title: Patients with knee osteoarthritis demonstrate improved gait pattern and reduced pain following a non-invasive biomechanical therapy: a prospective multi-centre study on Singaporean population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have shown the effect of a unique therapy with a non-invasive biomechanical foot-worn device (AposTherapy) on Caucasian western population suffering from knee osteoarthritis. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of this therapy on the level of symptoms and gait patterns in a multi-ethnic Singaporean population suffering from knee osteoarthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight patients with bilateral medial compartment knee osteoarthritis participated in the study. All patients underwent a computerized gait test and completed two self-assessment questionnaires (WOMAC and SF-36). The biomechanical device was calibrated to each patient, and therapy commenced. Changes in gait patterns and self-assessment questionnaires were reassessed after 3 and 6 months of therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant improvement was seen in all of the gait parameters following 6 months of therapy. Specifically, gait velocity increased by 15.9%, step length increased by 10.3%, stance phase decreased by 5.9% and single limb support phase increased by 2.7%. In addition, pain, stiffness and functional limitation significantly decreased by 68.3%, 66.7% and 75.6%, respectively. SF-36 physical score and mental score also increased significantly following 6 months of therapy (46.1% and 22.4%, respectively) (P < 0.05 for all parameters).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Singaporean population with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis demonstrated improved gait patterns, reported alleviation in symptoms and improved function and quality of life following 6 months of therapy with a unique biomechanical device.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Registration number NCT01562652.
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elbaz
authors.affiliation: AposTherapy Research Group, Herzliya, Israel. amitm@apostherapy.com.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mor
authors.forename: Ganit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aloni
authors.forename: Yee Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Teo
authors.forename: Yee Sze
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Teo
authors.forename: Shamal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das-De
authors.forename: Seng Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yeo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000295:instrumentation; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires