Gait Changes with Valgus Unloader Braces in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

To examine the effect of six months of VUB wear on dynamic changes in 3 dimensional joint mechanics and muscle activation patterns during walking in patients with moderate medial compartment knee OA. Participants with knee OA (n=28) wore a custom-fit VUB for 6 months and were tested at baseline and 6 months. Motion, force and surface electromyographic (EMG) data were collected using standard procedures as participants walked at their self-selected speed with and without VUB. Knee angles, moments and EMG waveforms for 7 muscles were calculated. No difference in walking speed (1.24m/s) was found among conditions. Significant brace effects were found for all 3 transverse and frontal plane angle, 2 sagittal plane angle, 1 medial gastrocnemius and 1 medial hamstring PC-scores. Significant time effects for a lateral gastrocnemius and an interaction for one knee flexion moment PC-score were found.