Walking Aids in the Management of Hip Osteoarthritis

Arthritis Foundation26 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not the use of a nonpharmacologic intervention (single point cane) is effective in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common joint disease in humans, is a significant cause of pain and disability. Non-pharmacological treatments for hip OA include education, exercise, appliances (walking sticks or insoles), and weight reduction if obese or overweight. Canes are often recommended to reduce adverse forces across joints although there is currently no research evidence regarding the efficacy of walking sticks for hip OA. Little information is available regarding the impact of walking aids on psychosocial function and quality of life in individuals with hip OA. This study will evaluate the effects of walking aids in hip OA by examining gait biomechanics, quality of life, pain, and opinions regarding using a cane. Comparisons: Compare gait biomechanics in people with symptomatic unilateral hip OA while walking with and without a cane at baseline and after 4 weeks of cane use. Compare gait biomechanics in people with symptomatic unilateral hip OA with and without a cane to those of healthy, age-matched controls. Compare pain and health-related quality of life in people with symptomatic unilateral hip OA following 4 weeks of cane use. Determine the association between changes in gait biomechanics, pain, and health-related quality of life in people with symptomatic unilateral hip OA following 4 weeks of cane use.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Osteoarthritis

Interventions

single point caneDEVICE

Adjustable single point cane with SureGrip handle

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 60 YearsMax age: 75 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. hip OA (grades II-IV) of the Kellgren/Lawrence classification 2. with pain in one hip for most days of the prior month 3. Ability to walk 30 feet without postural sway 4. Ability to stand unaided 5. Ability to understand verbal instructions 6. Ability to give informed consent Exclusion Criteria: 1. History of hip or knee trauma or surgery including arthroscopic surgery in the past six months 2. Severe obesity (\> 300 pounds) 3. Neurological disorders that affect lower extremity function such as stroke or peripheral neuropathy, vestibular dysfunction or poor vision 4. Injury or amputation to the lower extremity joints 5. History of other types of arthritis or fibromyalgia 6. Pain from spine, knee, ankle, or foot disease that would interfere with assessment of the hip 7. Poor health that would impair compliance or assessment such as shortness of breath with exertion, chest pain 8. Foot deformities such as hallux rigidus, valgus deformity of the midfoot, previous ankle arthrodesis 9. Greater trochanteric pain syndrome

Locations (1)

VA West Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Gait Velocity

Time frame: Baseline

Secondary Outcomes

Gait Velocity With a Cane in Hip OA Subjects

Measured gait velocity when hip OA subjects walked with a cane at the baseline visit.

Time frame: Baseline

Gait Velocity

Gait velocity when adults with symptomatic hip osteoarthritis walked with a cane after four weeks of cane use

Time frame: 4 weeks

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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