Valgus bracing in patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee:A gait analysis study of a new brace

Valgus bracing in patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee:A gait analysis study of a new brace
Received 14 October 2005; received in revised form 5 July 2006; accepted 8 July 2006. published online 11 September 2006.
Robert D.A. Gaasbeekac, Brenda E. Groenb, Brieke Hampsinkb, Ronald J. van Heerwaardena, Jacques Duysensbd
Gait & Posture
Elsevier, Inc.

Abstract
A new valgus brace was evaluated in 15 patients with medial osteoarthritis of the knee and a varus leg axis. Significant improvement of pain and function were found after 6 weeks of brace treatment. Gait analysis showed that the brace had a tendency of lowering the peak varus moment about the knee. This effect was more profound in the presence of higher initial varus deformity angle of the knee. Furthermore, bracing led to a small decrease of knee extension at the end of the swing phase and an increase of walking velocity. The mechanisms identified by gait analysis in this study may be of clinical importance for future developments in brace treatment.

Keywords: Gait analysis, Knee orthosis, Valgus brace, Osteoarthritis, Peak varus moment
a Limb Deformity Reconstruction Unit, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, P.O. Box 9011, 6500 GM Nijmegen, The Netherlands

b Sint Maartenskliniek Research, Development and Education, Sint Maartenskliniek, P.O. Box 9011, 6500 GM Nijmegen, The Netherlands

c Department of Orthopaedics, Meander Medical Center, P.O. Box 1502, 3800 BM Amersfoort, The Netherlands

d Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Centre Sint Radboud, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Corresponding author at: Department of Orthopaedics, Meander Medical Center, P.O. Box 1502, 3800 BM Amersfoort, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 33 8505050; fax: +31 33 8505619.

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