When you've been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in your knee, an unloader knee brace is the best way to reduce pressure on your knee to reduce pain and help you maintain an active lifestyle. The Donjoy OA Nano Unloader Osteoarthritis Knee Brace is the ideal option, using advanced lightweight materials to offload pressure from the degenerative area of your knee, helping to stabilise the joint and reduce pain while avoiding invasive treatments.
Who Can Make Gains with the Donjoy OA Nano Knee Brace?
The Donjoy Nano Osteoarthritis Knee Brace stabilises and supports your knee, making it suitable for a number of different indications. This includes the following:
- Medial or lateral osteoarthritis (mild to moderate)
- Unicompartmental osteoarthritis
- Patients wanting to stay active and move freely
- Elderly users looking for the lightest OA knee brace available
What Is an Unloader Knee Brace?
An unloader knee brace, also known as an offloading knee brace, offloader knee brace or unloading knee brace, is the best choice for those suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee. It works by applying pressure to the knee joint on the opposite side of the knee to the side that is suffering from osteoarthritis, thereby opening up the affected side to prevent osteoarthritic friction. These braces are ideal for providing stability, reducing pain, and delaying or preventing the need for surgery and invasive procedures.
Should I Choose a Medial or Lateral Compartment?
Your choice of a medial (inside the knee) or lateral (outside of the knee) compartment knee brace will depend on which side of the knee your osteoarthritis is affecting. The brace will apply pressure to the opposite side of the knee to your pain, helping to open up the joint on your affected side to avoid osteoarthritic friction. For example if you suffer from:
- Inner Left Knee Pain: You need the Medial Left/Lateral Right Brace
- Outer Left Knee Pain: You need the Medial Right/Lateral Left Brace
- Inner Right Knee Pain: You need the Medial Right/Lateral Left Brace
- Outer Right Knee Pain: You need the Medial Left/Lateral Right Brace
Is This Knee Brace Suitable for Bilateral Osteoarthritis?
No, if you suffer from bilateral osteoarthritis, or compartmental osteoarthritis on both the medial and lateral sides, this is not the right brace for you. Since an unloader brace is designed to shift your weight from the side affected by osteoarthritis to the healthier side, the offloading action of this brace will actually cause an increase in pain for bilateral osteoarthritis.
If you suffer from bilateral osteoarthritis, we would recommend the Donjoy Full Force Knee Brace with Fourcepoint. This is a dynamic hinged knee brace designed to provide strong support and maximum stability.
Sizing of the Osteoarthritis Knee Brace
The Donjoy OA Nano Brace is available in seven different sizes. To find out which size will fit you best, please measure the circumference of your thigh 15cm above the kneecap and refer to the table below.
| Size | Thigh Circumference (cm) |
| Extra Small | 33 - 39cm |
| Small | 39 - 47cm |
| Medium | 47 - 53cm |
| Large | 53 - 60cm |
| Extra Large | 60 - 67cm |
| XX-Large | 67 - 75cm |
| XXX-Large | 75 - 82.5cm |
How Comfortable is the Nano OA Knee Brace?
The Nano Osteoarthritis Knee Brace is the most comfortable hinged OA brace available, as its lightweight and malleable materials put minimal strain on the joint to increase comfort and patient compliance. These features make the Nano Knee Brace exceptionally comfortable to wear, making it ideal for everyday activities.
Is This Knee Brace Suitable for Sports?
The Nano OA Brace is a great choice for mild activity like walking or light jogging, but for sports and more intense activity a more rigid-framed brace may be needed. The ideal offloading OA brace for sporting activity is the Donjoy OA Adjuster 3 Osteoarthritis Knee Brace, which is made with a similar design to the Nano but is better suited to the demands of more intense activity.
Is This Brace Suitable for Skiing?
As mentioned above, the Donjoy OA Adjuster 3 Osteoarthritis Knee Brace is more suited to high impact activities like skiing. It should be noted that the Adjuster Brace requires a certain amount of space on the calf to provide adequate support, and so made not fit with ski boots for shorter users. As a general guideline, it's only guaranteed to fit with ski boots for users over 6 feet tall.
Is an 'Unloader' Knee Brace the Same as an 'Offloader' Knee Brace?
Yes, the terms 'unloader' and 'offloader' mean the same thing, referring to a knee brace that shifts the pressure from the side that you are experiencing arthritis. This helps to reduce friction associated with arthritis, while helping you to relieve pain and achieve a better gait.
What Is the Unloader Brace Made From?
The Donjoy OA Nano Knee Brace is constructed from Nano MAG, an advanced form of malleable magnesium. The flexibility of the magnesium frame allows the cuffs to be adjusted for a more intimate fit, allowing you to get the most out of your brace. The incredible properties of magnesium make the brace feel weightless, allowing you to go about your normal daily and sporting activities unhindered.
How Much Should I Wear My Donjoy Nano Brace?
Whilst this entirely depends on your condition and quality of your rehabilitation following an injury or operation, we recommend wearing your Donjoy Nano Brace as much as possible under the approval of your PT, physio or doctor. Designed to treat osteoarthritis, the Donjoy Nano can be worn during light exercise and will not cause harm or constriction if worn for long periods throughout the day.
How Light Is the Donjoy Nano Unloader Knee Brace?
One of the main benefits of this arthritis knee brace is that it weighs only 400 grams, making it the lightest offloading OA knee brace in the world. This makes it ideal for active users looking to maintain their performance as well as elderly users who may be obstructed by a heavy hinged knee brace.
Is This Brace Waterproof?
Yes, this knee brace is suitable for use in the water. If you intend to use the OA Nano Knee Brace in salt water, we would recommend rinsing the brace with clean water after each use to extend the longevity of all components.
Can I Wear This Brace Over a Wetsuit?
Yes, this brace can be applied over a wet suit for activities like wakeboarding and kite surfing. As mentioned above, the brace should be rinsed off with clean water after each salt water use. If you engage in high impact or intense watersports activity, the Donjoy OA Adjuster 3 Knee Brace may be more suited, as it features a similar design but includes a more rigid frame.
Key Features and Benefits of the OA Nano
- Combines 'Nano MAG,' a new high-tech material, with adjuster technology
- Designed as one of the lightest functional OA knee braces available
- Ideal for everyday use and light activity
- Helps you move forward and stay active during use
- Offloads pressure on the knee so you remain comfortable
- Crafted with a magnesium frame for improved flexibility and a better fit
- Designed with clinically-proven three-point offloading technology
- Shifts the compressing load from the degenerative area to healthy tissue
- Designed with a four-points-of-leverage frame to protect your ligaments
- Contoured in design to enhance the suspension of the brace
- Helps relieve pain and provides an intimate fit for added comfort
- Enhances your quality of life, allowing you to remain active
Find Out More About the OA Brace
Learn more about one of the lightest osteoarthritis knee braces on the market by watching this short video.
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