Comparing the effects of lower limb orthoses on knee pain, function, quality of life, and knee joint alignment in people with medial knee osteoarthritis.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of three types of orthoses (knee orthosis, ankle foot orthosis (AFO), and foot orthosis) on knee alignment, pain, function, and quality of life in individuals with medial knee osteoarthritis (MKOA).

Method: Thirty patients took part in this study and were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 10 in each group) based on the type of intervention. Knee function was assessed using the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) questionnaire, and knee alignment was evaluated by measuring angles using the images of bony prominence (AMI) method.

Results: After using knee orthosis and AFO, all subscales of KOOS showed significant improvement (p < .05). However, there was no significant difference in the results after using foot orthosis (p > .05).

Conclusion: The findings indicate that knee orthosis or AFO for 6 weeks can improve clinical outcomes for individuals with MKOA. This suggests that clinicians can consider using knee orthosis and AFO among the available treatment options to improve clinical outcomes.