Article

Knee osteoarthritis has commonly been associated with a symptom of
pain resulting in an inter-limb weight-bearing asymmetry during functional tasks.
Patellar tendon strap is one of the non-pharmacologic interventions to alleviate
knee pain. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the immediate effect of a patellar tendon
strap on weight-bearing asymmetry during squatting in people with unilateral knee
osteoarthritis.
METHODS: Ten patients with
unilateral knee osteoarthritis and 10 healthy subjects were included in the
study. Weight-bearing asymmetry of patients was assessed using a weight-bearing
squat test during squatting at 30 degrees and 60 degrees both with and without
patellar tendon strap. Pain intensity was assessed during squatting in unstrapped
and strapped conditions with Visual Analog Scale. RESULTS: The decrease in
weight-bearing asymmetry values immediately after wearing patellar tendon strap
during 30 degrees (p = 0.006) and 60 degrees (p = 0.011) of squatting tests was
significantly higher in knee osteoarthritis patients than in healthy subjects.
Reported pain intensity was similar in unstrapped and strapped conditions (p =
0.066). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed improved inter-limb
weight-bearing symmetry during squatting. Further research with larger sample
sizes investigating the effect of patellar tendon strap on weight-bearing
asymmetry during functional activities in people with knee osteoarthritis is
warranted. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Patellar tendon straps (easily fit and cheap
unlike knee braces) had more improvements in inter-limb weight-bearing symmetry
during squatting in people with knee osteoarthritis compared to healthy subjects.
This study is a new insight for future studies to investigate clinical benefits
of wearing patellar tendon straps in this population.
CI - (c) The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2015.

Langue : ANGLAIS