Walking Aids in the Management of Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee OA is an important cause of disability and falls in overweight or obese individuals and
limits their attempts at exercise and subsequent weight loss. Walking aids such as canes have
been recommended in the management of knee OA in order to decrease pain by reducing loading
across the knee and to increase physical activity. Little information is available regarding
the impact of walking aids on psychosocial function and quality of life in individuals with
limited mobility. No randomized controlled trials have studied the efficacy of walking aids
on quality of life, pain, and function in overweight or obese individuals with symptomatic
knee OA (5,6). The proposed research will evaluate the effects of walking aids in knee OA by
testing the following hypothesis that the use of a single-point cane ipsilateral and
contralateral to the affected limb will decrease pain from knee OA by altering gait
biomechanics and will improve walking function and quality of life in overweight or obese
individuals with symptomatic knee OA.

Inclusion Criteria:

- 45-85 years old

- Able to walk 30 feet without postural sway and able to stand unaided

- Knee pain on movement with a WOMAC pain subscale of >35mm

- Documented osteoarthritis based on clinical and radiographic criteria

- Body Mass Index (BMI) > 25.0 - 29.9

- Ability to understand verbal and written instructions

- Ability to give informed consent determined by assessment of cognitive status

Exclusion Criteria:

- Concurrent medical/arthritic disease that could confound or interfere with evaluation
of pain or efficacy. History of knee trauma or surgery, including arthroscopic
surgery, in the past six months

- Severe obesity (weight > 300lbs)

- Upper body weakness

- Injury or amputation of the lower extremity joints

- History of other types of arthritis

- Spine, foot, or hip pain of sufficient magnitude to interfere with the evaluation of
the index joint.

- Isolated patellofemoral disease manifested by primarily anterior knee pain in the
absence of tibiofemoral radiographic finding.

- History of significant collateral or anterior cruciate ligament or meniscal injury to
the index joint requiring at least one week of non weight bearing (minor ligamentous
injury prior to 6 months is not an exclusion).

- Poor health that would impair compliance or assessment such as shortness of breath
with exertion

- Neurological disease including vestibular dysfunction, or impaired vision

- Patient has a history of any illness that, in the opinion of the investigator, might
confound the results of the study or pose additional risk to the patient.

- Is unable to understand and complete the study questionnaires including visual analog
scale (VAS) responses.

- Is unable to understand the study procedures.

- Investigator feels the patient is otherwise inappropriate for the study. The patient
is participating in another clinical trial that would interfere with participation in
this study

- Investigator feels the patient is otherwise inappropriate for the study.

- The patient is participating in another clinical trial that would interfere with
participation in this study