DonJoy Performance BIONIC Knee Support Brace Black Large

Using sizing instructions was straightforward. Size close to upper limit, but selected. Slightly concerned a little small but ok in the end, needing straps to support the velcro. Used for skiing as prev ACL repair, and functioned well

This brace has decent support and is well made. The reason for my 3-stars are the following. If these things aren't issues for you, then I'm sure this brace will serve you well. I have a completely severed PCL from a roller derby injury 5 years ago. Since I was retiring anyway, there was no point in having expensive surgery to repair the tear since it doesn't inhibit daily mobility. However, I now play a lot of racquet sports and do kickboxing occasionally and find that I need the stability and support of a brace for those activities. Downsides of this brace for me were: • Posterior closure. I needed a butterfly flap style closure; I have large thighs and pull-on braces do not fit. This is indeed a flap closure, but it closes in the back. That's difficult to do well and get good alignment when you're having to fully bend over, pull tightly, and overlay flaps you can't see. • Velcro straps get caught on clothing. Because I wear this on my right knee and because these are not knee specific, the velcro straps that wrap around (after closing the posterior flaps) end up between my thighs (on the upper portion). The straps are not low-profile; instead they have a big thick tab on the end and this constantly gets rubbed by my left leg causing the tab to open and get stuck to my left leg (the sticky side of the velcro is on the thick tab). I have to adjust and re-stick several times during an hour-long game. • Because of the above, I often feel like the brace isn't positioned correctly. I end up twisting it to try to get the tab to not open all the time and this results in the brace not being well aligned. • The stabilizing strips aren't as firm/thick as my old brace. The strips that run vertically along the sides of the leg (off the hinges) feel a lot more flexible than my old brace (that had been worn so much the sleeve was falling apart). This is likely fine for most people, but it feels too "squishy" for me with my injury and the activities I'm using it for.

I read the reviews on brace after brace very carefully after suffering an MCL tear. This one got great reviews, though I always look at the low reviews to see what people disliked about the product. The vast majority of reviews on any brace that gave a review of 1 or 2 were about fit and measurement. Surely this was just a case of people who didn't follow the instructions and measure carefully. Well, I did measure carefully, all three points - above the knee, below the knee, and the knee itself and several times to make sure the measurements were consistent. But when I received the brace (size large), it did not fit comfortably at all around my calf. So either go for a larger size as so many suggest or go for another option. In my case, I returned the brace with no problem and instead used the Modvel sleeves I ordered which are extremely comfortable and surprisingly provide very adequate support. Unless you have a severe injury (mine was a small tear to the left interior MCL), I would start with the last intrusive (and less expensive) option of the Modvel sleeve (two for $16.99 vs. $56.49 for this product).

Excellent brace to stabilize the knee. Used it for skiing being a 10 month post op total knee replacement. It's the best brace I've ever used for the money.

I think when it comes to reviews, they will vary with every individual injury, recovery and reason for getting the braces. Having said that, I would rate them 3 stars based on my own experience. I had been a runner for many years (now in my early 40’s), and suffered incredibly painful meniscus tears to my right knee, to the point I couldn’t walk properly for months and endured months of physical therapy. Then my left knee tore. I had never experienced a more hopeless time in my life than the time I couldn’t run. It was my livelihood and I was determined to return to running, despite the negativity I received. I accepted that I may only be able to do a light jog, and I was content with that. After 2 painful years, I discovered I could lightly jog, but only in very short durations. It has been my goal to find some kind of support that will help me to achieve longer distances without having to resort to walking due to pain or fear of injuring again. I invested in so many different products none of which suited me for what I needed them for. I came across these braces and read that others were wearing them for other various sports, which gave me hope. I invested in two (one for each knee), and they weren’t cheap, but if they were helpful in returning to doing what I love, it would be worth it. My experience is this: my first time wearing them, I was able to sustain much longer distances on the treadmill without breaking down and walking, though they rubbed quite raw in the calf area (as others have said), and they did slide down a bit despite being fastened appropriately. I didn’t give up. I then wore longer leggings next time to prevent the calf rubbing, though they still slid down. My sizing is appropriate too btw, just sharing that movement of this type might not be recommended for these braces. More than anything else, they are heavy to wear, especially when running, and ultimately it causes me a great deal of pain and I took a break from them. I somehow need to find adequate support without the added weight pulling me down. I would definitely say that they’d be great (and likely better suited) for recovery and day to day walking. Sadly, I’m not sure I can resume wearing these when jogging due to the pain their weight created in my knees, but I will likely try again after I heal up a bit more. They also retain an insane amount of sweat, so you’ll want to hand wash them often.