Energy Dispersive Bracing for Conservative Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis

The goal of this study is to explore the effectiveness of a commercially available, over-the-counter knee brace in the conservative treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Participants will either be fitted with a brace and told to wear it every day during normal activities, fitted with the brace and given instructions on a set of quadriceps strengthening exercises to complete twice daily, every day, or be given the exercise instructions, but not fitted with a brace. Functional and subjective outcomes will be collected preoperatively and at 6 and 12 weeks from baseline, with the goal of informing the effectiveness of bracing alone versus a home exercise program, and whether the combination of those provides the most therapeutic benefit to participants.