Date of Award

Summer 2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Education (MSEd)

Department

Human Movement Sciences

Program/Concentration

Exercise Science and Wellness

Committee Director

Joshua T. Weinhandl

Committee Member

Mathew Hoch

Committee Member

Kimberly Stewart

Committee Member

Bonnie Van Lunen

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.E44 S83 2013

Abstract

Medial knee osteoarthritis is a disease that is projected to affect approximately 45% of the U.S. population and is associated with significant morbidity, chronic pain, and limited activity. Laterally wedged insoles are used as an intervention to laterally shift the mechanical axis of the limb and decrease the external knee adduction moment, possibly indicating a shift in load distribution to the lateral compartment of the knee. The aim of this study was to examine the acute effects of a laterally wedged insole in those with valgus and normally aligned knees and to determine prolonged effects after the insole was worn for a one week period in a healthy population. Ten females with normally aligned knees and eight females with valgus aligned knees participated in this study. Participants walked at a normal, comfortable speed with and without the insoles during two testing sessions, before and after a one week period of wearing the insoles. Three dimensional kinetics and kinematics were recorded. Each participant's mean data was analyzed using a two-way repeated measures ANOVA (group (normal, valgus) x condition (pre-wedge, pre-nonwedge, post-wedge, post-nonwedge)). The results demonstrated that the valgus aligned group exhibited a 0.17 Nm/kg reduction in knee abduction moment when compared to the normally aligned group (p=0.02). Also, the valgus aligned group had a lower knee abduction angular impulse (-0.10±0.01 Nms/kg) when compared to the normally aligned group (-0.16±0.01 Nms/kg) (p=0.00). There was a significant two-way interaction for vertical GRF at the instance of peak knee abduction moment (p=0.01). An independent t-test showed the valgus participants had a higher vertical GRF (12.04±1.42 N/kg) when compared to the normal participants (10.7±1.27 N/kg) during the post-nonwedge condition (p=0.046). A paired t-test revealed that the post-nonwedge condition exhibited a 0.40 N/kg decrease from the post-wedge condition in normal participants (p=0.006). Normal participants also exhibited a significant difference (p=0.007) between the post-nonwedge condition (10.7±1.27 N/kg) and the pre-wedge condition (11.2±0.89 N/kg). For the valgus group, participants exhibited a 0.43 N/kg decrease when the wedge was inserted during the post session (p=0.046). There was also a significant difference (p=0.045) between the post-nonwedge condition (12.0±1.42 N/kg) and the pre-nonwedge condition (11.4±1.20 N/kg). These results did not show a significant decrease in knee abduction moment; however, the differences seen in vertical GRF coincided with knee flexion angles. The valgus group demonstrated decreased vertical GRF and increased knee flexion with the insole, which could lead to a small decrease in knee abduction moment.

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In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/5gnc-wp59

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