22 Mar Knee Talk: Chris Henry
After we posted last week’s Chris Henry video, we had some inquiries about the knee brace he was wearing in some of his clips. Knee injuries are frighteningly common in BMX, so we thought we’d let Chris answer some questions and talk about it below.
So as far as the injury, with my left knee I completely severed my ACL and a partially tore the MCL and damaged some meniscus. This happened from putting a foot down and laterally dislocating my knee. The MCL and meniscus has healed, ACL has not. I declined surgery due to a one year waiting list. My knee brace is a Donjoy Defiance Custom. Key to rehab was months of road biking and it is actually the reason I am now able to ride without a brace. If you can keep all the muscles surrounding the knee very strong and tight it will hold the knee together. Sometimes if I put a foot down riding I will have a lateral dislocation of the knee and often wear the brace for a few days or weeks until swelling has gone down and muscles have tightened back up. Right knee I did a partial tear of MCL and damaged meniscus (hit by/me hitting a moving car). I was able to bounce back from that one after about 3 months, and again road bike was the key to rehab. I have no pain of problems with my right knee, and it requires no bracing.
– Chris Henry