Short answer. They help some people a little. If the wear is mostly on the inner side of the knee, a brace can ease pain, but many people find them awkward and stop wearing them.
Evidence grade. Probably helps a little.
What it is
An unloader brace is a firm frame that fits around the knee. It pushes the joint slightly to one side to shift weight off the worn part. It is made for arthritis mainly on the inner side of the knee, which is the most common pattern. Braces can be bought off the shelf or custom made.
What the research shows
A review pooled six trials with 445 people with arthritis on the inner side of the knee. Compared with no brace, the unloader brace gave a moderate improvement in pain and function. Compared with a similar looking brace that did not unload the knee, the benefit was small. Brace instructions varied a lot between trials, and some patients wore the brace far less than others, anywhere from less than half to all of the time. Up to one in four people had a minor problem such as skin irritation.1
The trials were small, and some of the review authors had financial ties to a brace maker, so the results should be treated with care.
Risks and effort
The main problems are skin rubbing, a bulky fit under clothes and the brace slipping down the leg. A physiotherapist or orthotist can check the fit.
What usually works instead
Exercise and strength work for the leg muscles, weight loss where that applies, and simple pain relief have the best evidence. A brace can be added on top for a knee that still hurts when walking. See Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Does exercise work for knee arthritis?.
Questions people ask
Who is most likely to benefit?
People whose arthritis is mainly on the inner side of the knee, who are active, and who are willing to wear the brace for walking. Your doctor or physiotherapist can tell which side of your knee is worn from an X-ray.
Is a simple knee sleeve the same thing?
No. An elastic sleeve gives warmth and a feeling of support but does not shift load across the joint. The research here is about firm unloader braces.
How long do I wear it?
Most people wear it for walking and activities that bring on pain, not all day. Wearing it as often as the instructions say is what gave the benefit in the trials.
Will a brace stop my arthritis getting worse?
There is no good evidence that it does. The trials measured pain and function, not how the joint changes over time.
References
- Moyer RF, Birmingham TB, Bryant DM, Giffin JR, Marriott KA, Leitch KM. Valgus bracing for knee osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis of randomized trials. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2015;67(4):493-501. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.22472
Last reviewed 22 October 2026. Next review due October 2028.