Abstract
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive and debilitating condition that is estimated to account for over 80% of the osteoarthritis burden. In cases of end-stage osteoarthritis, surgical intervention is the desired option, however, less severe cases may warrant the use of nonoperative modalities. Knee braces are becoming increasingly popular as an adjunct to the standard treatment and have shown promising results in reducing pain, improving function, and mitigating disease progression. Moreover, bracing has the added benefit of being able to include other noninvasive modalities as a means to augment recovery and delay the need for surgery. Prior studies have demonstrated that the medial compartment of the knee joint sustains 62% of loading forces during the stance phase of regular gait, whereas the lateral compartment receives the remaining 38%. It is hypothesised that this distribution of loading forces is why the medial joint compartment is more frequently damaged relative to the lateral compartment. Reduction of these stresses can be accomplished by the use of medial compartment unloader braces, which incorporate distraction forces and rotation with the purpose of increasing the medial joint space and providing pain relief. These devices have the potential to correct the characteristic gait changes associated with knee OA and enhance patients' functional status. Therefore, our main purpose is to assess the efficacy of the various types of knee braces used for the treatment of osteoarthritic knee pain as well as offer perspective regarding the use of knee braces at our institution.
