ReviewKnee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA2016
Current state of unloading braces for knee osteoarthritis.
Review in Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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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.
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.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- The clinical effect of an unloader brace on patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, a randomized placebo controlled trial with one year follow up.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2018Trial
- A feasibility randomised trial evaluating the levitation tri-compartment offloader knee brace for multicompartment knee osteoarthritis.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2025Article
- Conservative treatments of bone marrow lesions.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2025Article
- Article
- Article
- Biomechanical Effect of Valgus Knee Braces on the Treatment of Medial Gonarthrosis: A Systematic Review.Applied bionics and biomechanics · 2022Review
- EFFECTS OF A SEMI-RIGID KNEE BRACE ON MOBILITY AND PAIN IN PEOPLE WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS.Journal of rehabilitation medicine. Clinical communications · 2022Article
- Non-Surgical Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: Multidisciplinary Italian Consensus on Best Practice.Therapeutics and clinical risk management · 2021Article
- Preliminary Evaluation of a New Orthotic for Patellofemoral and Multicompartment Knee Osteoarthritis.Rehabilitation research and practice · 2021Article
- Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Is Equivalent to Platelet-Rich Plasma for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis at 1 Year: A Prospective, Randomized Trial.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2020Article
- The effect of extension assist orthosis with pneumatic bladders on pain and function for patients with early knee osteoarthritis.Annals of translational medicine · 2019Article
- Two-Year Results of the PHANTOM High Flex Trial: A Single-Arm Study on the Atlas Unicompartmental Knee System Load Absorber in Patients With Medial Compartment Osteoarthritis of the Knee.Clinical medicine insights. Arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeUnicompartmental knee osteoarthritis (OA) is often treated with the prescription of an unloading knee brace to decrease pain and stiffness. Braces have been shown to improve the quality of life by applying an external moment to offset increased compressive tibiofemoral contact loads, but evidence regarding mechanical efficacy at the joint is controversial. Thus, the purpose of this study was to review the current state of unloading braces on knee mechanics, clinical impact, and long-term disease progression.
methodsA literature search was performed through the PubMed MEDLINE database for the search terms "osteoarthritis," "knee," "brace," and derivatives of the keyword "unload." Articles published since January 1, 1980 were reviewed for their relevance. Evidence for the effectiveness of unloading braces for disease management both biomechanically and clinically was considered.
resultsWhile significant research has been done to show improvement in OA symptoms with the use of an unloading brace, current literature suggests a debate regarding the effectiveness of these braces for biomechanical change. Clinical findings reveal overall improvements in parameters such as pain, instability, and quality of life.
conclusionAlthough clinical evidence supports brace use to improve pain and functional ability, current biomechanical evidence suggests that unloading of the affected knee compartment does not significantly hinder disease progression. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.
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Registered trials
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.