Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23015902›Full record

ArticleSports health2009

Unloader braces for medial compartment knee osteoarthritis: implications on mediating progression.

Dan K Ramsey, Mary E Russell

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Sports health, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact, top 84% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

22 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Hip and Knee Bracing: Categorization, Treatment Algorithm, and Systematic Review.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews · 2021
    Pooled it
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  16. Unloader knee brace increases medial compartment joint space during gait in knee osteoarthritis patients.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2019
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  19. Current state of unloading braces for knee osteoarthritis.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2016
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Dan K RamseyDepartment of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York.
Mary E Russell
University at Buffalo, State University of New York · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFor persons with unicompartment knee osteoarthritis (OA), off-unloader braces are a mechanical intervention designed to reduce pain, improve physical function, and possibly slow disease progression. Pain relief is thought to be mediated by distracting the involved compartment via external varus or valgus forces applied to the knee. In so doing, tibiofemoral alignment is improved, and load is shifted off the degenerative compartment, where exposure to potentially damaging and provocative mechanical stresses are reduced.

objectivesTo provide a synopsis of the evidence documented in the scientific literature concerning the efficacy of off-loader knee braces for improving symptomatology associated with painful disabling medial compartment knee OA. SEARCH STRATEGY: Relevant peer-reviewed publications were retrieved from a MEDLINE search using the terms with the reference terms osteoarthritis, knee, and braces (per Medical Subject Headings), plus a manual search of bibliographies from original and review articles and appropriate Internet resources.

resultsFor persons with combined unicompartment knee OA and mild to moderate instability, the strength of recommendation reported by the Osteoarthritis Research Society International in the ability of off-loader knee braces to reduce pain, improve stability, and diminish the risk of falling was 76% (95% confidence interval, 69%-83%). The more evidence the treatment is effective, the higher the percentage.

conclusionsGiven the encouraging evidence that off-loader braces are effective in mediating pain relief in conjunction with knee OA and malalignment, bracing should be fully used before joint realignment or replacement surgery is considered. With the number of patients with varus deformities and knee pain predicted to increase as the population ages, a reduction of patient morbidity for this widespread chronic condition in combination with this treatment modality could have a positive impact on health care costs and the economic productivity and quality of life of the affected individuals.

Indexed as

kneeorthoticsosteoarthritispain

Identifiers

PMID23015902
PMCPMC3445170
OpenAlexW2057071662

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.