A knee brace may be especially helpful if the osteoarthritis is centered on one side of the knee. Bracing the knee improves stability and function. Knee braces are either of the unloader or the support type. An unloader brace takes the load away from the affected portion of the knee. A support brace helps to support the entire load of the knee. A knee immobilizer may also be used to rest an acutely inflamed arthritic knee.

There have been a number of clinical trials to evaluate the benefits of wearing knee supports. In a 1999 trial, Kirkley, et al. compared the unloader brace, the support brace (a neoprene sleeve) and conventional medical treatment in 119 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. They found a significant improvement in disease-specific quality of life and in function in both the support brace and the unloader brace groups when compared with the medical group. They also found that the unloader brace patients had a significant improvement in pain level when compared to the support brace patients after a 6-minute walking test and 30-second climbing test. (Kirkley A, Webster-Bogaert S, Litchfield R, et al. The effect of bracing on varus gonarthrosis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1999;81:539-48).