Microfracture and Knee Braces

I am sorry to say, I do not know if a brace will help or not.
My question to you is, how long does it take for a microfracture to heal? I had surgery in February of this year, I was doing great (almost pain free) until I increased my walking to five miles a day. I started having a lot of pain, and now I am not allowed to walk on concrete.
I whis you all the best, hopefully someday you will be able to play football w/o stiffness and swelling.
Good luck!