RESEARCH - Cane use may reduce risk of knee OA progression

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Cane Use May Reduce Risk of Knee Osteoarthritis Progression

Posted 06/16/2008

A common, incurable joint disease, osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading

cause of disability in elderly people. While nearly any joint can be

affected, OA most often strikes the knee, particularly the inner

aspect of the tibiofemoral joint. One source of stress on this

vulnerable joint compartment is the knee adduction moment, an

indication of weight placement while walking. A 20 percent increase in

the peak knee adduction moment is associated with a 6-fold or greater

increase in the risk of knee OA progression over 6 years. To reduce

knee load, pain and damage in knee OA patients, physicians often

prescribe two inexpensive interventions: footwear and cane use. While

these simple strategies have the potential to alter the knee adduction

moment, there is little research attesting to their specific benefits

for knee OA sufferers.

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Read the entire article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/574347

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Not an MD