Knee bracing devices are orthopedic tools that are mainly used for alignment, pain reduction and maintenance of structural and functional characteristics of the knee. Knee braces offer protection to the knees of patients suffering from osteoarthritis as well as are used in the treatment of meniscus injuries. Apart from these, knee braces can be used as safety devices while playing various sports such as running and soccer and are also used in injury rehabilitation. These are generally worn in case of knee pain. Knee braces are made from one or more combination of rigid and flexible materials like metal, plastic, moldable foam, synthetic rubber, padding or elastic material and straps. These knee braces are available is several sizes and have provisions for pressure adjustments. On the other hand, custom knee braces are designed in a way to perfectly fit the exact knee measurements.

Increasing Knee injuries along with Osteoarthritis contributing to the boost of global knee braces market

The knee braces consumption is mostly driven by patients suffering from osteoarthritis. According to WHO, over 20% of the world’s population aged over 60 that accounts for around 130 million people will suffer from osteoarthritis by the 2050. Additionally, the National Institute of Health reported 6,664,324 knee injuries in the U.S. from 1999 to 2008 and is expecting a significant in increase in this number by 2020. These estimates suggests a drastic boost for the global knee braces market during the forecast period.

The global knee braces market can be segmented on the basis of product type, end user and geographical regions.

On the basis of types of braces available,

Rehabilitative braces: These are involves in providing stability to allow a limited movement while an injury is healing. Unloader braces: These braces are generally used by people suffering from arthritis to relieve the pain. Prophylactic braces: These are the protective braces generally worn to avoid knee injuries during sports. These braces are commonly used by athletes. Knee Sleeves: These are support devices that are used to provide compression around the knee joints are used for knee support and controlling pain and swelling around the knee area.

Based on the end user,

Hospitals Clinics Orthopedic Centers Rehabilitation Centers Others

North America to hold largest share of the global knee braces market owing to increased osteoarthritis cases

On the basis of regional segmentation, the knee braces market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. North America is the largest shareholder of the global market, followed by Europe. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 30 million adults in the U.S. are affected with osteoarthritis in 2016 suggesting high consumption of knee braces for the treatment of this disease in the U.S. Moreover, developing countries such as China, Japan and India are emerging as potential regional competitors to build a strong market share in the global knee braces industry due to improvement in healthcare infrastructure, government revenue towards developing safety facilities and orthopedic facilities, awareness about importance of maintaining good health among the people and rise in the rates of obesity.

High incidence rates of osteoarthritis and meniscus injuries are responsible for driving the global knee braces market

The prevalence and incidence rate of Osteoarthritis and meniscus injuries among the geriatric population are the primary reasons to drive the global knee braces market. The United Nations suggests that number of people aged over 60 years is projected to grow by 56%, accounting a rise from 901 million to 1.4 billion in the years 2015 to 2030. Moreover, according to the CDC data in 2015, 23.7 million adults in the U.S. have functional limitations in their regular movements due to doctor diagnosed arthritis suggesting strong probabilities of prevalence of osteoarthritis. Other factors that are responsible for driving global knee braces market includes knee injury, meniscus injury, use of knee braces as preventive measures to avoid knee injuries by sport players and athletes and people with genetic effects that have defects in natural collagen production leading to knee pain.

The key players dominating the global knee braces market includes Alex Orthopedic Inc., Body Sport, Bell Horn, Cho-Pat, DJO Global, Medi-Dyne and Medline. These companies are holding a strong position in the global knee braces market due to high R&D investment costs and long term contract relationship with the customers.