in a 2005 paper in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery to be one of the top unloaders of the knee. It is likely that the OAdjuster will be one of the more researched unloader knee braces and more positive findings will be published soon.

For more on the OAdjuster, click here.

97da03fa5a17883 The Donjoy OAdjuster

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Unloader Knee Braces For Mild Osteoarthritis

September 8th, 2010

Most of the unloader knee braces mentioned on this site are those designed to treat moderate to severe arthritis. The are able to provide a strong unloading force to the leg to have maximum effect.

The problem with these braces is that they tend to be expensive and bulkier than some people want. If you have early arthritis and want a simple, easy to wear brace that is less expensive, there are other options out there.

Donjoy is one of the three major brands that is mentioned frequently on this site. They have been leading the development of bracing technology for many years and have an extensive range of unloader braces that includes a number suitable for mild to moderate osteoarthritis.

One step down from the larger braces is the OA Everyday. This brace is designed to be easy to apply and provides an unloading force by way of a telescoping pad at the knee that is wound out or in to adjust the level of support. It is a double upright brace and is much shorter in length than most other unloaders. Due to this it is probably better suited to people of average height or less. Very tall people may find there is not enough leverage to provide the unloading force they desire.

The next brace in their range is the OA Assist. This brace is a single upright device (like the Unloader One and Thruster) and is also easy to apply. It has an unloading force built into the frame and this can be further adjusted using the telescoping condyle pad that is also featured in the OA Everyday. It has a special hinge that allows the leg to continue the small amount of rotation that usually occurs at the knee. Permitting this movement helps the brace stay in place and feel more natural on the leg.

Finally there is the OA Lite. As the name suggests this brace provides the least amount of unloading force but is designed around the pull-on sleeve most people are familiar with. It has a single hinge with the unloading force built into it. The hinge is located on the opposite side to the arthritis making sure there is no rigid components around the area of tenderness. The hinge can be removed for washing and if the unloading force is too much or too little, the hinge can be bent to change the load.

Donjoy do not sell their products directly online but you can find out more about each one by following the links below:

OA Everyday

OA Assist

OA Lite

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Single Hinged Unloader Knee Brace – The Unloader One & The Thruster

August 16th, 2010

In my opinion there are three unloader knee braces that top the list. One is the Donjoy OAdjuster, a brace with hinges on either side. The other two are single hinged knee braces: The Unloader One by Ossur, and The Thruster by Bledsoe.

There are other good singled hinged unloader braces out there (such as the OA Assist by Donjoy) but they are more for mild to moderate levels of osteoarthritis. The Unloader One and the Thruster have the ability to provide a large unloading force for more severe cases.

The advantages of single hinged braces are as follows:

  • Generally lightweight
  • May feel more natural on the leg
  • Usually has less contact area: May be cooler in summer.

Disadvantages include:

  • Can have a tendency to rotate on the leg.
  • Offers less support and protection to ligament structures in high level / sporting activities.
  • May not feel as supportive.

It is safe to say that the latest generation of unloaders have maximized the advantages while minimizing the disadvantages. They are also getting more user friendly as they are easier to put on and sizing is straight forward.

In order to determine which brace you need you require 3 pieces of information:

  1. Which leg you are treating – left or right?
  2. Which side of the knee your arthritis is on – The inside (also known as medial), or the outside (a.k.a. lateral). If you are unsure, check with your doctor. Getting the wrong one is not a good idea as instead of unloading the worn part of the joint, you will be increasing the load.
  3. A leg circumference – this varies from brace to brace but it is usually taken a set distance above or below the kneecap. Check the sizing information of each individual product.

Single hinge unloading knee braces have been shown to be effective in relieving the pain of osteoarthritis. For moderate to severe cases of unicompartmental arthritis they are an excellent choice.

For pictures and more information on the Unloader One, click here.

If you would like to investigate the Thruster, click here.

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Where to Buy an Unloader Knee Brace

August 10th, 2010

You basically have two options.

Firstly you can see a Physical Therapist, get them to order the brace and have them fit it for you. The advantage here is having an experienced professional explain the brace and its use to you. The disadvantage is that it is significantly more expensive this way.

The other option is to buy the brace yourself. You can save hundreds of dollars purchasing the brace from an online specialist retailer but you will need to learn to use it yourself (or enlist the help of their customer service department).

It is best to choose one that sells many different brands of bracing so you can choose the best brace for your knee from a wide selection. The Braceshop is a good example and has the Donjoy Oadjuster, the Bledsoe Thruster and the Unloader One by Ossur, some of the best available unloaders. They also have a variety of lesser unloading braces for mild osteoarthritis such as the OA Everyday and OA Lite by Donjoy. You can look at their “knee condition” selection by clicking here

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Will An Unloader Knee Brace Work For Me?

August 6th, 2010

For an unloader brace to work you need to have what is called “unicompartmental osteoarthritis”. This means that the arthritis is affecting only half of the knee. The inside half, or the outside half. This is important as for the brace to be effective you need to have a “healthy” side of the knee.

The brace works by applying a force to the leg that decreases the workload of the affected side, unloading it during weight bearing. By doing this it shifts weight back onto the healthy side. If both sides of the knee are worn, any unloading of one side will increase the load on the other worn side and increase symptoms.

Unfortunately the brace does not help those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis as this disease affects the whole joint. An unloader brace should not be used by people with rheumatoid arthritis.

If you have osteoarthritis in half of your knee, if for example you are bow legged or knock kneed, an unloader brace can help you maintain an active lifestyle, decrease your pain, and delay or prevent the need for joint replacement surgery.

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The Unloader Knee Brace

August 5th, 2010

An Unloader Knee Brace is a non-surgical treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee. When knee arthritis progresses, it can get to the stage where it significantly decreases quality of life through pain and disability.

Knee replacement surgery is an effective but a serious undertaking and comes with all of the risks associated with major orthopaedic surgery. The old model of osteoarthritis management consisted of long term painkillers until the joint was severely damaged and joint replacement surgery was performed. Modern management aims to address the disease at every stage. There has been an increased focus on the non-surgical options and their role in managing and slowing the progression of the joint disease process.

The mechanics of the knee are particularly important. It has been shown that once there is an angulation through the knee (knock-kneed or bow-legged), the rate of arthritis progression increases. Unloader knee braces aim to offset this angulation, relieving pressure from the worn part of the knee. this results in less pain and increased mobility.

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