A knee immobilizer is a brace that wraps around the leg to keep the knee straight. It is made of fabric, padding, and straps that hold it in place. Long pieces of metal on the sides keep the brace straight. Using the brace correctly will make your child more comfortable and help healing.

Follow your health care provider's instructions for: 

• How to use the immobilizer
• When your child needs to wear the immobilizer and if they can take it off for sleeping, bathing, exercises, and cleaning of the immobilizer
• When your child can stop using the immobilizer
• Whether your child needs to use crutches
• If your child should avoid going up or down the stairs, and any other activities to avoid
• Any other medical care your child needs for the injury
• Whether your child should wiggle their toes or do any other movements or exercises
• Any medicines your child needs for the pain
• When you should follow up

Reminders: 

• Your child can wear the brace on a bare leg (with shorts or under a dress) or over pants or leggings.
• Check the skin under the immobilizer and at the edges of the immobilizer for blisters, sores, or redness. If the immobilizer rubs the leg, put a cloth between the skin and the immobilizer or have your child wear long pants under the immobilizer.
• If your child's foot or toes are swollen, numb, tingling, pale, or blue, loosen the immobilizer, raise the leg above the level of the heart, and call your health care provider.
• If the immobilizer gets dirty and your health care provider said it was OK for your child to take the immobilizer off, wipe it with a damp cloth and let it air dry. 
• If your child needs to keep the immobilizer on during bathing, cover the immobilizer with two plastic bags sealed at the top with a rubber band or tape to keep it dry. If the immobilizer gets splashed, blow air into it from a hair dryer on the cool setting. 
• Do not tear, cut, or twist the immobilizer.
• If the brace slides down or feels too tight, you can adjust the straps.

• Your child's foot or toes are swollen, numb, tingling, pale, or blue even after loosening the immobilizer.
• The skin under the brace is red, raw, painful, bruised, or has blisters or sores.
• The brace is broken or wet.
• You have questions about how to use the brace.

How long will my child wear the knee brace? Most kids wear a knee immobilizer a few days to a few weeks, depending on the injury or surgery. The health care provider will tell you when it's OK to stop using it.