Hidden leg/knee protection Hive Mind Question

[ThorvaldR Skegglauss]

Ok,

I am on the couch after fricken knee surgery again. So, first off it is not due to SCA fighting, knee fighting etc. It is due to mileage as a retired US Army Scout after 24 years.

I was finally happy with my kit. Ok, not completely but at least with my leg armour. Now however I have been told by doc that I have one of two bad choices due to the degenerative cartiledge in my knee.

choice #1: Sit around and do nothing. Lead a couch potato lifestyle(not gonna happen)

choice #2: Stay active and he will see me again in another 5-6 years (that is how long it has been since last operation)

That being said, when I wore external "normal" leg armour it acted like a knee brace. I could feel the support. When I switched to hidden leg armour last year I could feel that the support was gone but my knee felt fine. I had lots of mobility and I love fighting that way. Not to mention it looks a whole lot better.

So, currently I have knee cops pointed to knee pads to protect my knees and wear crash pad shorts for my thighs. That is it....

I am thinking about simply wearing a knee brace and then slipping the pad and cop over that. What do you all think? Any other ideas to lend some support to my knee and help me extend that 5-6 year window but keep the hidden look?

Dec 2009 I still had external leg protection
Sep 2011 Is current look....

regards
ThorvaldR

[Ingvarr]

I've done the knee brace as the padding thing before and it worked mostly fine. The only issue that I had with it was that the edges of the cops would dig into me if I was on my knees.

[Sean Powell]

So... when are you going to bite the bullet and get an artificial joint?

[ThorvaldR Skegglauss]

So... when are you going to bite the bullet and get an artificial joint?

not yet......

[InsaneIrish]

I have one of these:



Bregg Fusion knee brace. I am 4 months postop for ACL reconstruction.
My plan is to wear the brace when I fight. I have talked to my ortho guy, who is also an SCA fighter. What I plan on doing is using a simple knee cop, that is slightly larger and strapping it in such a way that it fits over the knee brace. Actually strapping TO the knee brace. So, think of the knee brace above with a soupcan knee over the knee joint area.

My ortho guy has done this exact setup for other SCA fighters and it seems to work well.

[Sir Wilhelm]

I have one of these:



Bregg Fusion knee brace. I am 4 months postop for ACL reconstruction.
My plan is to wear the brace when I fight. I have talked to my ortho guy, who is also an SCA fighter. What I plan on doing is using a simple knee cop, that is slightly larger and strapping it in such a way that it fits over the knee brace. Actually strapping TO the knee brace. So, think of the knee brace above with a soupcan knee over the knee joint area.

My ortho guy has done this exact setup for other SCA fighters and it seems to work well.

This is what I would do. Its gotta be more stable then just leg armor.

[Johann ColdIron]

That brace looks alot like the brace one of my guys uses. He has used it under hard and soft articulated leg protection and had no complaints.

I use the motocross knees, plastic thigh and a pair of high boots as leg protection in my late period rig. But my knees are in pretty good shape, so far. (knock on wood)

[Grimbah]

Thank you for your service. Do everything for the knee, SCA comes second. Still an honor to have you on the field.

[Saritor]

Our former baron locally has blown both knees, and he fights with braces on under the knee cops, as II is planning on doing. It seems to be working well for him.

[Slaine]

How much support do you need for your condition? This is what my doctor recommenced for my partially torn ACL.
Corflex Adjustable Knee Sleeve with Hinge
http://www.corflex.com/products/lower-e ... e-w-hinge/

I didn't realize at the time that there were other options besides the big external frames. I do think my doctor understood the physical stresses of SCA combat. The brace has served me well. It fits great under my hidden leg armor.

[InsaneIrish]

Slaine, next time you see Thadeus you should chat with him about your brace.

[AngusGordon]

Your Grace, I too have blown knees from 20 years as an Infantryman. It's true, you'll be back in 5 years, but I refuse to stop fighting as well. I have a Bregg Fusion brace almost EXACTLY like Irish's. When my knee acts up, I put it on and a low profile knee cop on over it that all stays disguised under my fighting pants (norse kit). It works and the knee has never slipped when I was wearing this rig.

[Duke Uther]

Some of my guys wear Knee brace wit Sir Harun (sp) from the for sale and wanted board plastic legs. They are more protection and support than floating knees with Crash shorts. But that work with braces and are low profile very mobile

Uther

[Blackoak]

Your Grace, I have been fighting in aluminum hinged knee braces for a few years. All I did was attach a spring steel cop, and put wax hardened leather on the top and bottom for when I bend my knee. I put a hole in the aluminum and the cop and attached it with para cord knotted over a washer. The cop floats so it doesn't bind with the hinge and my chausses and leg wraps secure it.

Other than some worn down cartilage, my knees are fine. I wear it for extra support when I put an extra 40 pounds of armour on and jump around.

Easy to do. Let me know if you have any questions.

Uric

[ThorvaldR Skegglauss]

Thanks guys, Blackoak, that is pretty much what I had in mind. Now to purchase a brace and modify it......

regards
ThorvaldR

[Thorsteinn Raudskeggr]

seriously BlackOak you should write up an essay on those and put it up in the essay section. They look very nice!

[Jakob Hilditonn]

been there, done that, pic

[George fH]

Salve Brother

I have a history of a shatterd knee joint some 18 years ago- totaly tore all the softparts in the knee and ended me up with a cast for 3 months and what I now more call a " long history " of op, and rehab, more op and shitloads of specialistcare over the years.
My cartilage in my left knee is torn, polished and worn down to the level that I get bonespurs on the sides of my kneecap- be careful about fixation your knee with a support like the ones people have shown in the thread- the ACL rips and tears need one form of stabilisation, but when you have ruptured cartilage its another story- fixing the knee in a "hard" postition is not always good- I have tried many different braces- but what they did to my knee made it worse- the fixation actually only forced my knee into grinding the cartilage down even more- and in the exact same spots every time I fight. I fight without a brace - but im very hard on strengh excerise for my legs- and do it atleast 3-5 times a week at the gym and have a good set of rehabdrills that I do every day to keep up flexibility and get stronger to stabilise my knees.
The greaves I have been fighting in from Gunther - the same sort as Gauis is using as far as I can see- are a great armor with loads of stability to give, but you loose some of your "dancing abilites" in comparison to having floating knees and thighprotection.
Hope to see you back on the field when you are ready for it- and more than willing to talk knees over a good bottle of tequila ....

[Hrolfr]

I was going to suggest the brace II posted.

HG Felix (Felix here) had a blown out knee. Maybe he can chime in on what he is using.

[Felix]

Yeah, I belong to the reconstructed many parts club...it is a lifestyle. What I mean by that is you have to take care of yourself all the time, everyday or at least most days. Best thing you can do is build up the muscle groups around the knee and use motions and joint supplements that promote good joint health.

"A brace really doesn't offer many advantages in single combat." (My ortho's words and I agree. He does the knees for Michigan State University.) It will mostly keep you from hyper extending a joint if you are prone to such things. Don't get me wrong, braces can help. They are mostly a psychological aid once you get past a certain stage in your rehab. It took me 18 months to trust my knee after they rebuilt it but I was fighting 4 months after my surgery. Now he wanted/wants me to wear my brace in melees, he thinks the SCA melee is like football but we allow chop blocks and clipping, he thinks we are crazy.

Here is what I did and do:

I road my stationary bike the day after my operation (yep it hurt, big deal lots of stuff hurts) wife screamed at me, my ortho cheered. I had to work hard to rehab my knee and it is still going strong 9 years later. Currently I work out (1 hour workouts all kinds of cross training) 6 days a week and usually fight on my rest day. This also usually includes a 2nd practice once a week and pell work etc. in addition to workouts. One of my workout days is 90 min of Yoga; it takes forever but really does wonders for fighting durability issues. Swimming is a great exercise, period! (Wish I could swim more.)

Most people don't eat correctly, fried foods, not enough protein, not enough veggies, not the right kind of carbs, not enough water, not enough variety in what they eat, not enough sleep, you get the idea. If you are injured don't fight and don't work out the injured area until you recover. I know that is me going on for some time about different things but really it comes back to taking care of yourself so you can continue to fight.

Is it hard taking care of yourself? Yep! At first it is then you adapt and build new and better habits. But so is becoming excellent at fighting yet somehow you found time, effort and discipline to excel at something you love. Why not invest in yourself and an activity you love so that you can do this well into your 60's at a very high level? The choice is yours; wear a brace if you believe it helps you. I wish the best in your recovery; hope to see you on the field soon. If I can help let me know, if you think I am full of crap then ignore this post, nothing is absolute this is just what works for me and others I know.

[Eirik]

Leather works, too. Water hardened leather can be form fitted to your brace while wet, then dried in place with a blow dryer.

Just a thought

[ThorvaldR Skegglauss]

Thanks Felix for the insight. I am showing my impatience. By trying to find a shortcut. I was fighting 3 or 4 monts after my last knee operation 5 years ago. I will work out and do a full rehab and see how my knee feels. I will take it slow.

George, thanks brother and of course we can/will talk. Hope to see you at crown? I guess I really will just be observing this time. I won't even be able to marshal now. Hell I just hope that I can walk without crutches by then. (should be able to)

regards
ThorvaldR

[InsaneIrish]

Thanks Felix for the insight. I am showing my impatience. By trying to find a shortcut. I was fighting 3 or 4 monts after my last knee operation 5 years ago. I will work out and do a full rehab and see how my knee feels. I will take it slow.

Dude, seriously THIS.

I am literally chomping at the bit to get back into my rig. But, my doc has scared the "SH*&E" out of me on pushing my knee to fast.
Long story short, a little longer on the rehab will last me a lifetime. So, I sit on the sidelines and bitch about not fighting.

[Baron Alejandro]

Thanks guys, Blackoak, that is pretty much what I had in mind. Now to purchase a brace and modify it......

regards
ThorvaldR

Your Grace,

Good luck, & post pics! Do be careful not to interfere with the brace's function.

[Gilebert]

I would like to echo what HG Felix says.

Diet, exercise and strengthening of the support muscles around the knee are critical.

My knee injuries are minor compared to most. I badly strained/mildly tore the medial and lateral colateral ligaments in my right knee and messed up the meniscus. So far as can be known, the ACL and PCL are fine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Knee_diagram.svg

I have developed mild to moderate osteoarthritis in both knees. The left knee weakened because I was favoring the right knee when it ached/hurt. Now, I do my very best to keep an even gait while walking.

I use glucosamine/chondroitan (it does work for me) supplements. I also have a much healthier diet than I had before. Now I need to get off my butt and get moving to lose the weight I have put on in the last two years due to my thyroid going whacky and being removed.

Gilebert

[Leo Medii]

glucosamine is my best freind after a couple decades of fighting and 10 years of jousting.

[Gilebert]

My apologies for the minor derail.

I like seeing how others are finding ways to protect their knees.

[robstout]

I tore my ACL out completly in January of 2010, and then broke my knee cap in August. I now have clearance to start fighting again.

Prior to the ACL tear I had a simple set of knee cops riding over Aluminum braces. Now my plan is to get a Don Joy brace. I don't know if it is physically needed, but I'll take the psychological edge. Also, I plan to take leg shots as kills, and only fight tourneys (I don't want to drop down on my knees. Too worried about breaking the knee cap again. The no Melee rule is the compromise I made with my wife so I can fight again.)

I'm doing PT 2-3 times a week. I hope to get in more when work becomes less hectic. I expect PT to be a habit for the rest of my life. strong muscles help keep everything in place. I see this as a blessing in disquise, since it forces me to the gym.

Robert The Stout.

[Glaukos the Athenian]

been there, done that, pic

Who made those legs!? NICE stuff!!!