Data were collected in 1984 from seventy-one schools that were members
of Division I of the National College Athletic Association and in 1985 from
sixty-one of these schools to assess whether the use of so-called
preventive braces for the knee was associated with a decrease in either the
severity or the incidence (or both) of injuries to the knee in collegiate
football players. Over-all, players who wore braces on the knees had
significantly more injuries to the knee than players who did not. The
severity of the injuries was no different in the two groups. Based on these
findings, we cannot recommend the use of these braces in an attempt to
prevent injury to collegiate football players.