Article

The WISH-type S-form brace, is considered to improve hip function and
gait in patients presenting with painful hip osteoarthritis (OA). OBJECTIVES: To
evaluate the effects of the brace on functional mobility. STUDY DESIGN: Cross
sectional survey. METHODS: The Timed Up & Go Test (TUG) was performed with right
and left turns separately in each subject. RESULTS: In the patients with the
bilateral hip brace, the average time to complete the TUG (8.3 +/- 1.7 seconds)
was significantly shorter than in those without the brace (9.4 +/- 2.9 seconds).
On the other hand, for the patients with unilateral hip OA, the improvement of
TUG with the hip brace was significant in turning the unbraced leg inside (7.4
+/- 1.1 vs. 7.6 +/- 1.2 seconds), while not turning the braced leg inside (7.5
+/- 1.1 vs. 7.6 +/- 1.2 seconds). Furthermore, significant improvement of TUG was
found at three-month follow-up and maintained until the 12-month follow-up
assessment. This improvement was independent of the application of the brace at
the assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The direct effect of the hip brace may be related to
the hip function in the turning phase of TUG. In addition, mechanical
improvements due to daily exercise may provide an indirect, but essential, effect
of the brace on TUG performance.

Langue : ANGLAIS