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. 2020 Sep 10;15(9):e0238722.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238722. eCollection 2020.

The effect of a knee brace in dynamic motion-An instrumented gait analysis

Hannah Lena Siebers  1 , Jörg Eschweiler  1 , Jan Pinz  1 , Markus Tingart  1 , Björn Rath  2
Affiliations

The effect of a knee brace in dynamic motion-An instrumented gait analysis

Hannah Lena Siebers et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common problem in the older population. To reduce pain and stress in the affected knee joint compartment, a functional knee brace is often prescribed by physicians to protect it from high loads.

Objectives: An instrumented gait analysis should evaluate how the 4-point knee orthosis for varus or valgus load relief (M.4s OA) changes the kinematics of the knee, especially in the frontal plane.

Methods: 17 healthy participants took part and were analyzed with an inertial sensor system (MyoMotion) giving continuous, objective information on the anatomical angles. The measurements were made both without wearing a knee brace and with the brace in different settings.

Results: The results show a significant reduction in the maximum knee abduction and raised knee adduction. The knee brace, with a strong adjustment in varus or valgus orientation, caused a shift of maximum ab-/adduction in the proposed direction in 69% and 75% of the dynamic tests, respectively. The knee motion in the frontal plane shows individual movement patterns.

Conclusion: The use of the brace leads to significant changes in the knee's movement. Patient-specific movement patterns may explain different effects of functional knee braces on individual persons. Inertial sensors have been shown to be a low-cost, easy-to-use option for individual movement analysis and further personalized therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Knee kinematics.
(A) Knee kinematics from lateral and frontal view in comparison to (B) brace kinematic of the 4-point knee orthosis for varus or valgus pressure relief and stabilization (M.4s OA, medi GmbH & Co. KG, Bayreuth, Germany).
Fig 2
Fig 2. Determination of the terminal contact, based on the maximum deflection of the pitch angle.
(A) The gait cycle and the measured pitch angle of the feet. (B) The definition of the orientation axis and the pitch angle of the foot sensor.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Physiological knee movement (3D) over one gait cycle measured for different publications.
(A) Knee ab-/ adduction of the knee during movement in the frontal plane. (B) Knee flexion/ extension of the knee during movement in the sagittal plane. (C) Knee inner/ outer rotation of the knee during movement in the transversal plane.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Movement of the knee in the frontal plane with and without a brace.
(A) Knee ab-/adduction over one gait cycle for physiological walking without a brace. (B) Knee ab-/adduction while wearing the knee brace in a neutral position.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Movement of the right knee in the frontal plane with a valgus adjusted brace.
(A) Knee ab-/adduction over one gait cycle with the brace in a light valgus adjustment. (B) Knee ab-/adduction with the brace in a strong valgus adjustment.
Fig 6
Fig 6. Movement of the right knee in the frontal plane with a varus adjusted brace.
(A) Knee ab-/adduction over one gait cycle with the brace in a light varus adjustment. (B) Knee ab-/adduction with the brace in a strong varus adjustment.
Fig 7
Fig 7. Grouped knee movement in the frontal plane for physiological walking.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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