A non-invasive biomechanical device and treatment for patients following total hip arthroplasty: results of a 6-month pilot investigation

Abstract

BackgroundThe purpose of the study was to examine the effect of a foot-worn biomechanical device on the clinical measurements and gait patterns of patients with total hip arthroplasty (THA).MethodsNineteen patients, up to 3 months post-THA, were enrolled to the study. Patients underwent a computerized gait analysis to calculate spatiotemporal parameters and completed the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index and the SF-36 health survey. Patients then began therapy with a non-invasive foot-worn biomechanical device coupled with a treatment methodology (AposTherapy). Patients received exercise guidelines and used the device daily during their regular activities at their own environment. Follow-up examinations were conducted after 4, 12, and 26 weeks of therapy. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to evaluate changes over time. The clinical significance of the treatment effect was evaluated by computing the Cohen's effect sizes (ES statistic).ResultsAfter 26 weeks of therapy, a significant improvement was seen in gait velocity (50.3%), involved step length (22.9%), and involved single limb support (16.5%). Additionally, a significant reduction in pain (85.4%) and improvement in function (81.1%) and quality of life (52.1%) were noted.ConclusionsPatients following THA demonstrated a significant improvement in gait parameters and in self-assessment evaluations of pain, function, and quality of life. We recommend further RCTs to examine the effect of this therapy compared to other rehabilitation modalities following THA and compared to healthy matched controls.Trial registrationClinical trial registration number NCT01266382

Patients with chronic non-specific low back pain who reported reduction in pain and improvement in function also demonstrated an improvement in gait pattern

“…It must address wider perspectives of generalized neuromuscular control. In recent years, several publications regarding the effect of a novel non-invasive biomechanical device for different musculoskeletal disorders have been published [12][13][14][15]. A unique foot-worn device enables the relocation of the center of pressure [16] while training neuromuscular control [17].…”

Effects of foot orthoses and footwear interventions on impairments and quality of life in people with hip pain: A systematic review

“…footwear device for participants with unilateral/bilateral hip osteoarthritis (Solomonow-Avnon et al, 2017) or following hip arthroplasty (Segal et al, 2013). These studies provided very low certainty evidence for improvement over time.…”

The effect of treatment with a non-invasive foot worn biomechanical device on subjective and objective measures in patients with knee osteoarthritis- a retrospective analysis on a UK population

“…Patients with knee OA that have been previously treated with this biomechanical device have shown reductions in knee adduction and flexion moments during barefoot walking, which were accompanied by significant reductions in pain and subsequent improvements in function and quality of life [31,38,48]. Previous studies have also suggested a positive clinical effect for the device when addressing other musculoskeletal conditions such as degenerative meniscal tear, post total knee replacement, hip OA, post total hip replacement and in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain [49][50][51][52][53][54].…”