Biomechanical risk factors of osteoarthritis and gait retraining interventions for individuals with medial knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Knee osteoarthritis is a chronic joint condition, most commonly affecting the medial knee compartment. Evidence suggest that outcomes related to gait biomechanics are associated with structural changes in the medial knee joint, and they are hypothesised to do so by being biomarkers of higher joint loads. However, it is unclear which biomechanical outcomes are associated with the onset and progression of osteoarthritis in lower limb joints involved in ambulation. Identifying if these gait biomechanics are risk factors could establish targets for non-surgical intervention. Gait retraining interventions such as toe-in and toe-out gait have the potential to modify gait biomechanical outcomes in people with medial knee osteoarthritis. However, there is a lack of randomised controlled trials, and majority of the literature has evaluated the immediate effects of these interventions. Further, there has been no direct comparison of both toe-in and toe-out gait retraining interventions to see how these interventions compare over time, particularly against an active placebo intervention in people with medial knee osteoarthritis.