DonJoy Performance BIONIC Knee Support Brace Black Large

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).

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 am currently rehabbing my knee (medial menicus tear ) and I am also actively playing pickleball. This brace provide the support I need to move around the court laterally/multiple directional without further aggravating my knee. Of course, I am only playing in a limited amount times during the week and focusing on recovering between game days. However, I highly recommend the brace for support (I also double up with a knee compression sleeve for additional support).

Very supportive to knee best brace I've owned

My son used the DonJoy knee brace that his trainer loaned him during football season for a minor injury. It worked so well during the season that we ordered one for him to use at home as he trains for baseball season. Easy to put on, remove, offers stability while allowing free movement.