How Many Hours Daily Should You Wear a Knee Immobilizer?
How many hours a day should I wear a knee immobilizer?
The Quick Answer
Wear a knee immobilizer **continuously (23 hours/day)** during the initial 1–2 weeks post-injury/surgery except during hygiene or prescribed physical therapy. After this acute phase, wear time typically reduces to **12–18 hours/day** (removing only for sleep and exercises) as healing progresses—always following your physician's specific protocol based on injury severity and tissue healing stage.
Why We Ask This
Patients either remove immobilizers too frequently (believing 'some movement helps') or wear them constantly beyond medical necessity—both extremes compromising healing: premature motion strains vulnerable tissues while prolonged immobilization causes debilitating stiffness and muscle atrophy.
The Practical Science
Wear time follows tissue healing biology: ligaments require 6–8 weeks for initial collagen formation, during which controlled protection prevents gap formation at repair sites. Protocols balance protection with early controlled motion to prevent arthrofibrosis—typically introducing gradual ROM increases at 2–3 week intervals.
In Clinical Practice
A patient with grade 2 MCL tear wears the immobilizer continuously for 10 days except during daily 15-minute ankle pumps and quad sets, then transitions to daytime-only wear with 0°–30° hinge unlocking at week 3—aligning protection duration with collagen maturation timelines.
References & Context
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