Walking Aids in the Management of Hip Osteoarthritis

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00506714
• Recruitment Status: Completed
• First Posted: July 25, 2007
• Results First Posted: September 28, 2012
• Last Update Posted: October 4, 2012
• Sponsor: Arthritis Foundation
• Information provided by (Responsible Party): Meika A. Fang, MD, Arthritis Foundation

Study Description

Brief Summary:

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not the use of a nonpharmacologic intervention (single point cane) is effective in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

Condition or disease	Intervention/treatment	Phase
Osteoarthritis	Device: single point cane	Not Applicable

Detailed Description:

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common joint disease in humans, is a significant cause of pain and disability. Non-pharmacological treatments for hip OA include education, exercise, appliances (walking sticks or insoles), and weight reduction if obese or overweight. Canes are often recommended to reduce adverse forces across joints although there is currently no research evidence regarding the efficacy of walking sticks for hip OA. Little information is available regarding the impact of walking aids on psychosocial function and quality of life in individuals with hip OA. This study will evaluate the effects of walking aids in hip OA by examining gait biomechanics, quality of life, pain, and opinions regarding using a cane.

Comparisons: Compare gait biomechanics in people with symptomatic unilateral hip OA while walking with and without a cane at baseline and after 4 weeks of cane use. Compare gait biomechanics in people with symptomatic unilateral hip OA with and without a cane to those of healthy, age-matched controls. Compare pain and health-related quality of life in people with symptomatic unilateral hip OA following 4 weeks of cane use. Determine the association between changes in gait biomechanics, pain, and health-related quality of life in people with symptomatic unilateral hip OA following 4 weeks of cane use.

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional (Clinical Trial)
• Actual Enrollment: 26 participants
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)
• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Official Title: Walking Aids in the Management of Hip Osteoarthritis
• Study Start Date: July 2007
• Actual Primary Completion Date: July 2009
• Actual Study Completion Date: September 2009

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/treatment
Experimental: Adult subjects with hip osteoarthritis; Walk with and without a single point cane at baseline and after four weeks	Device: single point cane; Adjustable single point cane with SureGrip handle
No Intervention: Healthy Subjects; Healthy adults walking without a cane at baseline

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures :

1. Gait Velocity [ Time Frame: Baseline ]

Secondary Outcome Measures :

1. Gait Velocity With a Cane in Hip OA Subjects [ Time Frame: Baseline ]
   Measured gait velocity when hip OA subjects walked with a cane at the baseline visit.
2. Gait Velocity [ Time Frame: 4 weeks ]
   Gait velocity when adults with symptomatic hip osteoarthritis walked with a cane after four weeks of cane use

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 60 Years to 75 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Sexes Eligible for Study: All
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. hip OA (grades II-IV) of the Kellgren/Lawrence classification
2. with pain in one hip for most days of the prior month
3. Ability to walk 30 feet without postural sway
4. Ability to stand unaided
5. Ability to understand verbal instructions
6. Ability to give informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

1. History of hip or knee trauma or surgery including arthroscopic surgery in the past six months
2. Severe obesity (> 300 pounds)
3. Neurological disorders that affect lower extremity function such as stroke or peripheral neuropathy, vestibular dysfunction or poor vision
4. Injury or amputation to the lower extremity joints
5. History of other types of arthritis or fibromyalgia
6. Pain from spine, knee, ankle, or foot disease that would interfere with assessment of the hip
7. Poor health that would impair compliance or assessment such as shortness of breath with exertion, chest pain
8. Foot deformities such as hallux rigidus, valgus deformity of the midfoot, previous ankle arthrodesis
9. Greater trochanteric pain syndrome

Contacts and Locations

Locations

United States, California

VA West Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, United States, 90073

Sponsors and Collaborators

Arthritis Foundation

Investigators

• Principal Investigator: Meika A Fang, MD; VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System Department of Medicine; UCLA Department of Medicine

More Information

• Responsible Party: Meika A. Fang, MD, Rheumatology, Arthritis Foundation
• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00506714
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2007-030430
• First Posted: July 25, 2007
• Results First Posted: September 28, 2012
• Last Update Posted: October 4, 2012
• Last Verified: September 2012

Keywords provided by Meika A. Fang, MD, Arthritis Foundation:

Osteoarthritis; Walking Sticks; Canes

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Osteoarthritis; Osteoarthritis, Hip; Arthritis; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases