Abstract

In 31 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 33 years we investigated the intracompartmental pressure in the anterior tibial compartment while running on a treadmill with, and without, a functional knee brace. All volunteers performed two test series with a constant running speed of 8 km/h. Prior to running, the pressure was documented in the supine, sitting and standing position as well as during running. The intracompartmental pressure in the supine position was significantly less without a brace compared to the pressure with a brace. This was also true for the sitting position and the standing position. While running on the treadmill the average pressure was also significantly higher with, than without, a brace. Clinical relevance: Running with a functional knee brace leads to increased intracompartmental pressure in the anterior tibial compartment and, as a consequence, may lead to a chronic compartment syndrome. Wearing a functional knee brace may cause secondary muscle ischemia and may be one reason for the increased incidence of injuries in athletes.