Journal article
Immediate effects of valgus bracing on knee joint moments during walking in knee-healthy individuals: Potential modifying effects of body height
Gait & Posture, Vol.80, pp.383-390
2020
PMID: 32623361
Abstract
Background: The goal of valgus knee brace treatment is to reduce medial knee joint loading during walking,often indicated by external knee adduction moment (KAM) measures. However, existing healthy-subjects studies have been equivocal in demonstrating KAM reduction with valgus knee bracing.Research question:What are the immediate effects of valgus bracing at different tension levels on KAM during walking at a controlled speed and does body height modify the brace-KAM associations?Methods:Data from 32 knee-healthy participants were analysed in this randomized crossover trial. Participants performed walking trials at controlled speed (1.3 ± 0.065 m/s) both with and without an Ossür Unloader One®brace. During the bracing condition, valgus tension was incrementally increased, from zero tension to normal tension and to maximum tolerable tension.Results:Valgus bracing minimally increased knee flexion at heel-strike (P< 0.001) in a dose-dependent manner and minimally reduced gait velocity (∼0.015m/s) across all tension levels. Valgus bracing, overall, did not significantly reduce the various KAM measures. However, brace use at maximal tension was associated with a0.04Nm/kg (9.2 %)increase in first peak KAM amongst participants with a body height of 1.75 m and a 0.03Nm/kg (7.6 %)decrease in first peak KAM amongst participants with a body height of 1.55 m.Significance:Valgus bracing did not reduce the various KAM measures during walking; however, body height may play a moderating role. Given knee brace sizes vary more in circumference than length, this result may be due to the ratio between effective moment arm length relative to limb length. A deeper understanding of the potential neuro-biomechanical effects of valgus knee bracing and how these effects are potentially modified by body height may be critical to the design of effective knee braces.
Details
- Title
- Immediate effects of valgus bracing on knee joint moments during walking in knee-healthy individuals: Potential modifying effects of body height
- Authors
- Yong-Hao Pua (Author) - Singapore General HospitalHong-Han Tan (Author) - Singapore General HospitalBenjamin F Mentiplay (Author) - La Trobe UniversityLeon Zhi-Xia Lim (Author) - Singapore Institute of TechnologyAsher Chi-Weng Tham (Author) - Singapore Institute of TechnologyJoshua Jia-En Quek (Author) - Singapore Institute of TechnologyEe-Lin Woon (Author) - Singapore General HospitalTing-Ting Yeh (Author) - Singapore Institute of TechnologyCelia Ia-Choo Tan (Author) - Singapore General HospitalMichael A Hunt (Author) - University of British ColumbiaRoss Allan Clark (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health and Sport Sciences - Legacy
- Publication details
- Gait & Posture, Vol.80, pp.383-390
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Date published
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.06.025
- ISSN
- 1879-2219
- PMID
- 32623361
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health and Sport Sciences - Legacy; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy; School of Health - Public Health
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99465007102621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Neurosciences
- Orthopedics
- Sport Sciences
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