title: The outcome of a novel biomechanical therapy for patients suffering from anterior knee pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was devised to examine the effect of a novel biomechanical therapy for patients suffering from anterior knee pain (AKP).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of 48 patients suffering from AKP was performed. Patients underwent a gait evaluation, using an electronic walkway mat, and completed the SF-36 health survey and the WOMAC questionnaire at baseline and after 3 and 6months of therapy. A special biomechanical device was individually calibrated for each patient. AposTherapy is a functional, non-invasive rehabilitation therapy consisting of a biomechanical foot-worn device that is used during activities of daily living. Repeated measures analyses were performed to compare gait parameters and self-evaluation questionnaires between baseline, 3months and 6months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Walking velocity significantly increased by 5.7cm/s, cadence increased by 1.6 steps/minute, and stride length increased by 3.4cm in relation to pretreatment testing (p<0.001 for all). End-point evaluation revealed additional improvement of these parameters; however these did not significantly differ from that of mid-treatment. Pain decreased by 36.6% and 49.2% following 13 and 26 weeks of treatment, respectively (P<0.01) and function improved by 25.2% and 41.7% following 13 and 26 weeks of treatment, respectively (P=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the current study's results it may be concluded that this therapy might have a positive effect for patients with AKP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel. Electronic address: amirhaim@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haim
authors.forename: Ganit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elbaz
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mor
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agar
authors.forename: Yaron
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bar-Ziv
authors.forename: Yiftah
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morag
authors.forename: Ronen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Debi
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Atoun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004867:Equipment Design; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005260:Female; D061826:Foot Orthoses; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D046788:Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult