Summary. We describe a method of quantifying the lateral/medial thrust of the knee which occurs in the early phase of walking. We have used this method to evaluate the effects of wedged insoles on the lateral and medial thrust for normal knees and knees with unicompartment osteoarthritis (OA). A laterally elevated (valgus) insole decreased the lateral thrust of both normal and osteoarthritic knees. A medially elevated (varus) insole increased the lateral thrust. In 50 symptomatic knees with medial compartment OA, decreasing the lateral thrust with a valgus insole reduced pain on walking in 27. Patients whose pain was reduced by valgus insoles tended to have earlier OA and to have a significantly greater reduction in the lateral thrust than in the 23 remaining unaffected knees. A varus insole was effective in decreasing the medial thrust and reducing pain in all ten knees with lateral compartment OA. We recommend the use of valgus insoles for patients with painful early medial compartment OA and the use of varus insoles for lateral compartment OA.Re Âsume Â. Les auteurs pre Âsentent une me Âthode d'e Âvaluation quantitative, avec mesure par un acce Âle Ârome Átre, des e Âcarts internes ou externes qui se font au niveau du genou dans la premie Áre phase du pas. Ils ont e Âtudie  les effets dynamiques et l'utilite  clinique des semelles a Á coin valgisant ou varisant pour les genous atteints d'arthrose unicompartimentale. Une semelle a Á coin externe (valgisante) diminue l'e Âcart externe ou augmente l'e Âcart interne que subit le genou normal ou arthrosique. L'effet est inverse pour une semelle a Á coin interne. Sur 50 genoux atteints d'arthrose interne avec e Âcart externe, la semelle a Á coin valgisant diminue les douleurs a Á la marche dans 27 cas et est inefficace dans 23 cas. Les genoux pour lesquels les semelles valgisantes sont efficaces ont une re Âduction significative de l'e Âcart externe par rapport a Á ceux pour lesquels ces semelles sont inefficaces. La semelle valgisante est plus efficace en cas d'arthrose du genou de Âbutante qu'en cas d'arthrose e Âvolue Âe. La semelle varisante est active pour les 10 genoux avec arthrose compartimentale externe et e Âcart interne.

Chronic compartmentsyndrome is a cause of pain in the lower extremity, and is a common disability in athletes.The significance of intracompartmental pressure in the diagnosis of chronic compartment syndrome is controversial.We measured anterior intracompartmental pressure in five healthy men before, during, and after exercise, using the Millar catheter system.The exercise consisted of active dorsif lexion for 3 minutes and running on a treadmill for 5 minutes. The resultswere compared with those of a previous study.

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Exertional compartment syndrome is one cause ofpain in the lower extremity, a common disability in athletes. The purpose of this study was to report on the technique of measuring the intracompartmental pressure and the results of subcutaneous fasciotomy as a treatment of exertional compartment syndrome. Subjects comprised seven adolescent athletes, five men and two women. The affected compartment was the anterior compartment of the leg in each athlete. Dynamic pressure measurement of the anterior compartment was performed in all athletes using a wick catheter or micro-tip transducer catheter. The pressure increased more than 30 millimeters of mercury in all cases during running and active dorsiflexion oftheir ankle. All patients underwent subcutaneous fasciotomy. The micro-tip transducer catheter was found to be more sensitive than the Wick catheter in measuring intracompartmental pressure. After surgery, symptoms were relieved in all patients and there were no recurrences in any athletes.

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