I think the OP said they swabbed his brace ... that would detect explosives. As far as other weapons, we're supposed to visually inspect the brace and pat it down.

I agree the rules are somewhat lacking in this area, but it's also something of a Catch-22 ... what if someone removed a medical appliance that they really SHOULDN'T (for health reasons) mess with, simply to try to avoid additional screening?

Wasn't there a big flap on here a month or so ago about a woman with a sprained ankle or something, who removed her boot or brace (sorry, can't remember details) and claimed she ended up with a fracture as a result?

I'm not a lawyer, but I'd guess that in the event of an injury, our potential liability goes UP if we encourage you in any way to remove your brace ... hence the way the rules are written.