McDavid MD429X Knee Brace, Polycentric Hinges & Cross Straps, Black, Adult M

I'm addicted to the game of pickleball, and play it aggressively, so I've have had a few injuries; the latest being a ‘Grade 2, Medial Collateral Ligament Injury'. I took a few weeks off to let it heal, and did much research to find the right hinged brace to give me the lateral support I need to protect my MCL from the cutting motions out on the courts; my pick ended up being the McDavis 429X. I opted for the X-Straps for the additional ligament support, and so that my kneecap would help hold the brace in place; after having played in it, I'm pleased to say that the brace stays in place, and does not shift. I measured my knee carefully to be sure I ordered the correct size brace, and the one I ordered fits my leg perfectly, though I think for my knee size, the X-Straps could have been a ½” or so longer, but they do stay in place, so no issues there. I want to mention here, that if you use a cloth tape measure, be sure to lay it on top of a steel tape measure afterwards, to be sure the lengths are correct, as the cloth tapes tend to not be very accurate. On Thanksgiving Day, I went out to play some before dinner pickleball, but due to a lack of holiday players, I ended up playing 2½ hours of full court/singles games, instead of the usual doubles matches. At first, I was worried that my knee would not be able to take the stress of playing singles games, due to all the lateral movements of playing full court, but I was quickly and pleasantly surprised to find that my knee brace was up to the task of giving me the protection I needed; that was the test that proved to me the value of this brace! While playing, I had no noticeable issues with movement; I ran around the court the same as I always did before my injury. Several hours after coming home, I noticed no serious pain or adverse effects from the singles games; wow! Needless to say, the brace works great on the doubles matches I normally play; my knee feels almost normal again! I do sweat a lot under the brace, though it's not too noticeable while playing in it; more of a noticing when I take it off. The brace doesn't slide off as easily as it slides on, but it's not a problem either; it just takes a little more effort to get off. My skin was a tad raw after taking the brace off the first couple of times, so I've learned to rub a little hand lotion on my leg before and after wearing the brace, and that solved the problem. The bottom line: the 429X has performed much better than I thought it would; I am a happy camper!

I am a 91 year old fairly active man. I have used this knee brace while I am playing golf and its provides support for my left knee so that I can turn and hit the ball similarly to when I was much younger. I have another McDavid knee brace that I use for every day, but the 429X gives me the extra support that I need when I leave the house and when I do shopping or walking. One note: the instructions for putting it on are incorrect: the bottom left strap and the top right strap are the first straps to pull up and across; the bottom right and the top left attach to them, not the other way around.