Pro Tip: Cti2 and Asterisk Knee Braces

By Russ Rohrer and Tom CarsonIn the early 1980s Jim Castillo suffered a sever knee injury. The doctors told him he possibly wouldn't walk again, let alone ride a motorcycle. Castillo wouldn't take no for an answer, so he invented the CTi knee brace to provide support for his healing leg. Largely due to wearing the knee brace through his therapy and healing stages, he now rides motorcycles, snowboards, and of course walks, again.Today's CTi2 knee brace features state-of-the-art hand-laminated carbon fiber, anatomically correct hinges, a sleek frame and strapping, all with custom fitted tension straps and fasteners designed to provide minimal interference with riding pants. Its Total Support System helps compensate for medial-lateral, anterior-posterior, rotary and combined ligaments instabilities. This design and function has truly become the standard in the sports medicine field.If you have a knee injury that needs support during healing, or if you want the best possible preventative care, then the CTi2 is for you. The CTi2 does require a doctor's prescription and they are not cheap. However, CTi2 knee braces are covered by most insurance plans with Durable Medical Equipment (DME) coverage. Innovation Sports has representatives all over the country that can help you get one of these state-of-art medical devises. The rep will take the measurements, and then the custom brace will be made back at the main office.The Asterisk Cell knee brace. Another option for knee support is the Asterisk Cell knee brace. This off-the-shelf model comes in fives sizes at an approximate cost of $549 a pair. Borrowing a great deal of technology from its cousin, the Cell knee brace is also carbon fiber, but is injection molded instead of hand crafted to cut down on price. It features a telescoping patella (knee cap) cup for impact resistance, a natural free-motion hinge for comfort and flexibility, and a lace buckle system which allows it to be put on or taken off in less than a minute. With the included tool, you can have a custom fit in minutes, and have the protection for that day's riding. There is also an adjustable tendon cuff that conforms to different thigh and calf sizes. There is really no sacrifice in comfort using the Cell. The padding can be cut with scissors, and the laces can be changed around to provide a totally custom fit without compromising protection.Since the Asterisk knee brace doesn't require a doctor's note or custom fitting, it is available at dealers nationwide. We liked it so much that we voted the Asterisk as Product of the Year when it debuted in 2002.Innovation Sports: 800-222-4284 For the CTi2 knee brace: www.isports.comAsterisk: 800-459-2999 For Asterisk's Cell knee brace: www.asterisk.com