Effects of specialized footwear on joint loads in osteoarthritis of the knee

Abstract

Objective Elevated dynamic joint loads have been associated with the severity and progression of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. This study compared the effects of a specialized shoe (the mobility shoe) designed to lower dynamic loads at the knee with self-chosen conventional walking shoes and with a commercially available walking shoe as a control. Methods Subjects with knee OA were evaluated in 2 groups. Group A (n = 28) underwent gait analyses with both their self-chosen walking shoes and the mobility shoes. Group B (n = 20) underwent gait analyses with a control shoe and the mobility shoe. Frontal plane knee loads were compared between the different footwear conditions. Results Group A demonstrated an 8% reduction in the peak external knee adduction moment with the mobility shoe compared with self-chosen walking shoes (mean ± SD 49 ± 0.80 versus 2.71 ± 0.84 %BW × H; P < 0.05). Group B demonstrated a 12% reduction in the peak external knee adduction moment with the mobility shoe compared with the control shoe (mean ± SD 2.66 ± 0.69 versus 3.07 ± 0.75 %BW × H; P < 0.05). Conclusion Specialized footwear can effectively reduce joint loads in subjects with knee OA, compared with self-chosen shoes and control walking shoes. Footwear may represent a therapeutic target for the treatment of knee OA. The types of shoes worn by subjects with knee OA should be evaluated more closely in terms of their effects on the disease.

Joint loading decreased by inexpensive and minimalist footwear in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis during stair descent

“…Major exclusion criteria for both groups were a BMI greater than 35 kg/m 2 (8,16,17); the presence of knee instability; hip or ankle OA; disabling or systemic arthritis;…”

“…Data of only one lower extremity per subject were analyzed and compared. For the CG, the lower extremity was randomly chosen; for the OA group, the selected extremity corresponded to the symptomatic knee in subjects with unilateral OA and to the most symptomatic knee in subjects with bilateral OA (8,16,17).…”

Influence of the instrumented force shoe on gait pattern in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee

“…The KAdM reflects the distribution of load transferred through the medial versus the lateral compartment of the tibiofemoral joint [5,12]. In studies identifying the severity of knee OA and evaluating progression and therapy, the KAdM has often been used as an outcome measure [5,17,26,34,40,41,43].…”

Exercise, Gait Retraining, Footwear and Insoles for Knee Osteoarthritis

“…The nonsignificant findings of this study may be related to the small sample size. A ''mobility'' shoe specially engineered to mimic barefoot walking and incorporating a flexible grooved sole, can reduce the peak KAM by 8 % compared to self-selected walking shoes [67], however the efficacy of this novel shoe style in treating symptoms associated with knee OA has not yet been evaluated. Commercially available unstable shoes (Masai Barefoot Technology Ò ), which have a multilayered sole that mimics walking on soft uneven ground, have been suggested as a treatment option for people with knee OA given their potential to improve gait stability and reduce joint load [68].…”