EFFECTS OF A SEMI-RIGID KNEE BRACE ON MOBILITY AND PAIN IN PEOPLE WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS.

OBJECTIVE

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic conditions leading to disability among older people (age 60+ years). Knee osteoarthritis has a significant impact on daily functioning. Pain, stiffness, reduced strength, changes in posture, and reduced knee stability may result in reduced mobility. The aim of this study is to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of conservative therapeutic use of a semi-rigid knee brace for management of patients with knee osteoarthritis, using patient-reported outcomes.

DESIGN

Patients with osteoarthritis using a semi-rigid knee brace were asked to complete a questionnaire about the effectiveness of the brace after wearing it for 3 weeks. The primary outcome measure was mobility, assessed using an ordinal scale with and without use of the knee brace. Secondary outcome measures were pain symptoms and overall daily functioning.

RESULTS

A total of 381 patients completed the questionnaire. The results show considerably improved mobility while using a knee brace in different mobility groups. In the group of respondents who were limited to their home environment mobility decreased by 74% while using a knee brace. In the group of respondents who were able to walk to a nearby shop mobility increased by 50%, and the group experiencing no mobility restrictions increased from 3% without using a knee brace to 13% while using a knee brace. In addition, 54% of respondents reported a reduction in pain symptoms and 62% of respondents reported an improvement in overall daily functioning while using a knee brace.

CONCLUSION

The results of this large-scale patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) study show that the use of a semi-rigid knee brace appears to provide suitable joint support, offering pain relief and freedom of movement and should be considered a useful non-surgical treatment method for use in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

CLINICAL TRIAL: This study does not include a clinical trial.