LAUSR

Introduction The use of a valgus knee brace and a lateral wedge foot orthosis in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) has been reported as a novel treatment strategy. The purpose of this study was to analyze the combined effect of laterally wedged inlay and knee brace on walking in volunteer subjects with medial compartment OA. Materials and Methods Eighteen subjects with symptomatic medial compartment knee OA participated in this study. Based on the treatment strategies, all subjects were divided into three groups: (1) lateral wedge insole, (2) valgus knee brace, and (3) both knee brace and foot orthosis. A Vicon digital motion capture system using eight cameras at a frequency of 100 Hz and two force platforms were used to capture data. Results In the lateral wedge group, a significant difference was observed in the knee adduction moment (KAM) with and without condition. In the valgus brace group, there was a significant difference in KAM, speed of walking, cadence, and knee joint range of motion (ROM) with and without intervention. In the valgus brace plus lateral wedge insole group, there was a significant difference in KAM and hip, knee, and ankle joints ROM. Conclusions The concurrent use of valgus knee brace and lateral wedge insole can produce a greater overall reduction in the KAM. The use of two types of orthoses, both separately and combined, did not improve the speed of walking, step length, and hip, knee, and ankle joints ROM in the affected side.