INTRODUCTION: The project "Crash Recognition & Injury Prevention Systems (CRIPS)" tries to find, prove and compare different solutions in a multidimensional way to improve safety in alpine ski racing. Safety has become one of the main problems in alpine ski racing. During the past years many serious accidents occurred in the Alpine World Cup sometimes with fatal consequences for the racers (e.g. Lanzinger). As recent studies have shown, ACL ruptures are playing a major role among the minor injuries not only in racing but also in leisure time skiing since many years (Bambach et al., 2008). In the rehabilitation of ACL ruptures, leg braces are successfully used to stabilize the knee and to avoid re-ruptures (Sterett et al., 2006). Some studies on the prophylactical use of knee braces have been done in the 80s and early 90s (e.g. Martinek et al. 1999) regarding them as "inadequate" and "not sufficient. The development of construction and materials however, may lead to better solutions. Therefore the aim of the study was to prove the influence of leg braces on performance and comfort and developing concepts for innovative solutions. METHODS: (1) Reviews of literature on the efficiency of knee braces conceming the reduction of mechanical stress on the knee had been performed, as well as on the use of braces as a prevention measure in sports like ice hockey, motor racing and American football. (2) With n=3 ski racers (male, age: 21,3 ± 1,1, height: 176,3 ± 4,1 cm, weight: 76,21 2,6 kg) the influence of wearing special designed knee braces on objective (time [s]) and subjective (questionnaire) performance has been tested. (3) On a test facility based on a knee model, the special designed knee brace was compared with a common high performance knee brace used in rehabilitation. Test Parameters had been: translation (drawer test), rotation and varus-valgus stability. RESULTS and DISCUSSION: (1) The results on the efficiency of knee braces in literature are very divergent. There is evidence that there is a positive effect in using braces on instable knees after injury or/and surgery but only at low mechanical loads. Preventive effects have been tested under certain conditions; however no consistent results are available due to very different methodological approaches. In some cases, even negative effects have been observed. (2) Our own measurements showed no influence on the objective performance in ski racing (SL) but the subjective performance in "speed" and "agility" was reduced by wearing the brace. (3) The verification on the test facility showed, that the special designed brace was able to increase significantly stability in rotation and varus-valgus.
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