Soft braces are elastic and non-adhesive orthoses often used to reduce activity limitations.

They are commonly used due to their low cost and ease of use. Additionally, they are recommended as appropriate treatment for non- surgical management of knee OA.

• Ease of use: With mechanical bracing, despite improvements in patient reported outcomes, there is an unwillingness amongst patients to wear these braces for prolonged periods.

• Low cost: Soft bracing is mostly designed for compression and is usually elasticated. Due to the lack of hinges and metallic material, they are usually significantly cheaper than mechanical alternatives.

• Improve adherence: Mechanical bracing is often associated with poor adherence due to factors such as skin irritation, discomfort, bad fit, bulkiness, practicality and social stigma.

Underlying mechanisms of soft bracing

Potential underlying mechanisms of soft bracing to reduce activity limitations are:

• Improved joint proprioception: Soft braces supposedly act on cutaneous mechanoreceptors that contribute to improvements in proprioception

• Pain reduction: Tactile stimulation provided by a soft brace can cause neural inhibition leading to the reduction of pain signals

• Improved joint stability: Mechanical effects are usually associated with soft bracing. However, it has been suggested that a reduction in joint instability may be the result of additional sensory input from the brace, leading to improvements in proprioception