The lateral wedged insole with subtalar strapping significantly reduces dynamic knee load in the medial compartment gait analysis on patients with medial knee osteoarthritis. Immediate efficacy of laterally wedged insoles with arch support on walking in persons with bilateral medial knee osteoarthritis. The Effects of Various Kinds of Lateral Wedge Insoles on Performance of Individuals with Knee Joint Osteoarthritis Do Laterally Wedged Insoles or Valgus Braces Unload the Medial Compartment of the Knee in Patients With Osteoarthritis? Lateral wedges with and without custom arch support for people with medial knee osteoarthritis and pronated feet: an exploratory randomized crossover study Effects of disease severity on response to lateral wedged shoe insole for medial compartment knee osteoarthritis. A randomized crossover trial of a wedged insole for treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Comparison of the efficacy of laterally wedged insoles and bespoke unloader knee orthoses in treating medial compartment knee osteoarthritis Kinetic and kinematic changes with the use of valgus knee brace and lateral wedge insoles in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis. Laterally wedged insoles in knee osteoarthritis: do biomechanical effects decline after one month of wear? How Effective are Lateral Wedge Orthotics in Treating Medial Compartment Osteoarthritis of the Knee? A Systematic Review of the Recent Literature Effect of a novel insole on the subtalar joint of patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee. Higher dynamic medial knee load predicts greater cartilage loss over 12 months in medial knee osteoarthritis Effects of foot orthoses with medial arch support and lateral wedge on knee adduction moment in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis Laterally elevated wedged insoles in the treatment of medial knee osteoarthritis. A two-year prospective randomized controlled study. Influence of concomitant heeled footwear when wearing a lateral wedged insole for medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee. Comparison the effect of lateral wedge insole and acupuncture in medial compartment knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. Laterally elevated wedged insoles in the treatment of medial knee osteoarthritis: a prospective randomized controlled study. Medial Knee Osteoarthritis Treated by Insoles or Braces: A Randomized Trial Inconsistent Knee Varus Moment Reduction Caused by a Lateral Wedge in Knee Osteoarthritis Usefulness of an insole with subtalar strapping for analgesia in patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee. Static and dynamic biomechanics of foot orthoses in people with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis. Biomechanical and clinical outcomes with shock-absorbing insoles in patients with knee osteoarthritis: immediate effects and changes after 1 month of wear.
OBJECTIVE Two lateral wedged insoles were compared : one with , and the other without , subtalar strapping . METHODS Twenty-one patients ( age 58 - 83 , mean 72 ) with medial knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) were enrolled . Thirty-seven knees in the patients were divided into three groups based on the Kellgren and Lawrence OA grading system ; grade s 2 ( cases=20 ) , 3 ( cases=11 ) , and 4 ( cases=6 ) . The subjects were tested during walking barefoot and during walking with a silicon rubber lateral wedged insole with elevation of 10 mm attached to a barefoot .  Gait analysis was performed on a 10 m walkway for each subject under three different walking conditions ; barefoot , wearing a conventional insole , and a subtalar strapping insole .  Peak knee varus moment during gait was measured under each condition , and compared between the three conditions and between the OA grade s. RESULTS On the whole ( cases=37 ) , the peak varus moment was significantly reduced by wearing either of the insoles , compared to walking barefoot . The reduction was more obvious with the strapping insole ( -13 % , P<0.01 ) , compared with the conventional insole ( -8 % , P<0.05 ) . In moderate OA patients ( grade s 2 and 3 ) , the moments were significantly lower with the strapping insole , compared with the conventional insole ( P=0.0048 and 0.005 , respectively ) . However , no significant difference was detected in severe OA patients ( grade 4 ) between the two types of insoles ( P=0.4 ) . CONCLUSIONS Both lateral wedged insoles significantly reduced the peak medial compartment load during gait . The subtalar strapping insole had a greater effect than the conventional insole , particularly in patients with moderate medial knee OA OBJECTIVE To investigate the immediate efficacy of laterally wedged insoles with arch support ( LWAS ) on gait in persons with bilateral medial knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) . DESIGN A prospect i ve case-control intervention study . SETTING A gait laboratory with a 6-camera motion analysis system and 2 forceplates . PARTICIPANTS Fifteen women with bilateral medial knee OA and 15 healthy control subjects ( N=30 ) . INTERVENTIONS LWAS . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Subjective knee pain and objective biomechanical indices , namely , joint angles and moments in the frontal plane , frontal plane ground reaction force and lever arm , as well as medial/lateral center of mass and center of pressure during gait . RESULTS When wearing the LWAS , knee pain during gait in persons with medial knee OA decreased ( P=.01 ) . Peak internal knee abductor moments were also reduced ( P<.001 ) with increasing foot progression angles , laterally shifted center of pressure , and a shortened frontal plane lever arm ( all P<.05 ) . However , ankle invertor moments were increased ( P<.05 ) when wearing the LWAS . CONCLUSIONS Although peak internal knee abductor moment and knee pain were immediately reduced during gait when wearing the LWAS , increased ankle invertor moments were found , suggesting that the LWAS should be used with caution . Strengthening and monitoring the condition of the ankle invertor muscles may be necessary if the LWAS is used as an intervention for persons with bilateral medial knee OA Background : Knee joint osteoarthritis ( OA ) is one of the most incapacitating diseases affecting older population , which is associated with pain and functional limitation . Various kinds of conservative treatment have been used to decrease knee pain and to improve the quality of life of the subjects suffering from this disease . There are discrepancies in the clinical effects reported for the use of lateral wedge insole in spite of being used as one of the first conservative mechanical treatments for patients with medial compartments of knee OA . Methods : A total of 36 subjects with medial knee compartment OA were recruited in this research project . Subjects were r and omized into two groups to receive 3- and 7-mm lateral wedge insoles based on the date of birth of the participants . Some parameters such as severity of knee pain , Tibiofemoral angle ( TFA ) , severity of OA , and quality of life were selected in this research project . Results : The use of both 3-mm and 7-mm lateral wedge insole improves the quality of life and decreases knee joint pain . However , the effect of 7 mm lateral wedge insole was more than that of 3 mm . Conclusion : Using lateral wedge insole is a simple , inexpensive therapy for decreasing pain and improving quality of life ; however , most research must be carried out to find the effects of lateral wedge on severity of knee joint OA and aligning TFA Background The results of conservative treatment of knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) are generally evaluated in epidemiological studies with clinical outcome measures as primary outcomes . Biomechanical evaluation of orthoses shows that there are potentially beneficial biomechanical changes to joint loading ; however , evaluation in relation to clinical outcome measures in longitudinal studies is needed . Questions / purpose sWe asked ( 1 ) is there an immediate effect on gait in patients using a laterally wedged insole or valgus knee brace ;  ( 2 ) is there a late ( 6 weeks ) effect ; and ( 3 ) is there a difference between subgroups within each group with respect to patient compliance , body mass index , and OA status ? Methods This was a secondary analysis of data from a previous r and omized controlled trial of patients with early medial knee OA . A total of 91 patients were enrolled in that trial , and 73 ( 80 % ) completed it after 6 months . Of the enrolled patients , 80 ( 88 % ) met prespecified inclusion criteria for analysis in the present study . The patients were r and omized to an insole or brace . Gait was analyzed with and without wearing the orthosis ( insole or brace ) at baseline and after 6 weeks . Measurements were taken of the knee adduction moment , ground reaction force , moment arm , walking speed , and toe-out angle . Data were analyzed with regression analyses based on an intention-to-treat principle . Results A mean reduction of 4 % ( ± 10 ) ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , −0.147 to −0.03 , p = 0.003 ) of the peak knee adduction moment and 4 % ( ± 13 ) ( 95 % CI , −0.009 to −0.001 , p = 0.01 ) of the moment arm at baseline was observed in the insole group when walking with an insole was compared with walking without an insole . A mean reduction of 1 % ( ± 10 ) ( 95 % CI , −0.002 to −0.001 , p = 0.001 ) of the peak knee adduction moment and no reduction of the moment arm were measured after 6 weeks . No reduction of knee adduction moment , moment arm , or ground reaction force was seen in the brace group at baseline and after 6 weeks . Subgroup analysis showed no differences in biomechanical effect for obesity , stage of OA , and whether patients showed a clinical response to the treatment . Conclusions Laterally wedged insoles unload the medial compartment only at baseline in patients with varus alignment and by an amount that might not be clinical ly important . No biomechanical alteration was seen after 6 weeks of wearing the insole . Valgus brace therapy did not result in any biomechanical alteration . Taken together , this study does not show a clinical ly relevant biomechanical effect of insole and brace therapy in patients with varus medial knee OA.Level of Evidence Level I , therapeutic study . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence Background Pronated foot posture is associated with many clinical and biomechanical outcomes unique to medial compartment knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) . Though shoe-worn insole treatment , including lateral wedges , is commonly studied in this patient population , their effects on the specific subgroup of people with medial knee OA and concomitant pronated feet are unknown . The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether lateral wedge insoles with custom arch support are more beneficial than lateral wedge insoles alone for knee and foot symptoms in people with medial tibiofemoral knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) and pronated feet . Methods Twenty-six people with pronated feet and symptomatic medial knee OA participated in a r and omized crossover study comparing  five degree lateral wedge foot insoles with and without custom foot arch support . Each intervention was worn for two months , separated by a two-month washout period of no insoles wear . Main outcomes included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index ( WOMAC ) pain and physical function subscales , the revised short-form Foot Function Index ( FFI-R ) pain and stiffness subscales , and the timed stair climb test . Regression modeling was conducted to examine treatment , period , and interaction effects . Results Twenty-two participants completed the study , and no carryover or interaction effects were observed for any outcome . Significant treatment effects were observed for the timed stair climb , with greater improvements seen with the lateral wedges with arch support . Within-condition significant improvements were observed for WOMAC pain and physical function , as well as FFI-R pain and stiffness with lateral wedges with arch support use . More adverse effects were reported with the lateral wedges alone , while more people preferred the lateral wedges with arch support overall . Conclusions Addition of custom arch support to a st and ard lateral wedge insole may improve  foot and knee symptoms in people with knee OA and concomitant pronated feet . These preliminary findings suggest further research evaluating the role of shoe-worn insoles for treatment of this specific sub-group of people with knee OA is warranted . Trial registration Clinical trials.gov identifier : NCT02234895 OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of lateral wedged insoles on knee kinetics and kinematics during walking , according to radiographic severity of medial compartment knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) . DESIGN A prospect i ve case control study of patients with medial compartment OA of the knee . SETTING Gait analysis laboratory in a university hospital . PARTICIPANTS Forty-six medial compartment knees with OA of 23 patients with bilateral disease and 38 knees of 19 age-matched healthy subjects as controls . INTERVENTIONS Not applicable . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We measured the peak external adduction moment at the knee during the stance phase of gait and the first acceleration peak after heel strike at the lateral side of the femoral condyles .  Kellgren and Lawrence grading system was used for radiographic assessment of OA severity . RESULTS The mean value of peak external adduction moment of the knee was higher in OA knees than the control . Application of lateral wedged insoles significantly reduced the peak external adduction moment in Kellgren-Lawrence grade s I and II knee OA patients . The first acceleration peak value after heel strike in these patients was relatively high compared with the control . Application of lateral wedged insoles significantly reduced the first acceleration peak in Kellgren-Lawrence grade s I and II knee OA patients . CONCLUSIONS The kinetic and kinematic effects of wearing of lateral wedged insoles were significant in Kellgren-Lawrence grade s I and II knee OA . The results support the recommendation of use of lateral wedged insoles for patients with early and mild knee OA OBJECTIVE In uncontrolled studies , a lateral-wedge insole has reduced knee pain in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) . The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of this simple , low-cost intervention for pain in patients with medial knee OA . METHODS We conducted a double-blind , r and omized , crossover trial design ed to detect a small effect of treatment . Participants were at least 50 years of age and had medial joint space narrowing on posteroanterior semiflexed radiographs and scores indicating moderate pain for 2 of the 5 items on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index ( WOMAC ) pain scale . Participants were r and omized to receive a 5 degrees lateral-wedge insole or a neutral insole for 6 weeks . Following a 4-week washout period , participants crossed over to the other treatment for 6 weeks . Knee pain , the primary outcome , was assessed by the WOMAC pain scale ( visual analog scale version ) . Secondary outcomes included the WOMAC disability subscale , overall knee pain , 50-feet walk time , chair-st and time , and use of medications for knee pain . RESULTS Ninety patients were r and omized . The mean difference in pain between the 2 treatments was 13.8 points on the WOMAC pain scale ( 95 % confidence interval -3.9 , 31.4 [ P=0.13 ] ) . We observed similar small effects for the secondary outcomes . CONCLUSION The effect of treatment with a lateral-wedge insole for knee OA was neither statistically significant nor clinical ly important Background : Patients suffering from medial compartment knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) may be treated with unloader knee orthoses or laterally wedged insoles . Objectives : The aim of this study was to identify and compare the effects of them on the gait parameters and pain in these patients . Study Design : Quasi-experimental . Methods : Volunteer subjects with medial compartment knee OA ( n = 24 , mean age 59.29 ± 2.23 years ) were r and omly assigned to two separate groups and evaluated when wearing an unloader knee orthosis or insoles incorporating a 6 ° lateral wedge . Testing was performed at baseline and after six weeks of each orthosis use . A visual analog scale score was used to assess pain and gait analysis was utilized to determine gait parameters . Results : Both orthoses improved all parameters compared to the baseline condition ( p = 0.000 ) . However , no significant differences in pain ( p = 0.649 ) , adduction moment ( p = 0.205 ) , speed of walking ( p = 0 . 056 ) or step length ( p = 0.687 ) were demonstrated between them . The knee range of motion ( p = 0.000 ) were significantly different between the two interventions . Conclusion : Both orthoses reduced knee pain . Maximum knee range of motion was increased by both interventions although it was 3 degrees less when wearing the knee orthosis . Clinical relevance Both orthoses reduce pain and improve gait anomalies in medial compartment knee OA . Our results suggest a laterally wedged insole can be an alternative conservative approach to unloader knee orthosis for treating symptoms of medial compartment knee OA The effect of a valgus knee brace and a lateral wedged insole on knee and ankle kinematics and kinetics was evaluated in ten patients with medial knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) . The knee orthosis was tested in two valgus adjustments ( 4 ° and 8 ° ) , and the laterally wedged insole was fabricated with an inclination of 4 ° . A motion capture system and force platforms were used for data collection and joint moments were calculated using inverse dynamics . The valgus moment applied by the orthosis was also measured using a strain gauge implemented in the orthosis ' rotational axis . For the second peak knee adduction moment , decreases of 18 % , 21 % , and 7 % were observed between baseline and test conditions for the orthosis in 4 ° valgus , in 8 ° valgus , and insole , respectively . Similar decreases were observed for knee lever arm in the frontal plane . Knee adduction angular impulse decreased 14 % , 18 % , and 7 % from baseline to conditions for the orthosis in 4 ° valgus , in 8 ° valgus , and insole , respectively . Knee angle in the frontal plane reached a more valgus position during gait using the valgus knee brace . The valgus moment applied by the orthosis with 8 ° valgus adjustment was 30 % higher than with 4 ° valgus adjustment . The valgus knee orthosis was more effective than the laterally wedged insole in reducing knee adduction moment in patients with medial knee OA Objective This study aim ed to determine whether the effect of laterally wedged insoles on the adduction moment in knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) declined after one month of wear , and whether higher reported use of insoles was associated with a reduced effect on the adduction moment at one month . Methods Twenty people with medial compartment OA underwent gait analysis in their own shoes wearing i ) no insoles and ; ii ) insoles wedged laterally 5 ° in r and om order .  Testing occurred at baseline and after one month of use of the insoles . Participants recorded daily use of insoles in a log-book . Outcomes were the first and second peak external knee adduction moment and the adduction angular impulse , compared across conditions and time with repeated measures general linear models . Correlations were obtained between total insole use and change in gait parameters with used insoles at one month , and change scores were compared between high and low users of insoles using general linear models . Results There was a significant main effect for condition , whereby insoles significantly reduced the adduction moment ( all p < 0.001 ) . However there was no significant main effect for time , nor was an interaction effect evident . No significant associations were observed between total insole use and change in gait parameters with used insoles at one month , nor was there a difference in effectiveness of insoles between high and low users of the insoles at this time . Conclusion Effects of laterally wedged insoles on the adduction moment do not appear to decline after one month of continuous use , suggesting that significant wedge degradation does not occur over the short-term Lateral wedges were originally proposed to manage medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee but recent review s suggest that lateral wedges do not affect disease progression . We performed a systematic review to analyse the recent literature and define how effective , if at all , lateral wedges are in the management of medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee . The inclusion criteria were defined as any study published within the last decade , using a sample size of at least twenty patients , and investigating the effect of insoles or wedges on either unilateral or bilateral knee varus osteoarthritis . The st and ardised keyword term ‘ lateral*wedge*OR insole*OR orthotic * OR medial compartment OR varus OR osteoarthri * OR knee * ’ was used . We identified 10 studies that fitted our inclusion criteria . Although there is not enough evidence in the literature to prove that lateral wedge orthotics are an effective treatment for varus osteoarthritis of the knee  , there is some evidence to suggest that they do have some symptomatic effect .  Patients with early osteoarthritis and higher BMI may benefit to a greater extent than those with a greater extent of degenerative changes and lower BMI . The literature is unclear as to what the optimal duration for the use of lateral wedges is , but does support the prolonged use of the wedges as the benefits at one month are maintained at one year . Future studies should be r and omised controlled trials with a large sample size with long follow-up , and use objective clinical , biomechanical and radiological outcome measures OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of a lateral wedge insole with elastic strapping of the subtalar joint for conservative treatment of osteoarthritis ( OA ) of the knee . METHODS The efficacy of a novel insole with elastic subtalar strapping and a traditional shoe insert wedge insole was compared . Ninety female out patients with OA of the knee were treated with wedge insoles for 8 weeks . R and omization was performed according to birth date . St and ing radiographs with unilateral insole use were used to analyze the femorotibial and talar tilt angles for each patient with and without their respective insole . Visual analog scale ( VAS ) score for subjective knee pain at the final assessment was compared with that at baseline in both groups . RESULTS Participants wearing the elastically strapped insole ( n = 46 ) had significantly decreased femorotibial angle ( p < 0.0001 ) and talar tilt angle ( p = 0.005 ) and significantly improved VAS pain score ( p = 0.045 ) in comparison with baseline assessment s. These significant differences were not found in the group with the inserted insole ( n = 44 ) . CONCLUSION The novel strapped insole leads to valgus angulation of the talus , result ing in correction of the femorotibial angle in patients with knee OA with varus deformity , and may have a therapeutic effect similar to that of high tibial osteotomy Objective Mechanical factors , in particular increased medial knee joint load , are believed to be important in the structural progression of knee osteoarthritis . This study evaluated the relationship of medial knee load during walking to indices of structural disease progression , measured on MRI , in people with medial knee osteoarthritis . Methods A longitudinal cohort design utilising a subset of participants ( n=144 , 72 % ) enrolled in a r and omised controlled trial of lateral wedge insoles was employed .  Medial knee load parameters including the peak knee adduction moment ( KAM ) and the KAM impulse  were measured at baseline using three-dimensional gait analysis during walking . MRI at baseline and at 12 months was used to assess structural indices . Multiple regression with adjustment for covariates assessed the relationship between medial knee load parameters and the annual change in medial tibial cartilage volume . Binary logistic regression was used for the dichotomous variables of progression of medial tibiofemoral cartilage defects and bone marrow lesions ( BML ) . Results A higher KAM impulse , but not peak KAM , at baseline was independently associated with greater loss of medial tibial cartilage volume over 12 months ( β=29.9 , 95 % CI 6.3 to 53.5 , p=0.01 ) . No significant relationships were seen between medial knee load parameters and the progression of medial tibiofemoral cartilage defects or BML . Conclusion This study suggests knee loading , in particular the KAM impulse , may be a risk factor for loss of medial tibial cartilage volume . As knee load is modifiable , load-modifying treatments may potentially slow disease progression Background : There is contradictory evidence regarding whether the addition of medial arch supports to laterally wedged insoles reduces knee adduction moment , improves comfort , and reduces knee pain during the late stance phase of gait . Objectives : To verify if such effects occur in participants with medial knee osteoarthritis . Study design : R and omized single-blinded study . Methods : Gait analysis was performed on 18 patients affected by medial knee osteoarthritis . Pain and comfort scores , frontal plane kinematics and kinetics of ankle , knee , and hip were compared in four conditions : without foot orthosis , with foot orthoses , with medial arch support , and with foot orthoses with medial arch support and lateral wedge insoles with 6 ° and 10 ° inclination . Results : Lower-extremity gait kinetics were characterized by a significant decrease , greater than 6 % , in second peak knee adduction moment in laterally wedged insole conditions compared to the other conditions ( p < 0.001 ; effect size = 0.6 ) . No significant difference in knee adduction moment was observed between laterally wedged insole conditions . In contrast , a significant increase of 7 % in knee adduction moment during the loading response was observed in the customized foot orthoses without lateral inclination condition ( p < 0.001 ; effect size = 0.3 ) . No difference was found in comfort or pain ratings between conditions . Conclusion : Our study suggests that customized foot orthoses with a medial arch support may only be suitable for the management of medial knee osteoarthritis when a lateral wedge is included . Clinical relevance Our data suggest that customized foot orthoses with medial arch support and a lateral wedge reduce knee loading in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis ( KOA ) . We also found evidence that medial arch support may increase knee loading , which could potentially be detrimental in KOA patients OBJECTIVE To compare the clinical effects of laterally wedged insoles and neutrally wedged insoles ( used as control ) in patients with medial femoro-tibial knee osteoarthritis . METHODS STUDY DESIGN 24-month prospect i ve r and omized controlled study . PATIENTS Out patients with painful medial femoro-tibial knee osteoarthritis . OUTCOME MEASURES Patient 's overall assessment of disease activity ( 5 grade scale ) , WOMAC index subscales and concomitant treatments . STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Performed as an intention-to-treat analysis , with the last observation carried forward ( LOCF ) . Main symptomatic criterion : Improvement in the patient 's assessment of activity ( defined as a reduction of one grade or more at the end of the study as compared to baseline , and no intra-articular injection or lavage during the 6 months previous to the last visit ) . Secondary criteria for assessment : ( a ) Changes in the WOMAC subscales at month 24 , and ( b ) concomitant therapies ( analgesics , NSAIDs and intra-articular injections or lavages ) . Structural criterion : Joint space width ( JSW ) at the narrowest point . Non-compliance was defined as intermittent or lack of insole fitting at two consecutive visits . Compliance within groups was compared by using a life table analysis technique ( Log-Rank ) . RESULTS The baseline characteristics of the 156 recruited patients ( 41 males , 115 females , mean age 64.8 years ) were not different in the 2 treatment groups . At year 2 , there was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups concerning the percentages of patients with improvement in both global assessment of disease activity and in WOMAC subscales ( pain , stiffness , function ) . The number of days with NSAIDs intake was lower in the group with laterally wedged insoles than in the neutrally wedged group ( 71+/-173 days vs. 127+/-193 days , P=0.003 , Mann-Whitney test ) . The mean joint space narrowing rate did not differ between the two groups : 0.21+/-0.59 mm/year in the laterally wedged group vs 0.12+/-0.32 mm/year in the neutrally wedged group . Compliance and tolerance were satisfactory . Compliance was different between the 2 groups at month 24 , with a greater frequency of patients who wore insoles permanently in the laterally wedged insole group than in the other group ( 85.8 % vs 71.9 % , P=0.023 ) . CONCLUSION This study failed to demonstrate a relevant symptomatic and /or structural effect of laterally-wedged insoles in medial femoro-tibial OA . However , the reduced NSAIDs intake and the better compliance in the treatment group are in favor of a beneficial effect of laterally-wedged insoles in medial femoro-tibial OA OBJECTIVE To compare the influence of concomitant heeled footwear when wearing a lateral wedged insole for medial compartment of osteoarthritis ( OA ) of the knee , between everyday walking shoes for outdoor use and socks or flat footwear without a heel for indoor use . DESIGN A total of 227 out patients were prospect ively r and omized and treated with a neutral wedged insole inserted into shoes ( placebo with shoes ; n=45 ) , a wedged insole inserted into shoes ( inserted insole with shoes ; n=45 ) , a sock-type ankle supporter with a wedged insole when wearing socks or flat footwear ( inserted insole without shoes ; n=46 ) , a subtalar strapped insole when wearing shoes ( strapped insole with shoes ; n=45 ) , and the strapped insole with socks or flat footwear ( strapped insole without shoes ; n=46 ) . The Lequesne index of knee OA at week 12 was compared with the baseline in each treatment group . RESULTS Twenty patients withdrew from the study , and the 207 patients who completed the 12-week study were evaluated . At the final assessment , participants wearing the inserted insole without shoes ( P=0.003 ) , the strapped insole with shoes ( P<0.0001 ) , and the strapped insole without shoes ( P<0.0001 ) demonstrated significantly improved Lequesne index scores in comparison with their baseline assessment s. No significant differences were found in the placebo ( P=0.16 ) or the inserted insole with shoes ( P=0.2 ) groups . CONCLUSION Concomitant heeled footwear may decrease the efficacy of an inserted lateral wedged insole . The optimal usage of a lateral wedged insole for knee OA would be the combination with socks or flat footwear without heels BACKGROUND There is lack of well- design ed trials evaluating structural benefits of non-pharmacologic therapies in knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) . In this parallel-group r and omized controlled trial , we aim to compare the possible advantages of lateral wedge insole and acupuncture in patients with medial knee OA . METHOD Patients with grade two or three of medial knee OA were r and omly allocated to group one who received an in shoe lateral wedge and group two who underwent acupuncture . We assessed patients ' pain , function and knee joint cartilage thickness before and after intervention . Paired t-test and independent sample s t-test were used for in group and between group analyses . ( LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2 . ) RESULTS Twenty patients in each group were recruited in the study .  Pain significantly decreased after therapy in both groups one and two ( paired t test , P<0.001 , 95 % CI : 1.62 - 3.25 and 1.58 - 3.20 respectively ) . Function improved in each group ( paired t test , P=0.001 , 95 % CI of 0.94 - 2.38 in group one and 0.97 - 2.43 in group two ) . A non- clinical ly statistically significant difference regarding the femoral and tibial cartilage thickness was obtained in both groups one ( P=0.005 , CI : -0.43 - 0.82 and P=0.037 , CI : -0.44 - 0.80 respectively ) and two ( P=0.025 , CI : -0.45 - 0.79 and P=0.035 , CI : -0.29 - 0.96 respectively ) . Between groups analysis showed no significant difference regarding abovementioned measures . CONCLUSION Both lateral wedge insole and acupuncture can be effective in the treatment of medial knee osteoarthritis without any superiority of one over the other . Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials : I RCT 201201108235N1 . URL : http://i rct .ir/ search en.php OBJECTIVE To compare the clinical effects of laterally wedged insoles and neutrally wedged insoles ( used as control ) in patients with medial femoro-tibial knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) . DESIGN 6-month prospect i ve r and omized controlled study . PATIENTS out patients with painful medial femoro-tibial knee OA . OUTCOME MEASURES patient 's overall assessment of disease activity ( 5 grade scale ) , WOMAC index subscales and concomitant treatments . STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Performed as an intention-to-treat analysis . Main criterion : improvement in the patient 's assessment of activity ( defined as a reduction of 1 grade or more at month 6 compared to baseline , and no intraarticular injection or lavage during the study ) . Secondary criteria for assessment : ( a ) improvement in the patient 's assessment of activity at months 1 and 3 compared to baseline , ( b ) improvement in the WOMAC subscales at months 1 , 3 and 6 , compared to baseline ( defined as an improvement of at least 30 % , and no intraarticular injection or lavage during the study ) and ( c ) concomitant therapies ( analgesics and NSAIDs ) . RESULTS The baseline characteristics of the 156 recruited patients ( 41 males , 115 females , mean age 64.8 years ) were not different in the two treatment groups . At months 1 , 3 and 6 the percentages of patients with improvement in assessment of disease activity , in WOMAC pain , joint stiffness , and physical functioning subscales were similar in the two groups . The number of days with NSAIDs intake during the previous 3 months was decreased at month 6 compared with baseline in the group furnished with laterally wedged insoles ( 14.1 days+/-28 vs 9.9 days+/-27 , P=0.04 , Wilcoxon paired test ) , while it remained unchanged in the other group ( 15.5 days+/-24 vs 15+/-28 , P=0.56 ) . Compliance and tolerance were satisfactory . Compliance was different between the two groups at month 6 , with a greater frequency of patients who wore insoles permanently in the laterally wedged insole group than in the other group ( 87.8 % vs 74.3%;P=0.032 ) . CONCLUSION This study failed to demonstrate a relevant short-term symptomatic effect of laterally-wedged insoles in medial femoro-tibial OA . However , the decrease in NSAIDs consumption together with better compliance in the treated group are in favor of a beneficial effect of laterally-wedged insoles in medial femoro-tibial OA Background There is controversial evidence regarding whether foot orthoses or knee braces improve pain and function or correct malalignment in selected patients with osteoarthritis ( OA ) of the medial knee compartment . However , insoles are safe and less costly than knee bracing if they relieve pain or improve function . Questions / purpose sWe therefore asked whether laterally wedged insoles or valgus braces would reduce pain , enhance functional scores , and correct varus malalignment comparable to knee braces . Patients and Methods We prospect ively enrolled 91 patients with symptomatic medial compartmental knee OA and r and omized to treatment with either a  10-mm laterally wedged insole  ( index group , n = 45 ) or a valgus brace ( control group , n = 46 ) . All patients were assessed at 6 months . The primary outcome measure was pain severity as measured on a visual analog scale . Secondary outcome measures were knee function score using WOMAC and correction of varus alignment on AP whole-leg radiographs taken with the patient in the st and ing position . Additionally , we compared the percentage of responders according to the OMERACT-OARSI criteria for both groups . Results We observed no differences in pain or WOMAC scores between the two groups . Neither device achieved correction of knee varus malalignment in the frontal plane . According to the OMERACT-OARSI criteria , 17 % of our patients responded to the allocated intervention . Patients in the insole group complied better with their intervention . Although subgroup analysis results should be translated into practice cautiously , we observed a slightly higher percentage of responders for the insole compared with bracing for patients with mild medial OA . Conclusions Our data suggest a laterally wedged insole may be an alternative to valgus bracing for noninvasively treating symptoms of medial knee OA.Level of Evidence Level I , therapeutic study . See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of level of evidence Kakihana W , Akai M , Nakazawa K , Naito K , Torii S : Inconsistent knee varus moment reduction caused by a lateral wedge in knee osteoarthritis . Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2007;86:446–454 . Objective : To determine — with the assistance of a larger sample size — whether the inconsistency of reducing the knee-joint varus moment with a lateral wedge in patients with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) persists and if so , what underlying mechanisms may explain it . Design : Crossover design whereby 51 patients with bilateral isolated medial compartment knee OA and 19 age-matched healthy controls walked with two different wedge conditions : a 0-degree control wedge and a 6-degree lateral wedge . We conducted three-dimensional  motion analysis , hip – knee – ankle ( HKA ) angle measurement , and radiologic assessment with Kellgren – Lawrence grade . We investigated frontal plane angles and moments at the knee and subtalar joints , ground reaction forces , and center of pressure ( CoP ) . Moments were derived using a three-dimensional inverse dynamics model of the lower extremity . Results : Nine patients ( 17.6 % ) had an increased knee-joint varus moment with the 6-degree lateral wedge via the medially shifted location of the CoP. These patients did not differ from the remaining patients in HKA angle and radiologic assessment . Conclusion : In approximately 18 % of patients with bilateral medial compartment knee OA , the 6-degree lateral wedge seems to fail to reduce the knee-joint varus moment . The indication and limitations of lateral wedge should be confirmed by a r and omized controlled study OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of an insole with subtalar strapping on patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis ( OA ) of the knee . METHODS Novel lateral wedged insoles with elastic subtalar strapping ( the subtalar strapping support group ) and ankle supporters with a lateral wedged heel insert ( the sock-type ankle support group ) were prepared . Eighty-eight female out patients with knee OA were treated with 1 of the 2 insoles for 8 weeks . Femorotibial angle was assessed by st and ing radiographs with and without unilateral insole use for each subject . Symptoms of knee OA were evaluated according to the severity index of Lequesne et al at baseline and at the final assessment . RESULTS Participants wearing the insole with subtalar strapping ( n = 42 ) demonstrated significantly decreased femorotibial angle ( an average of change : -3.1 degrees + /- 2.5 degrees , P < 0.0001 ) , but a significant difference was not found in the sock-type ankle support group ( n = 46 ; -0.4 degrees + /- 1.1 degrees , P > 0.05 ) . In the subtalar strapping support group , pain during bed rest with full extension of the knee ( P < 0.0001 ) , pain after getting up ( P = 0.04 ) , pain on getting up from a seated position ( P = 0.021 ) , maximum distance walked ( P = 0.009 ) , and aggregate severity score ( P < 0.0001 ) were significantly improved compared with baseline . In contrast , significant symptomatic improvement was detected only in the aggregate score ( P = 0.016 ) in the sock-type ankle support group , but not in any of the 10 specific categories . CONCLUSION The lateral wedged insole with subtalar strapping induces correction of the femorotibial angle and symptomatic relief in patients with varus-deformity knee OA OBJECTIVE Gait biomechanics ( knee adduction moment , center of pressure ) and static alignment were investigated to determine the mechanical effect of foot orthoses in people with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis . DESIGN Repeated measures design in which subjects were exposed to three conditions ( normal footwear , heel wedge and orthosis ) in r and om order . BACKGROUND The knee adduction moment is an indirect measure of medial compartment loading . It was hypothesized that the use of a 5 degrees valgus wedge and 5 degrees valgus modified orthosis would shift the center of pressure laterally during walking , thereby decreasing the adduction moment arm and the adduction moment . METHODS Peak knee adduction moment and center of pressure excursion were obtained in nine subjects with medial compartment knee OA during level walking using an optoelectric system and force plate . Static radiographs were taken in 12 subjects using precision radiographs . RESULTS There was no difference between conditions in static alignment , the peak adduction moment or excursion of the center of pressure in the medial-lateral direction . No relationship was found between the adduction moment and center of pressure excursion in the medial-lateral plane . The displacement of the center of pressure in the anterior-posterior direction , measured relative to the laboratory coordinate system , was decreased with the orthosis compared to the control condition ( P=0.036 ) and this measure was correlated with the adduction moment ( r=0.45 , P=0.019 ) . CONCLUSIONS The proposed mechanism was not supported by the findings . The reduction in the center of pressure excursion in the anterior-posterior direction suggests that foot positioning was altered , possibly to a toe-out position , while subjects wore the orthoses . Based on the current findings , we hypothesize that toe-out positioning may reduce medial joint load . RELEVANCE Knee Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of chronic disability amongst seniors . Developing inexpensive , non-invasive treatment strategies for this large population has potential to impact health care costs , quality of life and clinical outcomes OBJECTIVES To examine the effectiveness of shock-absorbing insoles in the immediate reduction of knee joint load , as well as reductions in knee joint load , pain , and dysfunction after 1 month of wear , in individuals with knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) . DESIGN Pre-post design with participants exposed to 2 conditions ( normal footwear , shock-absorbing insoles ) with a 1-month follow-up . SETTING University laboratory for testing and general community for intervention . PARTICIPANTS Community-dwelling individuals ( N=16 ; 6 men , 10 women ) with medial compartment knee OA . INTERVENTION Participants were provided with sulcus length shock-absorbing insoles to be inserted into their everyday shoes . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcome measures included the peak , early stance peak , and late stance peak external knee adduction moment ( KAM ) ; the KAM impulse ( positive area under the KAM curve ) ; and peak tibial vertical acceleration . Secondary outcomes included walking pain , the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain subscale and total score , and a timed stair climb task . RESULTS There was a significant reduction in the late stance peak KAM with shock-absorbing insoles ( P=.03 ) during follow-up compared with the baseline test session . No other immediate or longitudinal significant changes ( P>.05 ) in the other KAM parameters or peak tibial acceleration after use of a shock-absorbing insole were observed . However , significant improvements in all measures of pain and function ( P<.05 ) were observed . CONCLUSIONS Shock-absorbing insoles produced significant reductions in self-reported knee joint pain and physical dysfunction with 1 month of wear in patients with knee OA despite no consistent changes in knee joint load . Further research using r and omized controlled trials , with larger sample sizes and explorations into long-term use of shock-absorbing insoles and their effect on disease progression , is warranted
CONCLUSION Lateral wedge insoles cause small reductions in the EKAM and KAAI during walking in people with medial knee OA .
Current evidence demonstrates that lateral wedge insoles appear ineffective at attenuating structural changes in people with medial knee OA as a whole and may be better suited to targeted use in biomechanical phenotypes associated with larger reductions in knee load
OBJECTIVE Lateral wedge insoles are intended to reduce biomechanical risk factors of medial knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) progression , such as increased knee joint load ; however , there has been no definitive consensus on this topic .
The aim of this systematic review and meta- analysis was to establish the within-subject effects of lateral wedge insoles on knee joint load in people with medial knee OA during walking .