title: Evaluation of off-loading braces for treatment of unicompartmental knee arthrosis.
abstract: Two analyses were performed to assess the effectiveness of off-loading knee braces in producing condylar separation of degenerative compartments in patients with unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis. All patients were analyzed using video fluoroscopy under weight-bearing conditions. In the initial study, a single brace was analyzed in 2 dimensions and demonstrated that medial condylar separation was obtained, with corresponding pain relief, in 78% of patients. The brace was least effective in obese patients. The second study consisted of a 3-dimensional analysis of 5 subjects fitted with 5 different off-loading braces. Condylar separation in most patients was similarly observed with certain braces, whereas others demonstrated little to no condylar separation, suggesting that off-loading knee braces are not equally effective in treatment of unicompartmental knee arthritis.
authors.affiliation: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dennis
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Komistek
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nadaud
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahfouz
mesh_terms: D001915:Braces; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D011187:Posture; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology*