Biomechanical analysis of the mechanism of a minimalist footwear in joint overload decreasing in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis

• Grant number: 14/04997-2
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2014
• Effective date (End): September 11, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Cooperation agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal researcher: Isabel de Camargo Neves Sacco
• Grantee: Francis Trombini de Souza
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common disorder of the musculoskeletal system which contributes to work disability of approximately 15% of adult population worldwide. Mechanical stress is a major cause of its beginning and progression, especially in joints exposed to constant overload and movement, as the knee. Recent studies performed by our group showed short and long-term positive effects of a minimalist flexible shoe without heel on reducing joint overload (knee adduction moment) in elderly with knee OA. In the long-term use, although not statistically significant, we observed important reduction in this variable. However, we do not know what mechanisms are responsible for the modification of this joint overload. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate and analyze the mechanisms of the flexible minimalist footwear - Moleca - on reducing joint overload in elderly women with knee OA. Two databases from two studies previously developed by our group will be used to calculate the knee adduction moment, center of pressure, lever arm between the ground reaction force and the joint center in the frontal plane of the knee and the foot progression angle (toe-out or toe-in) in three gait conditions: Moleca, barefoot and high heeled shoe. To improve the analysis, these variables will also be compared between the group that used this shoe for six months and that group did not use it. The mathematical analysis will be performed by means of software AMASS, Visual3D and Matlab. The results may contribute to the understanding of these mechanisms in joint overload reducing and, hence, for planning of new motor strategies to enhance the use of this type of footwear. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TROMBINI-SOUZA, FRANCIS; FULLER, RICARDO; GOLDENSTEIN-SCHAINBERG, CLAUDIA; SACCO, ISABEL C. N. Long-term use of minimal footwear in older adult women with knee osteoarthritis: Mechanisms of action in the knee adduction moment. JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS, v. 108, JUL 17 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.

YI, LIU CHIAO; SARTOR, CRISTINA D.; SOUZA, FRANCIS TROMBINI; SACCO, ISABEL C. N. Intralimb Coordination Patterns in Absent, Mild, and Severe Stages of Diabetic Neuropathy: Looking Beyond Kinematic Analysis of Gait Cycle. PLoS One, v. 11, n. 1 JAN 25 2016. Web of Science Citations: 4.