Don Joy A22 Knee Braces 1 Year Later - Review

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It’s been a little over a year now since I started using this brace after my ACL reconstruction surgery last year. I’ve been riding with it each ride since I started riding again back in November of 2018. In this video, I talk about my experience with them and what I’ve done to make sure that my knee cap is protected as well.
I paid $900 per leg for these and then another $100 per side for the knee cap protection. Yes, it’s expensive, but I’m trying to give myself the best protection possible.
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[@brianmcginity7663]

The Defiance is what DonJoy recommends for offroad/moto (see Tony Cairoli's promotional videos). My local DonJoy rep does a special. Two sets (4 braces) for $850. She came to my house, measured and I gave her a check for $850. When the first pair arrived, the rep came back to my house to adjust and set up. Then 2 months later she came to my house again, measured a 2nd time and asked what I wanted to change. We adjusted the knee width to be 3mm closer and made the upper measurement equal on both legs. The 2nd set arrived with no additional costs. The rep to my house a 4th time to ensure everything fit correctly. The patella cup/shin guard (same as you're using) did cost $80 extra. These are the lifetime warranty custom braces with the special hinges (stainless steel I think). The 1st set was great. The 2nd set is amazing. They never slip, I do NOT wear knee sleeves or pants. They fit perfectly. If you are in Northern Florida or lower Alabama, call Sierra. She can be reached at 850-524-4850. She will give you the same deal. Kyle, your braces are sippling because you are missing the anti-slip strap which will replace the from 2nd to the bottom strap (it goes behind the calf). Call your local rep and ask for it. Actually, you may want to find out why they did not recommend the Defiance. When you tell doctors you ride dirt bikes, they have no clue what it entails and think you're just riding around jeep roads on a Harley.

[@hrsey71]

I have the defiance as well, and they chafe pretty bad. anything to do to prevent that?

[@brianmcginity7663]

@@hrsey71 It could be the padding and straps. I'm using the chamois padding and the neoprene straps. Here's a link to a photo. Look at the brace on the left, just below the red "Protection" tag is the anti-slip strap--it is sort of wide. This combo feels great. They never slip and I do not wear knee sleeves. Also, I do use the motocross patella guard which is not in the photo. Link: scontent.fcmh1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/83800612_2979789195373662_5749731289624215552_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=2&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=sF51uYEN3scAX8778Lb&_nc_ht=scontent.fcmh1-1.fna&oh=9610847e1b4076ed9742874c6c0b7fc7&oe=5FC456BD.

[@hrsey71]

@@brianmcginity7663 ya that's what I have on mine, but I wear a compression pant under the braces. I wonder if I should wear them without the pants

[@brianmcginity7663]

@@hrsey71 Give it a try. I just wear padded shorts. When I was using CTIs, I had to wear long baselayer pants. With DJs, it's so much more comfortable without anything under them. Knees move a tad easier as well. Very cool in the summer.

[@hrsey71]

@@brianmcginity7663 ill give it a try, thanks!

[@marks7759]

I have CTIs Kyle and after my surgery, insurance covered and we’re about $900 a pair. The problem with all these knee braces is they don’t prevent injury from dabbing your foot down. Asterisk is the only brand that has a lock that prevents the twist impact at the knee because it’s harnessed to the boot, which makes the impact felt at the upper leg, pelvis which is much more resistant. I haven’t tried them, and I’m tempted too, but I wish our expensive custom braces had something that prevent knee twist rather than just knee impact… because I twist my knee by dabbing more going high speed and the bike kicking out than I ever fall.

[@trinc52]

I've got them astrix ones I think there good need knee sock but I like them I don't have it set to my boot but will now

[@RacerRed]

I use the TP199 knee/shin guards by EVS and they have been awesome for impact protection. They aren't a brace, but i really like them for general protection.

[@JonStark117]

**Just got knee surgery to repair my PCL after having it torn for 16 years. I appreciate your breakdown of how much you like it. Definitely gunna get one!*

[@wdvu90]

How is your knee doing? I’m getting my surgery in October

[@Bubbleuprubberdown]

You should test/review the POD K4 and K8 braces.

[@leofoltz8851]

Yes

[@russianrouletteracing]

Minute 5:40. You are removing the side cushions and then installing the shin guard. Do you not have more side to side free play (space between hinge and your side of the knee) once on the leg without those back in place ?

[@Charlie-ro7un]

I tore my acl at work. I'm part time so I'm uninsured but workers comp is covering the surgery and rehab. I'm going to get one of these if I have to pay out of pocket but I'm going to try and see if workers comp will cover it

[@kilbeggan_man2644]

@dirtbikechannel Do you still ride your trials bike because i loved those vids

[@tadejkrevh2036]

I'm using Pod K8 carbon knee braces. They're great.

[@Bubbleuprubberdown]

I love my K8’s.

[@johnchafin3817]

Can you do an update on your knee fitness and the brace? Are you still using it today or have you upgraded the braces for when you ride?

[@WildEnduro]

Kyle... You should try the Alpinestars Fluid Carbon... awesome fit, light, comfortable and very effective. I’ve been wearing them for a long time and for me it’s the best. Tried other brands as Asterisks but these ones were way better and more comfortable. Recommend

[@neilkaye081]

Hi Kyle are you still using the same knee brace setup?

[@sara_7595]

I’m awaiting reconstruction, I’m a welder fabricator, and when I eventually get back to work, I’m up, down, climbing, crawling, one legged, hanging, all kinds of positions to do my job. Would this be functional for every day use when I go back to work?

[@noControl556]

Its all going to come down to personal fit, but I think DJ's or CTI are the way to go if you have had an injury, then POD K8 otherwise

[@barryhallsack8852]

Thanks for the review! $2,000 is expensive but so is surgery that's more like 10,000 to 20,000 if you don't have insurance. Not to mention the downtime for healing and the pain 😂.

[@cardo1111]

Appreciate the vid, I wonder how their ski braces are.

[@Charlie-ro7un]

Did you consider the defiance?

[@SailOnFlyBy]

They still holding up? I'm about to pull on the trigger on these.

[@alechall1120]

Kyle does this patellar guard strap right over the 2 pads near the meniscus or did you remove the pads to get it to fit? thanks

[@davidjo997]

Hey Kyle, any comparison to Custom CTI's? Looking at donjoy vs CTI as I am rehabbing a pcl/mcl injury and looking to come back with support before riding/racing again.

[@chaseboys4112]

Hey Kyle, would love to see the comparison between the Don Joy and the CTI custom braces. My son’s Dr. recommend the CTI, and mine recommended the Don Joy. We are now both using the CTI brace, which were covered from our medical insurance.

[@Nuno.Alcaide]

Very expensive (specially these ones), but really important protection. Been using knee braces (Asterisk) for more than 10 years, and can`t ride with them! (By the way, never had knee issues or injuries with them, and already had some big slams.)

[@billyryder501]

I use Asterick knee brace I tore my mcl but it saved my life (main artery in leg ) I don’t ride without them I’m worth the money 👍

[@tchaiquentin]

No longer listed on their website...

[@AndrewAitchison100]

Could you make a playlist for all you Acl injury videos?

[@juniorramirez4956]

Why brace do you suggest to just trail ridding ?

[@swordfish1120]

Would you recommend knee braces over knee pads when riding on the street (no serious canyon riding, or track riding. Only cruising on a V-twin)?

[@onlygazza]

Cti braces look exactly the same as that and were the brace to use in the 1990s, lots cheaper as well !

[@vonsolo2281]

Gazza my CTI were $1750 per side. I was able to get them through my medical insurance

[@onlygazza]

Vonsolo22 the new price has gone mental, I looked at a used pair on bay last week for £300 !

[@JoshStreetDesign]

no they're not, CTI just sits on the front of the leg, they are not an over under design like the Donjoy.

[@jacobap74]

Not knocking your opinions on the Don Joy; however, the POD K8 Carbons are basically the same as the Don Joy. However, the POD K8 Carbons are cheaper, are a medical certified device, lightweight, have a built in knee protection, and have a great 5 year warranty. I researched both of these brands, and made an informed decision to purchase the POD K8 Carbons.

[@brianmcginity7663]

No way. DonJoys are way different than PODs. You actually step into the DonJoys as they have carbon bracing in front and behind the leg. PODs, CTIs and every other will only brace in front of the leg and strap around the back. Huge difference. You feel much more secure in DJs because of that. I was wearing the non-carbon PODS when I broke my tibial plateau. Because the PODs are not custom, they did not fit snuggly around my knee and the hinge smashed my tibia when I took an impact from the side.

[@ItalianStallion1415]

@@brianmcginity7663 I am no expert in braces but I am slowly becoming one. Are you saying the POD braces only protect for hyper extention and not so well in "sideways" forces? If the joint area of the brace has a gap, does that mean the "sideways" force will bend your knee and damage a ligament before the brace does its job?

[@brianmcginity7663]

@@ItalianStallion1415 Here's what happened. The PODs were the first brace I ever used and I did not fully understand how to fit them properly. I had a fair amount of side to side movement at the knee. Pod does say to use extra padding in that area if necessary. I did use extra padding, just not enough. I went over the crest of a blind hill and on the other side, was a ditch, waist-high. I fell and a rock just happened to be exactly where my knee was landing. The rock drove the brace sideways into my tibia plateau. Something had to give and it was my bone. The side to side play acted like a bat hitting a baseball. The brace did protect the ligaments and I had only minor damage to my meniscus. If the brace would have been sung, things may have been better.

[@rcorser1]

Great vid. Have been waiting for this vid from you. Thanks for sharing!! How can we obtain the don joys without an injury?

[@dustinwconrad]

Anyway to buy these braces through your channel to give you credit for it?

[@DirtBikeChannel]

Unfortunatly, no.

[@damytzeus]

what about the fact that the donjoy is considered a non-impact brace? i.e., it's not designed for motocross impact.

[@winters3]

do you still use the donjoy a22 wha can you say about the durability, afte 5 year? i plan to buy one for enduro mtb & skiing ? wha you think from you experience after 5 year?

[@trueinfidel7321]

you still using these, i see its the non contact version. Do you think the contact version would be better ?

[@Matthew-wn8oq]

I know this is 4 yrs old so dont know if you will see this ? I'm going to get a set of Don Joy's, and I was just wondering if you have ever tried Stegz Pegz with your braces?

[@danbmx445]

I re injured my bad knee a year after surgery riding bmx again. looking for the best brace cheap out of pocket lol. Was looking at the donjoy defiance armor. not sure how it compares

[@jasondearman3743]

I wear the armor. Its heavier but designed to take impacts. I wear knee guards with it similar to Kyle's old setup, but the Donjoy knee caps he showed fit the Armor as well. My ortho and a family member who is an ortho surgeon recommended using these over motocross specific braces. These do not have rigid components over the top and bottom of the leg, instead over the thigh and behind the calf. That design greatly reduces the risk of bone breakage.

[@danbmx445]

@@jasondearman3743 Thanks for the info, not worried about bone breaking or crazy impacts lol. My knee just keeps tweaking from small awkward movements on my bike. hoping this will help, I was using a cheap non hinged brace before.

[@shawnrobinson7066]

I am trying to get that brace for my son thank you for letting me know the cost $900 he plays QB and going to College and I want him to have the best

[@taylorswanson5890]

Shawn Robinson I have both Donjoy Defiance and Donjoy A22 that was billed to my insurance. My insurance paid most of the cost I think I paid $12 in total for both braces. But it could be considered a need as I had recently gone through my 3rd knee surgery in the span of 4 years. I would recommend contacting your local sales rep. Go through companies like better braces is used if only self pay but you may want to contact your local sales rep to see if they can bill insurance directly before paying 100s of dollars if insurance may cover it.

[@luisferrer2134]

Expensive! But I know that 2k is alot less than getting a knee replacement. Worth the money IMO, thanks for another great video Kyle

[@DirtBikeChannel]

My ACL reconstruction was over 25K. That doesn't count rehab or time lost.

[@luisferrer2134]

I feel you. I was in an accident on the road, someone hit me at an intersection. 53k later and I'm still getting bills! I may be riding track and dirt only from now on. Thanks for taking the time to reply!

[@Komainu959]

Even taking out the cost. I've had ACL recon and while it's better it's never gotten back to 100...maybe 70 to 80 percent at best. Now that i'm older I would gladly pay thousands of dollars if I could have avoided that injury. There are so many times in my life that I wanted to do something but could not due to the injury, either because I didn't want to risk it or because it was giving me problems at the time. Or I did to it and then suffered with pain after the fact.

[@ArizonaDesertRat426x]

Glad my insurance just paid for custom CTI braces. All I had to pay for was my doctors appointment.

[@eliworks8549]

I'm using EVS sport braces and they are OK. I got a 50% off coupon from a race promoter. The main thing I don't like is the bunching behind my knee. Its only when I'm sitting down. I might lower my pegs to get me some more room.

[@jeffloucks2120]

I think all of the guards or braces with a strap in that location are going to create the same issue. Compression pants or sock sleeves are a must and you just have to find the balance when adjusting them. Basically, as tight as you can before creating an issue. You can still chafe yourself raw if too tight with a base layer in place.

[@fernandofernandez5719]

Man i bought the carbone ones almost 700 hundred i cant ride with them

[@fernandofernandez5719]

Tooooo bulkie

[@eliworks8549]

@@fernandofernandez5719 glad I only paid $250 for mine.

[@Criddler]

You can also criss cross the posterior straps to open up the popliteal space. If you'd like any help in getting these braces fit, please call our office at 801-400-5318. We would be happy to help you and give more recommendations on how to fit these braces properly and comfortably. There are many accessories that improve the fit and function for the brace.

[@M.C.A.T.]

Just as a counterpoint to this video - I bought DonJoy braces - custom fit Defiant III - and it's been one of the most miserable customer service experiences of my life. 9 months after my accident and I am still waiting on a set of braces that fit properly. I'm on the second set. They just can't seem to get it right and they are really dragging their heels. I have had to send multiple messages at every juncture to get a response and the rep I am dealing with exhibits absolutely no sense that he cares about my situation. I have suffered a number of small re injuries while wearing the braces because of the poor fit. These braces cost literally thousands of dollars and I would have expected a much better level of service. I am really wishing I went with CTI braces instead.

[@brianmcginity7663]

You must have something going on with your knees which is preventing a proper fit or the rep is measuring wrong. I found my CTIs to fit not as good as my DonJoys. I needed my CTIs to be refurbished and on a whim decided to get the DJs instead. Turned out to be a great decision.

[@JohnVanHolt]

My insurance covered my Donjoy braces 100%

[@bilboswaggens2975]

Waiting to get injured to get a pair

[@ItalianStallion1415]

@@bilboswaggens2975 I have done just that, unfortunately. I hope I don't have to cover it. Fingers crossed.

[@hunterbriggs5247]

Sweet I will wear them in Texas that can't be that hot 😂

[@seanwahl1000]

How can you say they're the best when there's nothing to compare them to besides the Mobius that you didn't hardly wear? Also $14 knee pads for $100??? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they work for you. I would just prefer to get one more geared towards mx than tennis and for a quarter of the price. Or even the POD K8 that you can get a prescription for. Which I wouldn't doubt it if you could get a prescription for DJ, I just didn't hear you mention it.

[@DirtBikeChannel]

I spent weeks talking to sports and medical professionals before makings these purchases. Fit is EVERYTHING. The reason they are expensive is because they are custom made for my leg. I've tried on many other pairs, but only ever used the 2 different options for actual riding.

[@seanwahl1000]

@@DirtBikeChannel were you able to purchase you're with a prescription? The reason I'm asking is most riders are poor. Someone's gotta buy up all your used bikes, Right! Thanks for your input on the DJ.

[@DirtBikeChannel]

My insurance didn't cover anything on these, so I paid out of pocket. Didn't matter what the doc prescribed with my insurance company. Tried on the CTIs and researched them heavily. Same thing with the Pod K8. In the end, I felt the DJ A22 was better.

[@jcd520]

Mine were 1100 for both legs including the impact protecteres.....you got ripped off!

[@lanceg.8458]

Great info, thx. Too bad none of these will stop an ACL injury.

[@rafemordente]

just tore acl while wearing braces...not these but spendy ones and they did nothing. Not even a bad spill...ill still wear some when i get back but yeah they dont do much

[@lanceg.8458]

@@rafemordente Yes I did the same thing in February, goofy little spill in a wash and felt my knee pop. My Orthopedic Surgeon works for the US Ski team and he told me they have tried for years to develop a knee brace that would stop an ACL injury but they cant stop a foot from twisting which will over-stress the ligaments. I will wear my knee braces going forward and keep fingers crossed :).

[@DirtBikeChannel]

True that nothing is a silver bullet, but after the experience I went through, I'm wearing these suckers!

[@rafemordente]

@@lanceg.8458 Mine was in Feb as well...had Surgery in may...

[@JCKloppers]

CTi customs is way better, better knee cap protector build in

[@Ryandean1]

900 per leg is way to much, you could buy a new leg for that price

[@mountainvalleyfrost5777]

You obviously have never had a serious knee injury. Your average knee surgery is about $18K. And no, insurance doesn't pay everything, not even close. I'm down to the final $700 for my surgery four years ago. 900 per leg isn't bad at all.

[@DirtBikeChannel]

My ACL reconstruction was over 25K. That doesn't count rehab or time lost.

[@D_J_G88]

Healthcare is free in Australia so I wear what I can afford. I know it's not the "right" thing to do but Im not going to stop riding because of it.

[@DirtBikeChannel]

It's not free. You are paying for it with each paycheck :)

[@D_J_G88]

@@DirtBikeChannel yes in Australia and as an Australian citizen we have free healthcare system similar to Canada. The Australian government provides help with medical expenses through a scheme called Medicare. Medicare delivers free hospital care and also helps with the cost of seeing a local doctor or specialists, paying for medicine and other treatment.

[@250txc]

Learn how to ride ...

[@JoshStreetDesign]

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