Role of Footwear Alteration along with Conventional Physiotherapy in Osteoarthritis Knee

Abstract

Inspite of vast array of conservative treatment interventions for medial knee osteoarthritis, their effectiveness in its management is still contentious. Numerous researchers have suggested the role of footwear modification in reducing medial knee joint space load and hence reducing pain and improving functional status. However, most of the studies were cross-sectional in nature and have not seen the alteration in compendium of factors like radiographic changes, static alignment, kinesiological factors, gait parameters and most importantly plantar pressure distribution following 6 months of footwear modification along with conservative physiotherapy. The results of the present study suggested that footwear alteration along with conventional physiotherapy was effective not only in improving clinical outcomes but also increasing medial knee joint space width, changing static alignment, improving kinesiological factors, gait parameters and plantar pressure distribution in patients of osteoarthritis knee.