This had been an issue with the CTi braces forever that should have been addressed loooong ago IMO. Thier Patella cup is lame....at least compared to what I use which is not a brace but awesome protection.

http://www.oemcycle.com/images/300/978__0.jpg

Inovation Sports (CTi) was originally not a motorcycle industry company, so therefore one can not expect such details in product focus. There are probably more CTis on bad knees in all sports than all others combined. All but our sport has no real use for a patella cup. The brace itself is top notch. Mine has been through hell on the bike and ski slope, all chipped up, but the hinges are still tight and nothing has fallen off.

I agree. And the CTi and the Pod were rated most comfortable and fit well inside the pant. Both were around $750. a pair, with the CTi ots being much stronger imo. Not too much more than the others.

my CTI experience
 

I did my research too, and it was going to be DonJoy, Asterix, or CTI/Ossur.
I never triied on the OTS (off the shelf) CTI though. My ins. plan covered 80 % of it so I got CTI custom, I think it was 1100 CDN each! They are a tad bulky compared to my old knee pads. but they have good extension stops. Most good quality pants will fit over CTI's I'm told, my FOX 360's fit fine.
Now, the reason for this post... I have a severed ACL, torn MCL,Torn Minicus and bone contusions and all I did was dab my foot down hard while the front wheel slid sideways. the knee failed me and the foot/lower leg turned out 45 degrees or so. It was loud and painful. so a warning to all, good braces limit injury, certain types, but some hits or movements can't be protected against. And thats why I'm waiting for surgery right now instead of racing my new EC300.

Food for thought!
 

Lets get started, I've had 4 surgeries on my right knee, 3 acl reconstructions and 1 cleanup. I wasn't wearing a knee brace on any of these accidents/injurys. After my 4th surgery I got some custom cti's. I thought they fit good and seemed sturdy. On Dec. 19, 2010 while riding some tight single track in South Carolina it happened again! I had a really bad get off where I planted my left foot this time and guess what happened? My knee exploded! I tore my acl, mcl,cartlidge, and had a condile bone fracture. This was the worst knee injury I have had yet to date. I was wearing custom cti braces too! Its been said already but let me tell you from exprience! Knee braces do give you a sense of safety and comfort. However they will NOT prevent an injury! They may help in very small incidents, but don't get a false sense of security, you can still injure your knee badly!

Very true, but if you have an old sloppy knee like me thats prone to popping they help quite a bit. My original injuries are from the '70s and pre-date modern arthroscopic and ACL reconstruction surgeries. I have felt the knee try to pop at times in minor situations like snagging my foot in a rut, as well as some bad skiing crashes, but was captured by the brace. I especially will not ski without it.

that is exactly what i did too, waiting for surgery now with my new 09 sitting in the shed, waiting, did it on the first ride.......takin it easy and all.
GET BRACES!!!!!!!!

i just got fitted for a pair of custom CTI's as i had a close call about 3 weeks ago that scared the crap out of me. my right acl is still extremely sore. i listen to stories of guys like all of you with severe knee injuries and think money cant buy me a new knee but it can protect the ones i have. by getting a high grade set of braces i feel at the least like im minimizing the potential to end up in the same boat as some of you guys, so THANK YOU for the push guys.

wrecked it again !
 

I just went out for a cautious ride and jumped a ditch and missed, stopped dead on a rock, dabbed hard and twisted my foot out to the side. yelling in agony, laying across the exhaust too, melting into my a$$. re-injured before I was even healed. yes, I can say STUPID. The doc says I just went back about a month in my recovery, but likely no new ligament tears, just facia and muscle . I was wearing my CTI. incidently, CTI can provide a cable support system that they fit to the custom brace that helps with ACL weakness.

I'm really sorry to hear that. I know how hard it is to have to heal completely before riding. I'm riding on a very bad ankle injury. It's good to know about the cable attachment. I think the Asterisk has a similar strap which attaches to your boot, helping to prevent the knee from twisting. I hope the knee heals quickly for U.