title: The Effectiveness of a Newly Designed Orthosis on Knee Contact Forces in Subjects with Knee Osteoarthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of a newly designed orthosis on knee contact forces in subjects with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Five patients with OA participated in the study. All had knee OA on the medial side according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria, medial knee pain and radiographic osteophyte on the medial side of knee joint. The knee joint contact forces were determined by the use of Open Simm software under two conditions, namely, walking with and without the orthosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between the mean values of walking speed, stride length and cadence during walking with and without the orthosis. The mean and standard deviation (SD) values of the first and second peaks of the knee joint contact force in a vertical direction were 2.83±0.26 and 3.17±1.16 N/BW, respectively, compared to 2.54±0.22 and 2.54±0.958 N/BW in walking with and without the orthosis (p <0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study confirmed that the new design of orthosis decreases the joint contact forces, due to reduction in muscle performance needed to stabilize the knee joint.
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Research Centre, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Taghi
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Research Centre, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan Iran.
authors.forename: Parastoo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saljoghian
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Professions, Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fatoye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001915:Braces; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000628:therapy*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*