Krohn is also staff rheumatologist at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Krohn recently presented his research findings on the unloader brace at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in San Diego. Osteoarthritis of the knee can result from damaged cartilage on one side of the knee joint. This may be the result of previous trauma or the need for surgery from injuries to the knee. The missing cartilage puts the joint out of alignment and the increased load on one side of the joint causes pain.
Surgeons can often relieve the problem by taking a wedge of bone out of the other side of the joint.
But such surgery is usually not a permanent fix and total knee replacement often becomes necessary. Many surgeons feel that knee replacement surgery is more difficult in patients that have undergone a wedge osteotomy in the knee previously. The valgus brace works by mechanically realigning the joint, redistributing pressure to reduce pain. The brace, manufactured by Generation II USA of Bothell, Wa., is custom-fitted to each patient. The alignment of the device can be adjusted slightly depending on the patient's needs.