AposTherapy for patients with degenerative meniscal tear

Avi Elbaz, Yiftah Beer, Ehud Rath, Guy Morag, Ganit Segal, Eytan M. Debbi, Daniel Wasser, Amit Mor, Ronen Debi

17/4/2012

Purpose

The purpose of the current study was to assess the effects of a new foot-worn device on the gait, physical function and pain in patients suffering from knee osteoar-thritis (OA) who had a low-impact injury to the medial meniscus causing a degenerative meniscal tear.
Methods

A retrospective analysis of 34 patients with knee OA and a degenerative medial meniscal tear was per-formed. Patients underwent a gait evaluation, using an electronic walkway mat, and completed the SF-36 health survey and the WOMAC questionnaire at baseline and after 3 and 12 months of therapy. AposTherapy is a func- tional, biomechanical, non-invasive rehabilitation therapy consisting of a foot-worn device that is individually cali- brated to each patient and is used during activities of daily living. Repeated-measures analyses were performed to compare gait parameters and self-evaluation questionnaires between baseline, and 3 and 12 months.

Results

Significant improvements were found in gait velocity, step length and single-limb support of the involved knee following 12 weeks of therapy (all p \0.01), alongside an improvement in limb symmetry. These results were maintained at the 12-month follow-up examination. Signifi- cant improvements were also found in all three domains of the WOMAC index (pain, stiffness and physical function) and in the SF-36 Physical Health Scale and the SF-36 Mental Health Scale (all p \0.01).
Conclusions