The biological task assigned by nature to the knee joint is to support body weight and absorb walking, running and lifting heavy objects. Unusual and sudden load: squats with weights, falls or a sharp side blow to the knee, displace the femur and tibia relative to each other. This leads to dislocation or fracture of the knee , provokes sprain or rupture of ligaments.
The best way to prevent knee injury is to apply an elastic bandage to the joint before sports training or any other activity. A medical bandage fixes the joint, preventing dislocation, and relieves muscles and ligaments . An elastic bandage allows an athlete to “take” more weight, run faster and longer, jump higher and easier.
Why are fixing bandages needed?
Correctly applying an elastic bandage for sprains is also necessary during the rehabilitation period after an injury. Wearing a bandage for medicinal purposes reliably protects the damaged part of the body ; it is not recommended to remove it until the joint, muscles and other tissues are completely restored. Beginning athletes can use a support or fixing bandage for prevention.
Elastic bandages will be needed after arthroscopy and for the following conditions:
- varicose veins,
- arthrosis,
- swelling after surgery,
- sclerotherapy,
- lymphedema,
- thrombosis,
- venous insufficiency,
- postphlebitis disease,
- postthrombotic disease,
- for preventive purposes during pregnancy.
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What is the purpose of wearing knee pads?
They are used to strengthen weakened or replace the function of damaged or missing “parts” of the knee joints, which include menisci, ligaments, tendons, and patellas. Thanks to this, the motor activity of the damaged limbs is maintained at a normal level, the cartilage tissue of the joint becomes more protected, since the articular surfaces of the cartilage act on each other with less pressure.
The knee brace is often used for the prevention of diseases of the musculoskeletal system of the lower extremities (during household and sports activities), as well as for the treatment of pathological conditions and rehabilitation after injuries and surgical interventions on the knees.
What types of retainers exist and what are they made of?
Knee pads can have a different structure, ranging from the most primitive to those that have a large number of structural components and auxiliary parts. Accordingly, they distinguish:
- bandages (also called elastic knee pads made of fabric material), made from cotton fabric, knitted fabric, as well as various types of synthetics. Their composition may include the wool of some animals, which has certain medicinal properties;
- Knee pads made of neoprene material have many advantages (they last a long time, are easy to use and care for, are well fixed and stay on the knee when performing loads, walking, running, and are also easy to apply). Due to all the above advantages, they are one of the most popular. Good quality and long service allowed them to be used as the main material in the production of knee braces. Even in the composition of complexly designed fixators, such as orthoses and splints, neoprene is included in large quantities;
- orthoses that have a more complex design and many other elements compared to circular clamps. Thanks to them, the fixation can be made much stronger and more targeted. Auxiliary elements are silicone inserts, hinges and special plates. Orthoses come in circular and semicircular types, and can also consist of separate strips that are connected by several rigid bridges. Such devices are fixed on the legs using special Velcro;
- splints are devices that are similar to orthoses, but they fix the limb more rigidly, almost to the same extent as a plaster cast. True, they cost an order of magnitude more, and the only difference is that with a splint you can carry out some minor movements, thanks to which you can somewhat shorten the period of rehabilitation of knee pathology.
How to choose the right knee brace?
The selection of a fixator must be approached individually; this choice depends on the degree of impairment and the need for fixation. If you combine the useful capabilities of the brace with the type of knee joint disease, you can choose exactly the option that will be the most optimal. It is advisable that this choice is made only by an orthopedic traumatologist or osteopath, who will take into account both the indications and possible effect of using a particular knee brace, as well as the financial capabilities and wishes of the patients.
Thus, to prevent knee injuries during sports and heavy household loads, as well as during the rehabilitation period after minor injuries, it is better to use rigid braces that have a complex design. In this case, circular knitted or neoprene knee pads and even the most ordinary elastic bandages are ideal.
During strength sports with a high load on the leg joints, which include weightlifting and powerlifting, the use of neoprene orthoses is indicated.
They are reinforced with rigid silicone inserts or special plates that stabilize the joint on the sides. In this case, movements in the knee are preserved almost completely, and fixation does not leave much to be desired. Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr
Bandaging
Elastic bandages are relatively new; before them, woven materials were used that could be thin or thick, they were diapers and narrow strips.
Woven materials were replaced by knitted bandages; patients noted that this type was more convenient: after all, it was possible to regulate the pressure that the bandage exerted on the sore spot. The art of bandaging is the subject of study of the science of desmurgy.
Elastic bandages designed for repeated use are complex products. Modern technologies are used in production; latex or other elastic thread is twisted with synthetic or cotton thread in one or two layers. The elastic knee bandage is made from just such threads.
Elastic bandages vary in degree of elongation, length and width, depending on the parameters they are used in different situations.
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Low-elastic bandages
This type is used to fix medications. It is recommended for use when the patient has post-thrombotic abnormalities or suffers from venous insufficiency; low-elastic products are effective for varicose veins, thrombosis or emphyedema. They are capable of stretching up to 69%.
Medium elastic bandages
Products with medium elasticity stretch 1.5 times. They allow you to get a good healing effect after the plaster is removed. They are used in the treatment of venous insufficiency, varicose veins, postphlebitis or trophic syndrome, as well as after surgery on blood vessels.
Highly elastic bandages
Products with high elasticity stretch more than 1.5 times. Bandages are used when hematomas form or swelling appears after surgery.
Such bandages make it possible to reduce the load after surgery. They are applied in the post-traumatic period, during sports training and during gestation.
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Tortoise knee bandage
In everyday life, you often need to know how to bandage your knee using an elastic bandage. Look at the diagram on how to correctly apply a turtle bandage, which can be converging or diverging.
Elastic bandage for knee sprains: joint stabilizer
A sprained or torn ligament weakens the knee, making it unstable and wobbly. This makes it difficult to lean on your leg. If you move awkwardly, you can damage your knee even more, turning a sprain into a dislocation or fracture.
To strengthen the knee, use a “turtle” bandage made from an elastic bandage “Intex” of medium elongation, 2.5-3 m long and 10-12 cm wide. Such a bandage cannot stretch 100% of its original length.
Bend the victim's leg at the knee joint and wrap the upper part of the shin with a bandage 3-4 times. Then cover the bend of the knee with the bandage and move the bandage to the upper third of the thigh, securing it with one turn. Repeat the movement until you completely cover your knee with the bandage. The new turn of the bandage should overlap the previous one by one third.
How to apply a converging bandage
An orthopedic bandage greatly facilitates the patient's position. The tortoiseshell bandage provides optimal fixation of the bandage compared to other types of bandage. A bandage is applied to the areas surrounding the injured or diseased joint.
This bandage goes in circular motions on both sides of the knee joint: below and above.
To perform the technique, you need to relax your leg and bend it slightly. Fastening turns are made in the middle of the shin; to do this, you need to go down 15 cm from the kneecap. To secure the bandage, roll it on the surface of the knee from behind, directing it obliquely upward onto the thigh. It is necessary to complete a full circle, after which the transition to the lower leg is made using a cross from behind.
Circles with a bandage should be repeated at least 5 times to achieve the desired effect - complete convergence in the kneecap area. After the first circle of the bandage, the subsequent ones are performed in such a way as to cover the previous ones by half. After fixing the elastic material, you need to observe how the toes on the sore foot look. It is important that the bandage is not too tight.
Important. The sliding turtle bandage provides strong fixation of the elastic material; if it is applied correctly, it is possible to completely immobilize the powerful joint.
Knee bruise: elastic bandage as a means of reducing swelling
Even if there is no dislocation or rupture of the ligaments, after a bruise the knee always swells and increases in size. This happens because when a knee is bruised, the blood and lymphatic vessels are always injured. Blood and lymph from the vessels enter the soft tissues, and painful swelling .
For the treatment of edema and hematomas in the area of the knee joint, a pressure bandage made of an elastic bandage with a high degree of extensibility, 2.5-3 m long and 10-12 cm wide, is used. This bandage can stretch up to 150% of its original length.
When applying a pressure bandage, do not bend the victim's knee or straighten the entire leg. Bandage your leg starting from the upper third of the shin. Direct each layer of bandage first up, then down. The new turn of the bandage should overlap the previous one by one third.
How to apply a dilapidated bandage
A person who provides assistance to a victim of a knee injury must know exactly what kind of bandage is used for damage to the knee joint.
The divergent one is applied directly to the injured area. Circular tours are carried out around the middle of the knee joint.
Turtle wrap can be applied to the victims themselves. In some cases, it is part of a complete bandage for the entire limb. The crossing should be done on the back of the knee.
Before starting the procedure, the leg needs to be straightened and relaxed. The bandage is wrapped around the kneecap in the middle for 2 turns, all subsequent circles are made higher and lower, the width of the previous circles overlaps by half.
Important. After completing 5 moves, the bandage is secured. Pay attention to how you feel in your leg; if you feel severe discomfort, goosebumps run under the skin, the pressure is relieved.
If the bandage has lost its elasticity, it is not recommended to use it; the bandage will fall off. The material for fixation cannot be strongly shaken; it should be stretched evenly during the procedure.