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Knee instability, explained.
Straight answers about why knees give way or lock, what helps without surgery, and what a brace can and can't do. Written by Eric M. Rippetoe, PT, DPT.
What Causes Knee Instability?
Why a knee buckles or gives way: ligament injuries, meniscus tears, arthritis, kneecap instability, and weak thigh muscles, plus how it's evaluated and treated.
Custom vs. Off-the-Shelf Knee Braces: Which Do You Need?
When a standard-size knee brace is enough, when a custom-fabricated brace built from a scan of your leg makes more sense, and the tradeoffs of each.
Alternatives to Knee Surgery for an Unstable Knee
The main alternatives to knee surgery for a knee that gives way: strengthening, activity changes, knee braces, and cortisone injections, what each does and doesn't do, and what they cost.
Why Does My Knee Keep Giving Way?
Common reasons a knee suddenly gives way or buckles, including ACL tears, meniscus tears, kneecap instability, arthritis, and weak thigh muscles, plus what helps and when to get it checked.
Knee Locking: Why Your Knee Gets Stuck and What to Do
The difference between true knee locking and pseudo-locking, common causes like meniscus tears and loose bodies, what to do when your knee locks, and when it needs prompt care.
Can You Treat a Torn ACL Without Surgery?
Who does well with rehab instead of ACL reconstruction, what the research shows, whether a knee brace helps an ACL-deficient knee, and signs that surgery is the better choice.
Can a Meniscus Tear Heal Without Surgery?
Which meniscus tears heal or settle down without surgery, what randomized trials show about physical therapy vs. arthroscopy, and when surgery is still the right call.
Exercises for an Unstable Knee: A Physical Therapist's Starter Program
Eight beginner exercises that strengthen the thigh and hip muscles and improve balance for a knee that gives way, with how many to do, how to progress, and when to stop.
Do Knee Braces Work for an Unstable Knee?
What a knee brace can and can't do for a knee that gives way, which brace types fit which problems, what the evidence says, and why fit decides whether a brace works.