Walking Aids in the Management of Knee Osteoarthritis

Not Applicable

Completed

Conditions: Obesity
Osteoarthritis

Interventions: Device: Single point cane

Registration Number: NCT00223795

Lead Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development

Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to assess whether the single point cane will relieve pain and disability in overweight or obese people with knee OA through altered joint biomechanics and what factors influence acceptance of cane use.

Detailed Description: Knee OA is an important cause of disability and falls in overweight or obese individuals and limits their attempts at exercise and subsequent weight loss. Walking aids such as canes have been recommended in the management of knee OA in order to decrease pain by reducing loading across the knee and to increase physical activity. Little information is available regarding the impact of walking aids on psychosocial function and quality of life in individuals with limited mobility. No randomized controlled trials have studied the efficacy of walking aids on quality of life, pain, and function in overweight or obese individuals with symptomatic knee OA (5,6). The proposed research will evaluate the effects of walking aids in knee OA by testing the following hypothesis that the use of a single-point cane ipsilateral and contralateral to the affected limb will decrease pain from knee OA by altering gait biomechanics and will improve walking function and quality of life in overweight or obese individuals with symptomatic knee OA.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 53

Inclusion Criteria

45-85 years old
Able to walk 30 feet without postural sway and able to stand unaided
Knee pain on movement with a WOMAC pain subscale of >35mm
Documented osteoarthritis based on clinical and radiographic criteria
Body Mass Index (BMI) > 25.0 - 29.9
Ability to understand verbal and written instructions
Ability to give informed consent determined by assessment of cognitive status

Exclusion Criteria

Concurrent medical/arthritic disease that could confound or interfere with evaluation of pain or efficacy. History of knee trauma or surgery, including arthroscopic surgery, in the past six months
Severe obesity (weight > 300lbs)
Upper body weakness
Injury or amputation of the lower extremity joints
History of other types of arthritis
Spine, foot, or hip pain of sufficient magnitude to interfere with the evaluation of the index joint.
Isolated patellofemoral disease manifested by primarily anterior knee pain in the absence of tibiofemoral radiographic finding.
History of significant collateral or anterior cruciate ligament or meniscal injury to the index joint requiring at least one week of non weight bearing (minor ligamentous injury prior to 6 months is not an exclusion).
Poor health that would impair compliance or assessment such as shortness of breath with exertion
Neurological disease including vestibular dysfunction, or impaired vision
Patient has a history of any illness that, in the opinion of the investigator, might confound the results of the study or pose additional risk to the patient.
Is unable to understand and complete the study questionnaires including visual analog scale (VAS) responses.
Is unable to understand the study procedures.
Investigator feels the patient is otherwise inappropriate for the study. The patient is participating in another clinical trial that would interfere with participation in this study
Investigator feels the patient is otherwise inappropriate for the study.
The patient is participating in another clinical trial that would interfere with participation in this study

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Single point cane	Single point cane	People with knee osteoarthritis underwent gait analysis with a cane

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Peak Vertical Force on Affected Limb	Baseline and end of first intervention period (2 months)	An in-shoe dynamic, pressure distribution system (Pedar-X System, Novel Electronics, Inc., St. Paul, MN) was utilized to measure the vertical ground reaction force at the baseline visit and at the end of the first intervention period (two months) gait evaluations for both the control arm and cane user arm. The control arm was not given a cane to use at home during the two month intervention period. Peak vertical force on the affected limb was measured in the laboratory setting when both control group and cane user group walked with and without a cane at baseline and at the end of the first intervention period (2 months).

Secondary Outcome Measures