Their 3-D gait research, published in Arthritis Care & Research, determined the use of a cane resulted in a striking 10 percent -- sometimes more than 20 percent -- decrease in the knee adduction moment, a movement which brings the knee closer to the waist, in 16 male and 24 female osteoarthritic knee patients, the effect of shoes was less clear-cut.

The peak knee moment, a movement which brings the knee closer to the waist when walking in shoes, was significantly higher -- 7.4 percent -- than when walking barefoot. The effect of footwear, however, varied considerably among individuals.

"Because it is potentially dangerous as well as impractical to advise patients with knee osteoarthritis to walk about in bare feet, further research is needed to determine which types of shoes least increase the knee adduction moment or, ideally, reduce it," study leader Dr. Rana Hinman of the University of Melbourne said in a statement.

"The shoe type optimal for knee osteoarthritis with regard to its effects on symptoms and disease progression must be determined."