[Back In The Saddle]

Here's this year's: "Knee and ankle braces which are unaltered from the manufacturer’s original design are permitted and do not require any additional padding/covering. Equipment which could cut or cause an opponent to have an abrasion is also always illegal and, therefore, is prohibited."

This is last year's: "Knee and ankle braces are permitted, but all exposed hinges must be covered. Equipment which could cut or cause an opponent to have an abrasion is also always illegal and, therefore, is prohibited."

So there is no longer a specific requirement for exposed hinges to be covered, but there is still a provision allowing the referee to rule it illegal if there is something about the brace that could cause a cut, which is what (I believe) we worried about with exposed hinges.