Effects of an ankle and foot muscle-strengthening program on pain and external knee adductor moment during gait in subjects with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, blinded clinical trial

• Grant number: 20/00456-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2020
• End date: December 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Tania de Fatima Salvini
• Grantee: Larissa Verônica Marçal de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Trunk, hip, and knee muscle strengthening programs, considered the gold standard for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) treatment, reduced pain and improved function, but did not alter the internal knee joint overload of these patients. Nevertheless, the strengthening of intrinsic foot muscles was effective in redistributing forces in the gait support phase in neuropathic diabetics and in reducing pain in patients with patellofemoral pain. However, it is not known whether an ankle and foot muscle strengthening program is capable of reducing pain and reducing the internal knee overload of KOA patients. Objective: To evaluate the effect of an ankle and foot muscle strengthening program on pain, function, and internal knee overload during gait in people with KOA. Materials and methods: Individuals diagnosed with KOA will be recruited based on American College of Rheumatology criteria and randomly allocated to KOA-Control (without intervention) and KOA-Exercise (undergoing an ankle and foot exercise program). Pain, function and the external adductor knee moment during gait before and after the treatment will be evaluated. The interventions will be in person and supervised for 8 consecutive weeks, with 3 weekly sessions of 60 minutes, on alternate days. The results will be analyzed using ANOVA 2 X 2 mixed models (group X time), with intention-to-treat analysis, significance level of 0.05 and 95% confidence interval. (AU)