Can Slight Variations to Lateral Wedge Insoles Induce Significant Biomechanical Changes in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis?

Abstract

Lateral wedge insoles are recommended in order to minimize the impacts of osteoarthritis of the knee. The amount of wedging required to induce a biomechanical response with clinical significance is still controversial. This study aimed to investigate the immediate biomechanical effects of different amounts of wedging in symptomatic medial knee OA. A 3D motion capture system and five force platforms were used to acquire walking kinematic and kinetic data along a 10 m walkway. Each participant was tested for six different lateral wedge insoles (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10°) in a randomized order. Thirty-eight patients with medial osteoarthritis of the knee were recruited. The application of insoles resulted in an incremental reduction of the first peak of the external knee adduction moment under all experimental conditions in comparison with the control condition (0° insole). A significant increase (p < 0.05) was observed in peak ankle eversion and in ankle eversion at the first peak of the external knee adduction moment with insoles higher than 8° and 6°, respectively. Slight variations to lateral wedge insoles, greater than 2°, appear to induce significant biomechanical changes in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

A Study on the Effects of Lateral-Wedge Insoles on Plantar-Pressure Pattern for Medial Knee Osteoarthritis Using the Wearable Sensing Insole

“…The ordinary insole group showed significantly decreased WOMAC function and total scores, while the lateral-wedge insole group showed no significant change in VAS or WOMAC scores [ 26 ]. However, a 3D motion-capture system and force platforms were adopted to investigate walking kinematics and kinetic data from patients with OA [ 27 ]. In previous studies, participants were tested randomly using lateral-wedge insoles with six different angulations (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10°).…”

Effectiveness of Lateral Shoe Wedging along with Quadriceps Strengthening and Life Style Modification in Knee Osteoarthritis

“…This disparity in results points to a potential variability in response to orthotic treatments among OA patients (13,14). Further investigating this variability, Ferreira in 2022 delved into the biomechanical impacts of different degrees of lateral wedge insoles (15). His findings suggest that even slight variations in insole design can lead to significant changes in the biomechanical dynamics of the knee in osteoarthritis patients.…”