Wanted: Shoe that helps arthritic knee
Published: May 9, 2008 at 11:46 PM
MELBOURNE, May 9 (UPI) -- Australian researchers say there is an urgent need to see how shoe design can support the arthritic knee.
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."
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."
© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
» Next in Health:
Birth order linked to asthma
Latest Headlines
- Missouri mother accused of cyberbullying
- India's PFC inks pact with Exim Bank
- BAE to upgrade PIM howitzer vehicles
- Amputee sprinter eligible for Olympics
- Iraq: Military arrests 14 terror suspects
- Arabs consider de-pegging from dollar
- Housing fails to revive markets Friday
- Death toll from Chinese quake at 22,069
Most Popular
- Death toll from Chinese quake at 22,069
- Kate to stand in for Will at royal wedding
- IBM claims solar power breakthrough
- Alleged rape victim posts YouTube video
- FDA closes smoked seafood plant
- Study shows bird sight isn't human sight
- Biodiversity on Earth is declining
- Palestinians step up Israeli attacks