RESEARCH - Going barefoot decreases loads on lower extremity joints in osteoarthritis

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Going barefoot decreases loads on lower extremity joints in osteoarthritis

10/19/2006

By: Reuters Health

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Oct 19 - Walking in shoes increases loads on knee

and hip joints in patients with knee osteoarthritis, according to findings

published in the September issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism.

" Osteoarthritis (OA) of the lower extremity is largely mediated by aberrant

biomechanical forces, " write Dr. Najia Shakoor and Dr. A. Block, from

Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois.

" In knee OA, the most well-studied form, there is evidence that patients

with abnormally high dynamic loading of the knees are at greater risk of

incident and progressive diseases, " they note. " Consequently, strategies

that effectively reduce loads on the knee during gait would be of great

interest. "

The researchers assessed the effects of modern shoes on gait and lower

extremity joint loads in 75 patients with knee OA. Their mean age was 59,

their mean BMI was 28.4, and 59 of the 75 were women.

Gait analysis based on optoelectronic monitoring was performed while the

subjects were wearing their everyday walking shoes and while they were

walking barefoot on a multicomponent force plate.

Walking barefoot resulted in significant decreases in dynamic loads at the

knees. Compared with walking with shoes, walking barefoot led to an 11.9%

reduction in the peak knee adduction moment (p < 0.001). A significant

decrease was also observed in the peak knee extension moment (p = 0.006).

" Similar reductions in dynamic loads were observed at the hips during

barefoot walking, " Drs. Shakoor and Block report. " The peak hip adduction

moment decreased by 4.3% (p = 0.001), " they found. " The peak hip internal

and external rotation moments decreased by 11.1% and 10.2%, respectively (p

= 0.001). "

The findings " suggest that modern shoes may exacerbate the abnormal

biomechanics of lower extremity OA, " the team concludes.

Although the effect of wearing shoes on onset of OA hasn't been studied,

they add, " modern shoes, and perhaps our daily walking practices, may need

to be reevaluated with regard to their effects on the prevalence and

progression of OA. "

Last Updated: 2006-10-19 10:10:12 -0400 (Reuters Health)

Arthritis Rheum 2006;54:2923-2927.

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