Bone-on-bone is a simple term that defines osteoarthritis. It is a common condition in the joints of the knees, hips, and thumbs. It comes with excruciating pain, thereby making it necessary to get the best knee brace for bone-on-bone.
Bone-on-bone knee pain is often prevalent in older people especially from middle age upward; it results from degeneration of the cartilage that separates the knee bones thereby resulting in a situation where the bones are lying on each other.
For the joint of the knee to work correctly, all the knee components have to be in harmony, and any degeneration in one will result in pains.
In this article, we will not be talking about the best knee brace for bone-on-bone alone; we will be exploring different things to do to relieve knee pain resulting from bone-on-bone.
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What is the best knee brace to get for Bone on Bone | Osteoarthritis
Unloader Knee Brace
Unloader knee brace has been proven to be the best for bone-on-bone, otherwise known as osteoarthritis. There are not many of them in the market, but folks often avoid it due to the cost.
Unloader knee brace does not look like your usual brace. It is sturdy and constructed for this purpose. It is made with plastic, foam, and steel to stabilise the knee joint perfectly and prevent sideway movements of the joint.
The knee brace help to transfer pressure from the injured knee area to the good part; hence, the name “unloader” it helps shift pressure away from the affected side, thereby giving the best relieve and comfort you desire.
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Best Unloader Knee Brace: Orthomen OA Unloader Knee Brace – Lateral/Outside Support for Arthritis Pain, Osteoarthritis, Cartilage Defect Repair, Avascular Necrosis, Tibial Plateau Fracture
We found this knee brace to be the best unloader knee brace for bone-on-bone. After searching and reading so many reviews online, with interviews with past users, we find this knee brace, and we strongly recommend for bone-on-bone knee pain.
The two sides of the leg are available. All unloader knee brace cannot be universally used for both legs. If you experience pain in both legs, you have to buy separately for the two.
The knee brace will help alleviate pain and relieve pressure off the affected leg. It also helps with arthritis pain, meniscal cartilage disorder, mild to severe unicompartmental osteoarthritis and all other non-contact activities.
Every bone-on-bone situation results from articular cartilage defect, avascular necrosis, or tibia plateau fracture requires load reduction. This is what the knee brace offers effectively.
To perform its work effectively, it has 3 point leverage system which helps to reduce the weight and pressure of the affected knee effectively. It is also light in weight for easy carriage and fits perfectly to all knee size due to its adjustability.
The knee brace gives outside lateral support; silicone griped liner straps for comfort, valgus angle adjustment, and flexion/extension degree with stops.
This knee brace also has many positive feedbacks from previous users. The knee brace is one you should consider for bone-on-bone knee pain and one of the best knee brace for this.
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Donjoy OA Everyday Osteoarthritis Knee Brace
The knee brace does well in reducing the pressure off the affected knee; it gives the best support and compression to help alleviate knee pain resulting from bone-on-bone.
Though it is very costly, a little less than $500 and it sure delivers perfectly.
It combines effectiveness, lightness with ease of usage. You do not need any special techniques to put it on, and it is sure effective in taking the pressure away from the injured leg. It weighs 19 oz. And quick release straps for ease of application.
The DonJoy OA Everyday Arthritis Knee Brace offers a patient-controlled telescoping condyle pad allowing the patient to “fine-tune” load according to activity level.
The three-point load redistributes compressive forces away from the degenerative area to the healthy compartment of the knee. It also provides up to 6 points of correction.
All its part is ergonomic. You can easily relate to it and adjust to your preference. Thermoformed suede padding is standard on each brace.
It is vital to check the sizing chart to pick the best size for your knee. It is a suitable brace for bone-on-bone and other severe knee conditions.
Best knee brace with compression sleeve: McDavid Bionic Knee Brace with Compression Sleeve. BIO-LOGIX Hinged Lateral Support
This is a combination of a heavy-duty knee brace and compression sleeve for the best stability and support for bone on bone knee pain.
The knee brace has hinged support that gives lateral stability to the knee joint’s instabilities, Ligament, ACL, MCL, PCL, meniscus injury, pain relief, recovery, and preventive hyperextension.
The knee brace is not a complete rigid brace. It is made with aluminium, and the hinge is super active to help align your knee joint properly and prevent sideways movement.
Though a little rigid, combined perfectly with the best and soft material to give the best comfort while using it. The compression sleeve provides more compression while the semi-rigid brace ensures stability at all time.
It is also adjustable for a perfect fit, and it is made in different sizes – x-small to xx-large. The knee brace is very suitable for bone-on-bone and one of the best knee brace for the knee condition.
Check: Best knee brace for patellar tendonitis
What is the cause of bone-on-bone Osteoarthritis?
Unlike what the name suggests, bone-on-bone osteoarthritis is not a disease of the bone in the real sense. Bone on bone is more of cartilage disease.
The knee condition occurs when the cartilage, which acts as the cushion in between the ends of two bones and also supplies lubricant, tends to wear off.
When this occurs, the bones tend to start experiencing friction. The space between the two bones starts decreasing, which ultimately results in the bones touching or lying on each other.
As stated before that cartilage degeneration is more prevalent in older folks. Women from 55 years old and upward are even more prone to cartilage degeneration in the knee, leading to osteoarthritis. However, below are some of the factors that can increase your chance of having bone-on-bone knee pain
- Weight: Any added weight to the body put more pressure on the legs and knee joints tend to also be on the receiving end.
- Stressful Activities: What you do every day may also increase your chance of developing bone-on-bone knee pain, especially works that put much stress on the knee joint like squatting, heavy lifting, kneeling and other activities that can lead to quicker degeneration of the knee cartilage.
- Athletes: Due to the nature of their sport and stress involved, athletes are more prone to developing degenerative arthritis.
Symptoms of bone-on-bone/osteoarthritis
There are some symptoms associated with bone-on-bone, and when you start feeling experiencing some of these listed signs, you might be having a bone-on-bone.
Tenderness of Joint/joint pain
Pain is the first thing you might experience for a degenerative cartilage/cartilage loss. The pain might first start small, but as the cartilage gets degenerated more, the pain tends to increase.
The knee joint pain experienced does not come from cartilage loss directly. When the cartilage degenerates, there are bone enlargement and more stress on other components of the knee.
The pain felt mostly result from stretching of the joint capsule by bone enlargement, microfractures, synovitis, and other structural changes in the knee joint.
Furthermore, you can experience the tenderness of the knee joint. This is also one of the symptoms of bone-on-bone.
Movement Hindrance/Difficulty
There always tends to be a limitation in the range of motion in the knee joint. This is also one of the symptoms that are associated with bone-on-bone/osteoarthritis.
The various pains, swelling, inflammation and other abnormalities resulting from cartilage wear or degeneration lead to the hindrance of free motion of the knee joint.
Joint Misalignment and Instability
Cartilage serves a great purpose in the proper alignment of the knee joint and any degradation to the cartilage will result in misalignment and instability of the knee.
The misalignment can either be varus or valgus. The medial knee compartment is always associated with varus while the lateral knee compartment to valgus.
Also, it is evident from the work of cartilage that when it wears out, the knee will be unstable. The cartilage prevents friction between bones and any degradation to cartilage will also cause your knee bone to be unstable.
Other Symptoms
There are also some symptoms, and most are not even felt in the knee area. These include numbness and tingling of the arms or legs, pain in the arms or legs, weakness, headache, and other symptoms.
Possible Home Treatment for Bone-on-bone
It must be noted that the best thing to do is to visit your doctor for proper medical treatment. However, these suggestions are excellent to help stabilize and minimize the pain resulting from bone-on-bone.
Get the Best Knee Brace or Splint for Bone-on-bone
Some knee braces can be worn to reduce inflammation and swelling. They also give the best compression to the knee joint to alleviate pain.
There are special knee braces for this condition, and your doctor might recommend for you. The unloader knee brace has been proven to be very useful for bone-on-bone, and we strongly recommend you get it as well.
There are also some heavy-duty knee braces as well that can help manage the condition correctly.
Exercise
It does not have to be strenuous. Little engagement in exercise can be a saving grace. Though it is not a great idea to stress the leg, little exercise and a very gentle one can be of help. We advise you to seek proper counselling from your physiologist on this
Walking support/crutches
To prevent putting much pressure on the affected leg, you might need to get a walking aid like canes, crutches, walkers, and motorized scooters.
Hot or Cold Therapy
Heating the affected area can be an excellent home therapy as well. You can get an ice pack or hot pads and apply them to the affected knee.
Some drugs can help out. We recommend you visit your doctor for proper counseling and advice on this.
Injection for Bone-on-bone knee pain
Some treatments will be administered to you if you are suffering from bone-on-bone knee pain. Having a bone-on-bone is not such a big deal as there are treatments that can help you manage the situation very well.
Just like every other knee pain, bone-on-bone can be very frustrating, and in some severe conditions, an oral drug may not be the solution. In such cases, the doctors can result in giving you injections or put you on some procedures that can help you recover faster.
Some injections and procedures for bone-on-bone knee pain include Hyaluronic acid supplements, Corticosteroid Injections, and Arthrocentesis. We strongly advise you to see your doctor immediately you notice symptoms of osteoarthritis for the proper treatment procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a knee brace help bone on bone?
A knee brace does not cure bone-on-bone. You need to see your doctor for proper treatment. What a knee brace does is that it helps reduce knee pain, inflammation, and instability of the knee. It also helps maintain the range of motion of the knee, unloads pain in the knee, keeps the knee warm, provides the best compression and support to stay active.
What can be done for a knee that is bone on bone?
The steps in our possible home treatments are a perfect start. You should also visit a doctor for the best medical treatment option for bone-on-bone.
Is bone on bone painful?
YES, very painful, depending on the severity.
What causes knees to be bone on bone?
The cartilage can get degenerated, leading to bone-on-bone due to two factors. First is the aging factor; the cartilage gets to deteriorate as one age. Also, a traumatized accident resulting in knee injury can be a cause of bone-on-bone.
See also: Best knee brace for a torn meniscus
Other Top Knee Brace for Osteoarthritis | Bone-on-bone
Neo G Hinged Knee Brace, Adjusta Fit – Open Patella – Support
This is one of the best medical knee braces that will be an excellent support for bone-on-bone. It is one of the best knee brace, a high-quality brace featuring a non-slip design for ultimate comfort and support.
The knee brace will help relieve pain from arthritis, aching joints, as well as aid recovery from knee injuries. It also helps reduce flexion and extension movements, providing stability to weak and injured knees.
Various medical regulatory bodies accept it across the world like the FDA (US), Health Canada and the MHRA (UK). It is also an official Partner of The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (UK equivalent of the American Physical Therapy Association).
The vast side stabilizer ensures no sideways movement of the knee joint, thereby ensuring stability. The hinge system can also be adjusted for optimum fit.
The therapeutic heat neoprene helps warm muscles and joints while the control movement between -10 to 120 degrees flexion.
It is designed to be one size fit all as it is adjustable to fit all knee size. It also smartly converts to both right and left legs and suitable for both men and women.
The adjustable dials system ensures blood flow safety, giving lateral and medial support to the knee complex. It is one of the best knee braces for bone-on-bone.
EzyFit Knee Brace Support
EzyFit is one of the best and comfortable knee brace for optimum knee joint stability, support, compression, and protection.
It is designed to fit perfectly unto the knee joint and ensure the knee components are in their right position.
The knee brace stands out due to its lightness, softness and never compromising strength. It is strong enough to curb the irregular sideways movement of the knee.
The side stabilizer gives that extra stability needed for the people having bone-on-bone.
It is beautifully designed to be reliable, providing substantial knee support and comfort while made to stay put, including reinforced double stitching and secure Velcro closures.
There are 3-sizes available for knee circumference ranging from 10 – 24 inches.
Knee stabilizer and non-slip silicon strips at both top and below of the knee cap ensure it stays firmly in place while you move plus quadruple side stabilizers. It also has two on either side of the knee for maximum lateral support.
The patella is opened to relieve pressure on the knee cap and also provides the best compression for the tendon.
It is 3.5 mm thick, made with high-quality neoprene. It is breathable and ensures maximum comfort. It is very suitable for bone-on-bone and one of the best knee brace.
TechWare Pro Knee Brace Support
This is also an open-patella knee brace that provides the best and unique bi-directional support with alternating reliable closures stabilise patella to reduce knee pain.
The knee brace smartly converts to both legs (right and left), and it will fit knee circumference between 10 – 24 inches. Rightly measure your knee circumference to pick the right size correctly.
For more stability and protection, it has four flexible spring stabilisers that provide better knee cap protection and stability.
The material used is a high-quality neoprene. It removes excess heat and moisture resulting from sweat, keeping your skin cool and fresh always for optimum comfort.
It’s no-slip silicone strips ensure it stays in place for any physical activity. You will not need to keep readjusting when you put it on.
This knee brace is sturdy and has the features that make it a suitable prop for bone-on-bone. It is one of the best knee braces for bone-on-bone, and we strongly recommend it.
Vive Knee Ice Pack Wrap – Cold/Hot Gel Compression Brace
When you have bone-on-bone, one of the therapies that can help is hot or cold therapy depending on which is right for you. Vive knee brace gives you allowance to do this entirely through its icepack pocket. It includes three removable arctic flex gel packs for hot or cold therapy.
There are two pockets located on the front of the knee brace and one at the back of the knee for targeted relief. The non-toxic gel packs are reusable, leak-proof and latex-free.
It provides compression and supports all around the knee – medial and lateral, thereby stabilizing your knee and help relieve the pressure that could result in more pain.
Vive knee brace effectively reduces swelling, pain, and inflammation due to muscle fatigue, injury or surgery. The knee brace also provides comfortable relief for sprains and strains, ACL, arthritis, sports injuries, surgery and more.
It is one of the best knee braces for osteoarthritis.
Only one size is available which will fit knee circumference up to 21-inches. It is secured with a stable and reliable fastener, and it has four adjustable straps for perfect support to the knee joint.
The knee brace is made with quality material (Neoprene).it is breathable for added comfort and washable for re-use.
The product also comes with a 60-day guarantee. You will get your money back if you do not like it. It shows the level of confidence the manufacturer has in the knee brace.
It is overall an excellent brace for bone-on-bone.
Bracoo Knee Brace with Stabilizers
Bracoo knee brace is made with silicone gel to give the best possible support around the kneecap. Why is this brace suitable for bone-on-bone? This is because its pad covers a 5″ x 3.75″ region and significantly dampens severe vibration & stress to the cartilage.
Its dual spring stabilizer ensures the knee components are correctly in place, resisting unnecessary sideways movement and keeping the knee safe.
The splints are also removable to support washing for re-use. The knee brace is also suitable for routine running, hiking, walking, workout, baseball, and rehabilitation.
It covers a considerable surface area, not only around the knee region but some inches above and below the knee to hold the bone in place.
It extends over 10.5″ in length along with the knee with a robust three-strap binding system. Also, it features two straps adhesive contacts along each of the primary straps to ensure a reliable grip and immobilizer joint movement when needed.
The medical brace is made with neoprene; it is breathable and removes excess heat and moisture that can lead to discomfort.
It is one of the best knee braces we found during our search as the best knee brace for bone-on-bone knee pain, and we strongly recommend it as well.
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Final Words
Knee brace, especially the unloader knee brace, is perfect for bone-on-bone. In real sense, it is the best knee brace for bone-on-bone.
Out of the many unloader knee brace, we find Orthomen OA Unloader Knee Brace to be the best. We base our judgment on the qualities it possesses and the positive feedback from previous users.
An unloader knee brace is very useful in taking (unloading) pressure away from the affected knee part, thereby helping you to alleviate the knee pain.
Because Unloader knee braces are very costly, some alternatives can be of help as well. We recommend any of the knee braces we reviewed. We are confident they will be an excellent buy for the knee condition.
Lastly, visiting your doctor is very important for proper care and guidance. They will be able to prescribe the best drug and injection that manage the situation correctly.
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