Functional ACL bracing. A survey of current opinion and practice.

Since most studies designed to prove the efficacy of functional anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) bracing have been equivocal, we felt it would be helpful to know the practices of orthopedic sports medicine physicians. Physicians were questioned about their brace prescription practices via a mailed survey. The response rate was 56% (114/205). Most physicians use functional braces for ACL patients, prefer custom braces, and brace patients for 9 months after reconstruction. Thirty-six percent reported having recently made changes in their brace prescription practices, including using bracing less often. There was no effort made in this study to determine the best bracing practice. Researchers must continue studying brace efficacy in an effort to provide some rationale for bracing regimens.