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Townsend brace alters knee OA loading

A study epublished June 25 by Prosthetics and Orthotics International found that use of a decompressive knee brace from Bakersfield, CA-based Town­send Design significantly reduced detrimental knee adduction moments in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Researchers performed gait analysis on 15 adults with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2-4 unilateral medial knee OA at baseline and two and eight weeks after fitting with Town­send’s Rebel Reliever brace

The brace significantly reduced knee adduction impulse and second peak knee adduction moment at two and eight weeks compared with baseline (36% and 34% reduction in knee adduction impulse, respectively, and 26% reduction in second peak knee adduction moment at both time points).

Participants also walked faster with increased knee motion during stance.

The researchers were from Stony Brook University in New York; Long Island Orthotics & Prosthetics in West Babylon, NY; and Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

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